The storyteller of the long years of stone

Along the national road in Hashima City, Gifu Prefecture, stands a solitary stone lighthouse. The Kadowaki Lighthouse at Okoshi Ferry Crossing was built as a guide for the night at the ferry crossing of the Kiso River, leading to Takehana, during the Edo period. In the past, it played the role of a lifeline for the people crossing the river in a time when there were no bridges.

A symbol that transcends time

The stone lighthouse placed in the median strip of the road along the river continues to make its presence felt in today's car society. Despite being moved far from the original ferry crossing, its strong presence vividly conveys the scene from that time.

A stone lighthouse quietly continues to light up amidst the morning traffic jam. Its unchanged appearance from the past is like a presence that transcends time.

In the changing era

Times change, and the river crossing has been replaced by bridges. However, this lighthouse alone maintains the vestiges of that time. Moved to its current location due to embankment construction, it is now isolated in the middle of the road.

Yet, this storyteller of stone continues to convey the tales of the past. The troubled expressions of the people in a time without bridges and the sound of the flowing river still linger in the heart. Amidst the changing townscape, the solitary lighthouse standing in the loneliness may be the last living witness of the former bustle.