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LIGHTHOUSE SYSTEM IN JAPAN

In 1868, the Meiji government of Japan hired Richard Henry Brunton to oversee an ambitious lighthouse-building program. He formulated the basis of Japan's coastal navigation safety system and he built the initial infrastructure of lighthouses. -- see Japan Coast Guard, Maritime Safety Department, "Past and Present of the Aids to Navigation of Japan," p. 2 (PDF p. 3 of 12) kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/41_th
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The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1858 included a Japanese promise that the coast would be lighted and buoyed for the safety of general navigation. But the Japanese were slow in following up.-- see "Obituary - Richard Henry Brunton," Minutes of the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 145 (1901), pp. 340–341. icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/abs/
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On December 7, 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate explained the delay, "It is impossible to decide where the lighthouses should be erected until accurate enquiries have been made, but in the meantime, we intend to procure the required apparatus." -- see Richard Brunton (1991). "Building Japan: 1868-1876," p. 23. books.google.com/books?id=q6GO
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The process of procuring modern lighthouse equipment began in Japan on this day 153 years ago. Some of the original apparatus is still in use today. -- see below, two views of the rotating gear box at Kashinozaki in Wakayama Prefecture
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Scottish lighthouse builders David and Thomas Stevenson designed the first 13 lanterns and apparatus which were shipped to Japan. Brunton was in charge of building the lighthouses and installing the equipment.-- see Brunton. "Building Japan," pp. 24-25.
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Brunton would become known as the "father of Japanese lighthouses." He supervised the building and maintenance of more than 20 lighthouses still in use today.-- see Wikipedia "Richard Henry Brunton." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_; and see Existing Meiji-era Historical Lighthouses in "Past and Present," p. 5 (PDF p. 6 of 12) kaiho.mlit.go.jp/e/image/41_th
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In 1868-1912, the cadre of specialists and experts like Brunto were called o-yatoi gaikokujin (御雇い外国人 honorable hired foreigners). -- see Wikipedia "Foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_
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QUESTION: Did you know that the scientific study of lighthouses and signal lights, their construction and illumination is called "pharology"? -- see Wikipedia "Pharology" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharolog
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