Hirakubozaki Lighthouse
平久保埼灯台24°37′ N 124°19′ ELighthouseGood with kids
Hirakubozaki Lighthouse stands at the end of the Hirakubo peninsula on Ishigaki's northern tip, which Ishigaki City puts about 80 minutes by car from town, and it looks out over a full circle of reef and ocean. The Ryukyu government first lit it in 1965.
Photo Kzaral · Flickr · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
The lighthouse stands on the headland at the very end of the Hirakubo peninsula, and Ishigaki City's tourism site describes the view as a full circle of horizon and reef colour. The Ryukyu government built and first lit it in 1965, and the Japan Coast Guard took it over when Okinawa returned to Japan in 1972. In 2016 it became the first lighthouse in Okinawa named a 'lovers' lighthouse' by the Japan Romanticist Association and the Nippon Foundation.
In the 17th century a lookout station on this cape kept watch for foreign ships and passed signals along a chain of beacon fires, and Japan designated the Hirakubo lookout a national historic site in 2007. For a rider the cape is the far end of the island and the turning point of a full island ride, and in a winter north-easterly the headland is fully exposed.
Worth knowing
- Bring food and water from Ibaruma or town; the peninsula has few places to stop.
- Ishigaki Sunset Beach at Kuura makes a stop on the way back down the peninsula.
FAQ
Quick answers about Hirakubozaki Lighthouseよくある質問
How far is Hirakubozaki Lighthouse from Ishigaki city?
About 80 minutes by car, according to Ishigaki City's tourism site. The lighthouse stands at the tip of the Hirakubo peninsula at the northern end of the island.
When was Hirakubozaki Lighthouse built?
In 1965. The Ryukyu government built and first lit it, and the Japan Coast Guard has managed it since Okinawa returned to Japan in 1972.
How long do you need at Hirakubozaki Lighthouse?
Plan about 30 minutes at Hirakubozaki Lighthouse.
Can you get to Hirakubozaki Lighthouse by bike?
Prefectural Route 206 runs up the Hirakubo peninsula and a short access road built with the lighthouse climbs to the cape; Ishigaki City puts the drive from town at about 80 minutes.
Within 8 km
Beaches and swims nearby浜
Book it
Line up the trip around Hirakubozaki Lighthouse
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