Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse

At the westernmost tip of the Shimane Peninsula, where the wooded hills of Izumo tumble into the Sea of Japan in a jumble of cliffs and jagged rocks, stands the Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse — at around 44 metres, the tallest stone lighthouse in Japan and one of the tallest in the world. Completed in 1903 and built of hard local stone faced with brilliant white, it has guided ships along this rugged coast for well over a century and is celebrated both as a feat of Meiji-era engineering and as one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the country. It has been recognised as a symbol of Japan's maritime heritage and even listed among the world's historically significant lighthouses.

The tower's slender white form against the deep blue of the sea and sky is a photographer's dream, and visitors can climb the 163 steps of the internal spiral staircase to an outdoor gallery near the top. From there the view sweeps across the whole cape: the endless expanse of the Sea of Japan, the dark pine-clad headlands, offshore islets where seabirds wheel, and on clear days the distant line of the Oki Islands far out to sea. A small museum at the base explains the lighthouse's history and the old lens and lamp technology that once cast its beam far out over the water.

The surrounding Hinomisaki area is a designated part of the Daisen-Oki National Park, and its coastline is a wonderland of walking. Paths thread along the cliff tops and down to the rocky shore, passing wind-sculpted rock formations, tide pools and dramatic little coves. In summer the nearby waters are popular for swimming and snorkelling around clear inlets, while the whole cape is famous for birdlife, including the black-tailed gulls that nest on an offshore island. A cluster of small shops and cafes near the lighthouse sells fresh seafood, grilled squid and sazae shellfish, along with ice cream to enjoy on the cliffs.

Because the cape faces almost due west, Hinomisaki is one of the great sunset spots of western Japan. As the day ends, the white lighthouse catches the low golden light and glows against the reddening sky while the sun sinks straight into the sea, a spectacle that draws couples and photographers up from Izumo Taisha in the late afternoon. The mood connects to the region's mythology: this coast is bound up with legends of day and night, and the nearby Hinomisaki Shrine is said to guard the setting sun just as Ise guards the dawn.

A visit pairs naturally with the vermilion Hinomisaki Shrine a short walk away and with Izumo Taisha and Inasa Beach a little to the east, making an easy half-day loop of the sacred western coast. Allow around an hour to climb the tower, walk the cliffs and browse the seafood stalls — and if you can, linger for the sunset, when this windswept cape at the edge of the old land of the gods is at its most magical.