Name and Location

Toimisaki Lighthouse, also known as 都井岬灯台 (Toimisaki-tōdai), stands at the southeastern extremity of the Nichinan Coast in Kushima City, Miyazaki Prefecture. The lighthouse can be found at 80-2 Ōnō, Kushima, Miyazaki 888-0221, Japan, with coordinates 31.3673894 N, 131.3458055 E.

Construction and History

Toimisaki Lighthouse was first lit in the early Taishō era (1923). It has guided shipping in the Pacific Ocean for nearly a century and today remains an automated navigation aid. Originally manned by keepers appointed by the Japanese government's Maritime Safety Agency, the lighthouse became fully automated in 1986.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features a functional, early-20th-century Japanese design with a cylindrical concrete tower rising from a small concrete equipment building. The exterior is painted white with a black-rimmed gallery balcony and lantern. The height of the tower is approximately 12 meters, with a focal plane at roughly 55 meters above sea level.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse's light characteristic and nominal range are currently unavailable due to lack of public documentation. However, it is powered by solar-electric cells with battery backup and uses modern rotating beacon optics (formerly a Fresnel lens). The lighthouse serves as an active aid to navigation on official Japanese maritime charts.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse grounds are open year-round, daylight hours, and admission is free. Visitors can access the grounds via Prefectural Route 36 (Nichinan Phoenix Road) and park in a small free lot near the entrance to Cape Toi. The tower interior is closed to the public, but visitors may walk around the base and gallery walkway.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse overlooks rugged coastal cliffs and wild horses grazing on Cape Toi. The surrounding landscape features dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean, windswept grasses, and indigenous plants. Visitors can enjoy panoramic coastal views from adjacent observation decks during sunrise and sunset.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local stories tell of special bonds between keepers and the resident horses in the lighthouse era. Legends also speak of a wrecked merchant vessel that sank off Cape Toi in the 18th century, with its phantom lantern said to merge with the lighthouse's beam on stormy nights.

Technical and Operational Details

The managing authority is Japan Coast Guard (Maritime Safety Agency), Kyushu Regional Headquarters. The lighthouse is fully automated, with no permanent on-site keepers. It serves as an active aid to navigation and is monitored by Coast Guard regional radar.

Further Information

For further reading, refer to the Japan Coast Guard's "List of Lights and Fog Signals," Kyushu Region, latest edition. The Kushima City Tourism Association also publishes a Cape Toi Guidebook (English/Japanese).