Name and Location

Cape Zanpa Lighthouse is located in Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa 904-0328, Japan, with coordinates 26°26′27.8″N, 127°42′48.0″E.

Construction and History

The Cape Zanpa Lighthouse was constructed during the post-war reconstruction period in the 1950s-60s. Although records of its exact commissioning date are scarce, it is believed to have been built as part of Japan's maritime rebuilding efforts following World War II. The site has a long history of use by local fishermen as a lookout point.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features a cylindrical tower with a gallery and lantern made from reinforced concrete, painted white. Its height is not officially published, but it stands at 40 meters above mean sea level. The architectural style is functional modern with minimal ornamentation.

Light and Navigation

• The light source is a metal-halide lamp emitting a group flashing (2) White every 10 seconds – Fl(2) W 10s.
• The nominal range of the light is 18 nautical miles, and it has a color of white.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse grounds and cliff-top viewing areas are open year-round, with no admission fee. Visitors can access the site by car or bus. Ground transportation includes a community bus from Naha to Yomitan, then transfer to a local Yui Rail bus bound for Zanpa Beach, and alight at the "残波岬入口" stop, walking 15 minutes to the lighthouse.

Notable Views and Landscape

The best viewing spot is during sunset over the East China Sea, with clear-day views towards Ie Island and the Kerama Islands. Photographers also prize the lighthouse at sunrise and sunset, capturing notable shot angles such as a silhouette of the tower against a crimson sky or wide-angle panoramas incorporating the landscaped Cape Zanpa Park foreground.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local oral history tells that sailors once mistook the cliff-top beacon for a sea monster's glowing eye in heavy fog – an origin for a small folk legend still retold by Yomitan elders.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and unmanned, with no public record of AIS or radar installation at the site. It appears on Japanese chart series M 4740.3 and relevant editions published by the Japan Coast Guard.

Further Information

For further information, refer to "US NGA Pub. 112: Sailing Directions (Enroute) for the Pacific Islands," 2009, and Japan Coast Guard Light List (最新版).