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Story #
In March 2026, after stopping by Aoshima Shrine and Udo Jingu in Miyazaki Prefecture, I headed to Cape Toi.
Cape Toi is located in Kushima, Miyazaki Prefecture. Near the tip of the cape are sites such as Cape Toi Lighthouse and Misaki Shrine. The cape’s grasslands are also home to Misaki horses, a native Japanese horse breed designated as a National Natural Monument of Japan.
Cape Toi #
Cape Toi is some distance from the nearest urban area.
I drove south from the direction of Nichinan to reach the cape.
After passing through the entrance gate and driving for a while, I came to Komatsugaoka Square on the right. I parked there and walked toward the sea, where an expansive view opened up before me.
Cape Toi Lighthouse #
My next stop was Cape Toi Lighthouse.
A horse blocking the road caused a brief delay along the way, but I eventually made it safely to the lighthouse parking lot.
The lighthouse stands on high ground, and the parking lot itself offers a wide-open view.
The entrance to the lighthouse is a short walk uphill from the parking lot.
Next to the admission desk is a small exhibition room about the lighthouse.
Cape Toi Lighthouse is one of only 16 lighthouses in Japan that visitors can climb.
The lighthouse stands beyond an open square at the top of a flight of stairs.
A Misaki horse was grazing at the bottom of the stairs.
I climbed the stairs and turned around to take a photo toward the entrance. It was already quite a way up.
Because Cape Toi Lighthouse is built on high ground, the tower itself is relatively short at about 15 meters tall.
Once inside, it did not take long to climb the stairs to the lantern room.
Partway up the interior stairs, visitors can step outside onto an observation deck.
From the observation deck, I could look out across the unobstructed expanse of the sea.
Before leaving the lighthouse, I took one more photo of the horse.
Misaki Shrine #
After walking around Cape Toi Lighthouse, I headed to nearby Misaki Shrine.
From a fork in the road on the way to the lighthouse, I drove downhill for a few minutes. I parked the car and continued through the torii gate.
The main sanctuary of Misaki Shrine stands partway down a cliff. Visitors therefore offer their prayers at a small worship area facing the sanctuary.
The sea stretches out beside the worship area.
On the way back after visiting the shrine, another horse was blocking the road.
I slowed down, safely passed the horse, and left Cape Toi behind.
An information board showed that 105 Misaki horses lived at Cape Toi as of March 2026.
Although the sky was cloudy, I was able to take in the grasslands and sea, the lighthouse, the shrine, and the horses — a landscape unique to Cape Toi.
Gallery #
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
You can view the Google Photos album here.
iPhone 17 Pro #
iPhone 17 Pro (RAW) #
You can download the RAW images here.
α6500 (RAW) #
You can download the RAW images here.
Map #
Change History #
- 2026/07/26: First version.
