Saturday, August 7, 2021

Lighthouse of the Week, August 1-7, 2021: Jōtōmyō-dai Light, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan

 

It's not hard to figure out where I got the idea for this one;  as the Tokyo Olympics wind down (I may say more about this later), I thought I'd pick a lighthouse in Tokyo.  This one is very, very historic, even though it's not a working lighthouse.

It's the Jōtōmyō-dai Light, in the Chiyoda ward of central Tokyo. That's located here. It's not exactly close to the water.  I'm not sure if it ever was.  Here's what the Lighthouse Directory can tell us.

"1871. Inactive as a navigational aid for many years but a white decorative light is displayed. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) 2-stage rubblestone tower with lantern and double gallery. The lower half of the tower is square and tapered, while the upper half is octagonal cylindrical. ... This lighthouse was built shortly after the Meiji Restoration (1866-69) restored the power of the Emperor and ushered in the start of the modernization of Japan. In other words, this is one of the first lighthouses built by Japanese in the modern era. According the Japanese text accompanying the photos each stone is inscribed with the name of the feudal clan that contributed that stone. The lighthouse was relocated a short distance across Yasukuni Street in 1930 as the area was developed. Today it is called Jōtōmyō-dai, "High Lantern." "
I told you it was historic, didn't I?  Since it says it was relocated, I guess back then (before it was moved), it was closer to the water.

Pictures?  Of course I have pictures.  Plus, here's a link to a high-quality picture that didn't render here very well.








No comments: