Kamishima Lighthouse

Overlooking a treacherous stretch of the Toba-Irago waterway, this white-tiled lighthouse served as a waypoint for mariners navigating the powerful currents and hidden shoals. More than a thousand boats, from large tankers to fishing boats and pleasure craft, traverse these waters every day. Long known as a “lovers’ spot” among young locals, the lighthouse served as the setting for a key scene in the hit novel The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima (1925–1970). Those who visit will likely agree with Mishima that the expansive view is one of the island’s most beautiful.