is a lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

 in Awaji, Hyōgo

Awaji, Hyogo

is a city located on Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.Awaji City was founded on 1 April 2005 from the merger of the former town of Awaji with the towns of Tsuna, Higashiura, Hokudan, Ichinomiya, all in Tsuna District....

 Japan. A portion of the lighthouse is Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan

Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan

as defined by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties are Cultural PropertiesIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, e.g "Cultural Properties" as opposed to "cultural properties"...

.

History

Esaki Lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses built in the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

 and was built for the sake of foreign ships travelling to Japan. It was constructed by Richard Henry Brunton

Richard Henry Brunton

Richard Henry Brunton FRGS MICE was the so-called "Father of Japanese lighthouses". Brunton was born in Muchalls, Kincardineshire, Scotland...

, known as the father of Japanese lighthouses, as part of the government's project of modernization.