The are a network of eighteen observation platforms and beacons on thirteen islands dating to the early Edo period and located in the Sakishima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Erected in 1644 by the Ryūkyū Kingdom at the instigation of their 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. 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 National Historic Site.
History Lookout posts were originally established in Nagasaki Port in 1638 to monitor foreign ships, against the backdrop of the Tokugawa Shogunate's policy of national isolation. Geographically, the Sakishima Islands are closest to China. Around 1644, 18 lookout posts were established at the request of the Satsuma Domain, which had the Ryūkyū Kingdom as a vassal state. These posts are known as hibanmui in the Sakishima Islands because they were used to light signal fires for surveillance. The hibanmui monitored the progress of tribute ships from the Ryūkyū Kingdom to China and the arrival of foreign ships, and signal fires were sent to the various hibanmui posts, which then notified the Ryūkyū Kingdom authorities in Shuri.
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 Image CoordinatesIkema tōmi Ikema Island Miyakojima located on a small hill at the southern tip of the island Karimata tōmi Miyakojima Island Miyakojima on a hill behind Karimata Shimajiri tōmi Miyakojima Island Miyakojima on a hill in northeast Shimajiri Sunagawa tōmi Miyakojima Island Miyakojima at the south end of Hiokuyama in Sunagawa Kurima tōmi Kurima Island Miyakojima three-metre tower of reinforced by the Japanese army during the Pacific War Miyako tōmi Tarama Island Tarama Yaeyama tōmi Tarama Island Tarama Minna tōmi Minna Island Tarama Hirakubo tōmi-dai Ishigaki Island Ishigaki just to the south of Cape Hirakubo on the Kabira hibanmui Ishigaki Island Ishigaki near the Kabira Shell Mound (Historic Site) to the northwest of Kabira Bay Kogukusu mui Taketomi Island Taketomi also known as Kusuku mui Puzumari Kuroshima Island Taketomi Takaniku Aragusuku Islands (Kamiji) Taketomi Nakamori Aragusuku Islands (Shimoji) Taketomi also known as Hateruma muri Kōto mui Hateruma Island Taketomi Ufu-daki Kohamajima Island Taketomi the hill rises to 99 m above sea level and is a Municipal Place of Scenic Beauty Nakamori Hatoma Island Taketomi the small forest is a Municipal Natural Monument Datiguchidi Yonaguni Island Yonaguni near at the eastern end of the island
See also
Dejima List of Historic Sites of Japan (Okinawa)
References