# Sakishima Beacons

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The Sakishima Beacons (先島諸島火番盛, Sakishima-shotō hibanmui) are a network of eighteen observation platforms and beacons dating to the early Edo period and located in the Sakishima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Erected in 1644 by the government of the Ryūkyū Kingdom at the instigation of the Satsuma overlords, at a time of international tension during the transition between the Ming and the Qing Dynasties of China, the beacons were responsible for monitoring and reporting on maritime traffic, with a view to restricting foreign vessels in accordance with the Tokugawa policy of sakoku, i.e. national seclusion. After an initial survey by the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties in 1993, due to uncertainties over land rights and difficulties of coordination between the involved municipalities, it was not until 2007 that they were jointly designated an Historic Site.

## Locations

There are eight beacons in the Miyako Islands and ten in the Yaeyama Islands. Of those in the Miyako Islands, five are within the city of Miyakojima (on the islands of Miyakojima, Ikema, and Kurima), and three in the village of Tarama (on the islands of Tarama and Minna). Of those in the Yaeyama Islands, two are within the city of Ishigaki (on the island of Ishigaki), seven in the town of Taketomi (on the islands of Taketomi, Kuroshima, Upper and Lower Aragusuku, Hateruma, Kohamajima, and Hatoma), and one in the town of Yonaguni (on the island of Yonaguni).

## Operations

Records suggest that the beacon near Cape Hirakubo on Ishigaki was at one point manned by a team of four, who also slept on the site. A different signal may have been given depending upon the origin of the ships. A restaged beacon relay in November 2007 saw an attempt to pass signals along two routes: (1) Hateruma-Aragusuku (Shimoji)-Aragusuku (Kamiji)-Kuroshima-Taketomi-Ishigaki; and (2) Hatoma-Kohamajima-Taketomi-Ishigaki. Along both routes the initial signal could not be seen from the next observation platform, due to rain; after restarting from the second station, both signals were successfully relayed to Ishigaki; in some instances it took up to ten minutes from the signal being observed for a fire to be lit sufficient for the smoke to be seen at the next station; the exercise highlighted the difficulty in transmitting signals by such a method in times of inclement weather and poor visibility.

## List of beacons

| Beacon | Island | Municipality | Comments | Coordinates |
| Ikema tōmi 池間遠見 | Ikema Island | Miyakojima | located on a small hill at the southern tip of the island | 24°55′20″N 125°14′52″E﻿ / ﻿24.922189°N 125.247788°E﻿ / 24.922189; 125.247788 |
| Karimata tōmi 狩俣遠見 | Miyakojima Island | Miyakojima | on a hill behind Karimata | 24°53′47″N 125°16′40″E﻿ / ﻿24.896344°N 125.277786°E﻿ / 24.896344; 125.277786 |
| Shimajiri tōmi 島尻遠見 | Miyakojima Island | Miyakojima | on a hill in northeast Shimajiri | 24°52′35″N 125°17′52″E﻿ / ﻿24.876417°N 125.297813°E﻿ / 24.876417; 125.297813 |
| Sunagawa tōmi 砂川遠見 | Miyakojima Island | Miyakojima | at the south end of Hiokuyama in Sunagawa | 24°43′31″N 125°21′07″E﻿ / ﻿24.725300°N 125.352058°E﻿ / 24.725300; 125.352058 |
| Kurima tōmi 来間遠見 | Kurima Island | Miyakojima | three-metre tower of Ryūkyū limestone (琉球石灰岩) reinforced by the Japanese army during the Pacific War | 24°43′33″N 125°15′08″E﻿ / ﻿24.725720°N 125.252337°E﻿ / 24.725720; 125.252337 |
| Miyako tōmi 宮古遠見 | Tarama Island | Tarama | | 24°40′26″N 124°42′12″E﻿ / ﻿24.673831°N 124.703279°E﻿ / 24.673831; 124.703279 |
| Yaeyama tōmi 八重山遠見 | Tarama Island | Tarama | | 24°40′19″N 124°41′46″E﻿ / ﻿24.671852°N 124.696204°E﻿ / 24.671852; 124.696204 |
| Minna tōmi 水納遠見 | Minna Island | Tarama | | 24°45′09″N 124°42′15″E﻿ / ﻿24.752463°N 124.704137°E﻿ / 24.752463; 124.704137 |
| Hirakubo tōmi-dai 平久保遠見台 | Ishigaki Island | Ishigaki | just to the south of Cape Hirakubo on the Hirakubo Peninsula (平久保半島) | 24°36′35″N 124°18′58″E﻿ / ﻿24.609699°N 124.316107°E﻿ / 24.609699; 124.316107 |
| Kabira hibanmui 川平火番盛 | Ishigaki Island | Ishigaki | near the Kabira Shell Mound (Historic Site) to the northwest of Kabira Bay | 24°28′06″N 124°07′57″E﻿ / ﻿24.468374°N 124.132460°E﻿ / 24.468374; 124.132460 |
| Kogukusu mui 小城盛 (クスクムイ) | Taketomi Island | Taketomi | also known as Kusuku mui | 24°19′57″N 124°05′10″E﻿ / ﻿24.332375°N 124.086027°E﻿ / 24.332375; 124.086027 |
| Puzumari プズマリ | Kuroshima Island | Taketomi | | 24°14′13″N 123°59′40″E﻿ / ﻿24.236810°N 123.994317°E﻿ / 24.236810; 123.994317 |
| Takaniku タカニク | Aragusuku Islands (Kamiji) | Taketomi | | 24°14′15″N 123°56′36″E﻿ / ﻿24.237475°N 123.943377°E﻿ / 24.237475; 123.943377 |
| Nakamori 中森 (波照間ムリ) | Aragusuku Islands (Shimoji) | Taketomi | also known as Hateruma muri | 24°12′56″N 123°55′40″E﻿ / ﻿24.215520°N 123.927884°E﻿ / 24.215520; 123.927884 |
| Kōto mui コート盛 | Hateruma Island | Taketomi | | 24°03′51″N 123°46′27″E﻿ / ﻿24.064118°N 123.774204°E﻿ / 24.064118; 123.774204 |
| Ufu-daki 大岳 | Kohamajima Island | Taketomi | the hill rises to 99 m above sea level and is a Municipal Place of Scenic Beauty | 24°20′47″N 123°58′44″E﻿ / ﻿24.346398°N 123.979015°E﻿ / 24.346398; 123.979015 |
| Nakamori 中森 | Hatoma Island | Taketomi | the small forest is a Municipal Natural Monument | 24°28′16″N 123°49′12″E﻿ / ﻿24.471115°N 123.820124°E﻿ / 24.471115; 123.820124 |
| Datiguchidi ダティグチディ | Yonaguni Island | Yonaguni | near Cape Agarizaki (東崎) at the eastern end of the island | 24°27′45″N 123°01′54″E﻿ / ﻿24.462638°N 123.031627°E﻿ / 24.462638; 123.031627 |