Mikomotoshima Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
is a lighthouse
located on Mikomotojima, a small (0.1 km2) uninhabited islet located 11 kilometres (5.9 nmi) south of Shimoda port
, Shizuoka Prefecture
, Japan
.
The Mikomotojima Lighthouse was one of eight lighthouses to be built in Meiji period
Japan under the provisions of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce
of 1858, signed by the Bakumatsu period Tokugawa Shogunate
. The lighthouse was designed and constructed by British engineer
Richard Henry Brunton
, and is noteworthy in that it is the first concrete
structure to have been built in Japan. Brunton went on to construct another 25 lighthouses from far northern Hokkaidō
to southern Kyūshū
during his career in Japan.
This lighthouse was one of the first that Brunton designed and was also one of the most difficult to design. The island is situated in a turbulent part of the sea, and the sides of the island are very steep.
Brunton wrote in an essay (see 3rd reference) that "The lighthouse is of stone, 58 feet high to the sole-plate of the lantern. It is in the shape of a truncated cone, and is surmounted by a capital having twenty-four Gothic arched recesses round it. The diameter at the base is 22 feet and at the top 16 feet. The thickness of the walls at the base is 6 feet and at the top 3 feet. It is fitted with a spiral staircase of keaki. The light shows all round the horizon, and a red ray of 55" is inserted, which covers all dangers between it and the shore. The work of cutting away the rock to prepare for the foundations of the tower was commenced in April 1869, and the lighthouse was first illuminated on the 1st of January, 1871."
The lighthouse was first lit on January 1, 1871 in a ceremony attended by British consul-general Sir Harry Smith Parkes
, and Japanese officials Prince Sanjō Sanetomi
, Ōkubo Toshimichi
and Ōkuma Shigenobu
.
The Mikomotojima Lighthouse is currently the oldest lighthouse still in use in Japan. It is registered with the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
as one of the “One Hundred Most Important Lighthouses in the World” and by the Japanese government as a Historic Monument.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on Mikomotojima, a small (0.1 km2) uninhabited islet located 11 kilometres (5.9 nmi) south of Shimoda port
Shimoda, Shizuoka
is a city and port in Shizuoka, Japan.As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 25,054 and a population density of 242 persons per square kilometer...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The Mikomotojima Lighthouse was one of eight lighthouses to be built in Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
Japan under the provisions of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce
Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce
The was signed on August 26, 1858 by Lord Elgin and the then representatives of the Japanese government . This was an unequal treaty, that gave Japan semi-colonial status.The concessions which Japan made were threefold:...
of 1858, signed by the Bakumatsu period Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. The lighthouse was designed and constructed by British engineer
O-yatoi gaikokujin
The Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as oyatoi gaikokujin , were those foreign advisors hired by the Japanese government for their specialized knowledge to assist in the modernization of Japan at the end of the Bakufu and during the Meiji era. The term is sometimes...
Richard Henry Brunton
Richard Henry Brunton
Richard Henry Brunton FRGS MICE was the so-called "Father of Japanese lighthouses". Brunton was born in Muchalls, Kincardineshire, Scotland...
, and is noteworthy in that it is the first concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
structure to have been built in Japan. Brunton went on to construct another 25 lighthouses from far northern Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
to southern Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
during his career in Japan.
This lighthouse was one of the first that Brunton designed and was also one of the most difficult to design. The island is situated in a turbulent part of the sea, and the sides of the island are very steep.
Brunton wrote in an essay (see 3rd reference) that "The lighthouse is of stone, 58 feet high to the sole-plate of the lantern. It is in the shape of a truncated cone, and is surmounted by a capital having twenty-four Gothic arched recesses round it. The diameter at the base is 22 feet and at the top 16 feet. The thickness of the walls at the base is 6 feet and at the top 3 feet. It is fitted with a spiral staircase of keaki. The light shows all round the horizon, and a red ray of 55" is inserted, which covers all dangers between it and the shore. The work of cutting away the rock to prepare for the foundations of the tower was commenced in April 1869, and the lighthouse was first illuminated on the 1st of January, 1871."
The lighthouse was first lit on January 1, 1871 in a ceremony attended by British consul-general Sir Harry Smith Parkes
Harry Smith Parkes
Sir Harry Smith Parkes was a 19th century British diplomat who worked mainly in China and Japan...
, and Japanese officials Prince Sanjō Sanetomi
Sanjo Sanetomi
Prince was an Imperial court noble and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.-Biography:Born in Kyoto, Sanjō was the son of Naidaijin Sanjō Sanetsumu...
, Ōkubo Toshimichi
Okubo Toshimichi
, was a Japanese statesman, a samurai of Satsuma, and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. He is regarded as one of the main founders of modern Japan.-Early life:...
and Ōkuma Shigenobu
Okuma Shigenobu
Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...
.
The Mikomotojima Lighthouse is currently the oldest lighthouse still in use in Japan. It is registered with the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities is a non-profit organization founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice.-Background:...
as one of the “One Hundred Most Important Lighthouses in the World” and by the Japanese government as a Historic Monument.