or just Noma Lighthouse is a lighthouse in town of Mihama,

Chita District, Aichi is a rural district located in southwestern Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Chita Peninsula. As of 1 October 2019, the district had an estimated population of 160,542 and a population density of 968 persons per km2. Its total area was 165.84 ...

, Japan built during the Taishō period, located on

Chita Peninsula Chita Peninsula (知多半島 ''Chita Hantō'') is a peninsula to the south of Aichi Prefecture, central Honshū, Japan. It runs approximately north-south. To the west is Ise Bay, while to the east it encloses Mikawa Bay. It faces the Atsumi ...

Mikawa Bay Mikawa Bay (Landsat photo) Mikawa Bay (三河湾 ''Mikawa-wan'') is a bay to the south of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, surrounded by Chita Peninsula to the west and Atsumi Peninsula to the east and south. Its area is approximately 604 km2. Pollu ...

History

Noma Lighthouse was lit on March 10, 1921, and is the oldest lighthouse in Aichi Prefecture. In 2008, the lighthouse was extensively renovated, with its lens replaced by a 5th order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

and light source replaced by

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...

s. As a result, its output was decreased from approximately 15,000 candela to only 590 candela and effective range reduced from approximately 25 kilometers to 15 kilometers. The former lens is now on display at the museum at Daiōzaki Lighthouse in

Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture to ...

Lock Superstition

Noma Lighthouse in popular superstition was held to be a place that jinxed romance. However, there is a belief that if a couple attaches a

padlock Padlocks are portable locks with a shackle that may be passed through an opening (such as a chain link, or hasp staple) to prevent use, theft, vandalism or harm. Naming and etymology The term ''padlock'' is from the late fifteenth century. T ...

to the fence surrounding this lighthouse, their love will prosper. The lighthouse is surrounded by a 2-meter high steel fence but, as result of locks accumulating, the fence has collapsed on several occasions due to the weight. In the year 2000, Mihama Town declared the area around the lighthouse to be a park, and the established a small branch near the fence to receive the padlocks instead. In October 2011, the

Nihon Fukushi University is a private university with its main campus at Mihama, Aichi, and other campuses at Nagoya and Handa, also in Aichi Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is ...

, also based in Mihama, set up a railing, designed as a musical score, as a place to also affix the padlocks.

References

Lighthouses completed in 1921 Lighthouses in Japan Buildings and structures in Aichi Prefecture Mihama, Aichi {{lighthouse-stub

History

Lock Superstition

See also

References