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White Nojimazaki Lighthouse standing above green shrubs against a clear blue sky
Photo: ガウス at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chiba · landmark

Nojimazaki Lighthouse

野島埼灯台

A white Meiji-era lighthouse at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula. One of the few you can climb, with views over the Pacific and the coast.

View from Nojimazaki Lighthouse over the rocky southern tip of the Boso Peninsula and the Pacific
Photo: 掬茶, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nojimazaki Lighthouse seen from below on a hill of low shrubs under a deep blue sky
Photo: Ucheniitza, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of Japan's very first Western-style lighthouses

Nojimazaki Lighthouse stands in Shirahama, Minamiboso, Chiba Prefecture, at the southernmost tip of the Boso Peninsula. It was first lit on 19 January 1870 (the 18th day of the 12th month of Meiji 2 in the old calendar), and it is one of the first eight Western-style lighthouses built in Japan.

Construction was directed by the French engineer Verny, and the first lighthouse was a 30m octagonal tower of white brick. It collapsed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1925. During the Pacific War its top and lens were destroyed by machine-gun fire, but it was repaired in 1947.

Today's lighthouse is an octagonal tower topped by a round lantern room, 29m tall. In 2012 it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.

A lighthouse you can climb, and what's around it

Nojimazaki is one of only a handful of lighthouses in Japan that you can go inside and climb. A spiral staircase leads up to a viewing area overlooking the Boso coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

Next to the lighthouse is a small exhibition room on its history. The grounds are laid out as Nojimazaki Park, with a walking trail you can do in about 30 minutes, rocky shores with rock pools, and benches for watching the sunset. It is also recommended as a spot for sunrises, sunsets and starry skies.

Getting there

From Tateyama Station on the JR Uchibo Line, take a bus towards Awa-Shirahama, get off at the stop near the lighthouse and walk about 10 minutes. There is a free car park nearby.

There is a fee to visit the lighthouse, and it is closed to visitors over the lunch break. Visiting hours change with the season, so check before you go.

Tips

  • You climb a spiral staircase to reach the viewing area, so wear comfortable shoes.
  • After climbing the lighthouse, follow the trails down to the rocky shore. The view looking up at the lighthouse from below is worth it too.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Chiba · zoo aquarium Kamogawa Sea World 鴨川シーワールド A Boso Peninsula aquarium on the Pacific, famous for orca shows. In 1976 it was Japan's first to keep belugas, and 2026 marks 50 years.
Chiba · waterfall Nomizo Falls and Kameiwa Cave 濃溝の滝・亀岩の洞窟 A hand-dug Edo-era cave on the Boso Peninsula that a stream flows through. Around the equinoxes, early light and reflections form a heart shape.
Chiba · farm Mother Farm マザー牧場 A 250-hectare farm park on a Boso Peninsula hilltop overlooking Tokyo Bay and Mount Fuji: stampeding sheep, seasonal flower fields and animals to meet.
Chiba · waterfall Awamata Falls 粟又の滝 A waterfall in Chiba's Yoro Valley that slides about 100m down a gentle rock face. Ringed by autumn leaves in late autumn, it is one of Boso's best.
Chiba · viewpoint Meiji Centennial Observation Tower, Futtsu Park 富津公園 明治百年記念展望塔 A pine-shaped tower at the tip of Cape Futtsu in Tokyo Bay, looking across to Kanagawa, central Tokyo and, on clear days, Mount Fuji. A top sunset spot.
Kanagawa · shrine Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine 鶴岡八幡宮 Minamoto no Yoritomo's shrine at the heart of Kamakura, the samurai capital, with city views from its great stone steps and 800 years of horseback archery.