We have launched the "Imazu Lighthouse Historical and Cultural Rediscovery Consortium" in collaboration with Nishinomiya City, which celebrated its 100th anniversary as a city this year, and Seed Co., Ltd., a local marketing company.
The consortium is centered around the Ozeki Sake Brewery Imazu Lighthouse (hereinafter referred to as Imazu Lighthouse), Japan's oldest operating private lighthouse, and aims to redefine lighthouses as cultural assets and a source of pride for the region, and to promote the history and appeal of the development of sake and Nishinomiya City both domestically and internationally.
This project is being carried out with funding from the Nippon Foundation's "Sea and Japan Project," which aims to unearth local ocean memories, focusing on lighthouses, connect regions with regions, different fields with different industries, and Japan with the world, and create new ocean experiences.

[Project Background]
Imazu Lighthouse was built in 1810 by Osakaya Chobei, the fifth head of the Nagabe family, the founding family of Ozeki Co., Ltd., using his own money to build it for ships coming in and out of Imazu Port. Nada sake was transported to Edo by barrel ships, where it gained a reputation as "kudari-zake," and at one time Imazu Port was the busiest port for sake shipments. This lighthouse embodies the hope for the safety of those voyages and the prosperity of the port. For over 200 years since then, it has been loved by people as a "beacon of hope that carries sake and culture."
In 2024, the lighthouse was relocated to the opposite shore of Imazu Port due to the construction of floodgates to protect against tsunamis and high tides, but its historical value has not been lost and it still lives on in the local area.

FY2025 implementation details

This year, the following projects will be carried out as part of the research and verification phase.

■ Conducting basic research
To identify local resources related to the Imazu Lighthouse, we will conduct interviews with local stakeholders and research literature. For example, we will uncover and organize traditional events and cultural assets that are deeply connected to the sake culture and history of the port, such as the "Funa-Danjiri" festival at Fukuo Shrine, with the aim of reflecting this in tours and content.
Furthermore, this area has a long history of philanthropists pooling their funds to build academic institutions and schools, and the surrounding area is also closely connected to culture and the arts, with Nishinomiya Shrine, which is closely associated with "Ebisukaki," the origin of Bunraku puppetry, and Naruo, which is featured in "Takasago," a Noh play said to be the oldest surviving performing art in the world. Based on the hypothesis that these regional characteristics were also part of the basis for the construction of the Imazu Lighthouse, we would like to shed light on them through basic research.

■ Bus tour creation and test tour implementation
A cultural and historical course was designed that took in Nishinomiya Shrine (Ebisu Shrine Main Headquarters), Sekijuan, Ozeki Co., Ltd., Nishinomiya Noh Theatre, and more. Each base on the way to Imazu Lighthouse is positioned as a clue to unravel the history and culture of the region, like solving a mystery, and participants will progress through the journey while following questions such as "Why was the lighthouse built in this location?" and "What role has Imazu Port played?" When participants finally arrive at Imazu Lighthouse, the historical and cultural value of the lighthouse will emerge in three dimensions.

In addition, a test tour will be conducted by relevant parties. We plan to ask inbound travel agencies to accompany the tour, not just domestically, to gather feedback from the perspective of foreign tourists.

■ Planning and considering a mobile izakaya
Imazu Lighthouse is surrounded by busy roads and has no pedestrian crossings, making it difficult to access. Therefore, we thought that if customers could not only come to see it, but also "go and meet it from the lighthouse," it could be promoted to people all over the country, and we are considering creating a mobile izakaya modeled after Imazu Lighthouse. For the mobile izakaya, we are planning to use the burnt cedar wood from Imazu Lighthouse that was left over when it was relocated in 2024.
Through these measures, Imazu Lighthouse will evolve from being "just a cultural asset" to "an active hub that connects people, the region, and stories."

Overview of the companies and organizations that make up the "Imazu Lighthouse Historical and Cultural Rediscovery Consortium"

■Ozeki Co., Ltd.
Founded: 1711 (first year of the Shotoku era)
Address: 4-9 Imazu Dezaikecho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture
Business: Manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages and food products, including the sake "Ozeki." While preserving the traditions of Japanese sake, we promote brand development both domestically and internationally and collaboration with local cultures.

■Nishinomiya City
Address: 10-3 Rokuzanjicho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture
Overview: Located in southeastern Hyogo Prefecture, Nishinomiya City is a city rich in history and culture, known as a sake brewing town. It boasts many local resources, including the Imazu Lighthouse and Nishinomiya Shrine, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary as a city in 2025.

■Seed Co., Ltd.
Address: 1-7-25 Bunkyocho, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Business: Advertising, planning, research, facility management support, etc. They have strengths in businesses that visualize the appeal of local resources, and have a track record in tourism businesses that utilize lighthouses.

<Ocean and Lighthouse Project: A new model project for utilizing lighthouses>

As part of the Nippon Foundation's "Sea and Japan Project," the "Sea and Lighthouse Project" aims to unearth local ocean memories, centering on lighthouses, and connect regions with regions, different fields with different industries, and Japan with the world, creating new marine experiences. One initiative, the "New Lighthouse Utilization Model Project," provides support, including financial and planning and operational advice, to organizations developing sustainable lighthouse utilization projects. The project targets business plans that utilize individual or multiple lighthouses with the aim of increasing the number of visitors to lighthouses and raising interest in the sea and surrounding areas.
Sea and Japan Project Official Website　https://uminohi.jp/
Sea and Lighthouse Project Official Website　https://toudai.uminohi.jp/

<Contact information>

■Ozeki Co., Ltd.
(Main office)
Person in charge: Shinichi Murakami
TEL: 0798-32-2011
MAIL:shinichi.murakami@ozeki.co.jp

(Public Relations Office)
Person in charge: Kenji Kodera
TEL: 0798-32-3015
MAIL:takeshi.kodera@ozeki.co.jp

■ Nishinomiya City Commerce and Industry Division (Regional Cooperation Office)
Person in charge: Hideya Nakamura
TEL：0798-35-3071
MAIL:kankou@nishi.or.jp

■ Seed Co., Ltd. (Planning and Production)
Person in charge: Midori Mizuguchi
TEL: 055-988-0777
MAIL:mizuguchi@seedinc.co.jp