AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Irozaki Direction Light (石廊埼指向灯) is a small, hard-working navigation beacon perched on the headland just behind the famous white Irozaki Lighthouse, on the last great cape at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula. First lit in January 1972 (Showa 47), this 7.7-metre white tower is a sector light: it projects fixed white, red and green beams to trace a safe channel through the reef-strewn waters off a coast long feared by sailors, guiding ships from the Tokyo side into the port of Shimoda.↗↗
It is a modest, functional structure rather than a showpiece, and its grounds are roped off to the public—but that is part of its charm. The real draw is the setting: a rugged national-park headland where you can pair a close look at the direction light with the Brunton-designed Irozaki Lighthouse, sea cliffs, a 1,300-year-old shrine and wide Pacific panoramas. Reaching it is an easy outing from Irozaki Ocean Park, a short walk along the cape path.↗↗↗
