As part of the Imazu Lighthouse Historical and Cultural Rediscovery Consortium, which was established together with Nishinomiya City and Seed Co., Ltd., we launched the Imazu Lighthouse Historical and Cultural Rediscovery Project in fiscal 2025. As part of the project's research and verification activities, on Friday, November 28, 2025, we conducted a monitor tour entitled "The Story of Imazu Lighthouse - A historical light lit by the sea and sake" (participants: 20 people from national, prefectural, and municipal organizations, tourism associations, travel agencies, etc.), which explored the history, culture, food, and beliefs of the region, centered around the Ozeki Sake Brewery Imazu Lighthouse (hereinafter referred to as "Imazu Lighthouse"), Japan's oldest active lighthouse, located in the Imazu district of Nishinomiya City.
This tour was an attempt to commercialize a "port town cultural experience" centered around Imazu Lighthouse, and in a survey of participants, many commented that they were "very satisfied" and "it was a valuable experience," making it a major success for future developments.

This initiative was carried out with funding from the Nippon Foundation's "Sea and Japan Project," which aims to unearth local ocean memories centered around lighthouses, connect regions with regions, different fields with different industries, and Japan with the world, and create new ocean experiences.

 

[Tour Purpose]

The Nishinomiya/Imazu area has flourished as a port town since the Edo period, making its living from shipping and sake brewing, and has a unique history where the sea, sake, and culture intertwine. One of the symbols of this is the Imazu Lighthouse, which was installed by a private company and is still lit today.
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."
This tour was designed as a program that allows visitors to experience this "multi-layered history" in three dimensions in one day. The aim is to experience the local culture, including food, performing arts, faith, and sake brewing, as one story, and to use this to develop products for next year.

 

[Tour itinerary (overview)]

This tour had Imazu Lighthouse as its "goal," and clues to unravel the background of its establishment were scattered throughout the region's cultural resources. Through the history of Ozeki Head Office, Nishinomiya Shrine, which conveys maritime trade and faith, the Noh theater, which is the culinary embodiment of local culture, and a food experience using local ingredients, participants were able to understand the story of "why a lighthouse was built in Imazu."

• Ozeki Head Office
  At the beginning of the orientation, participants watched a video on the history of the Imazu Lighthouse produced by a local cable television station, giving them an overall understanding of the story. The video summarized the background to the founding of the Imazu Lighthouse, which is 215 years old, and the history of the port town. They learned about the role of barrel ships and maritime transportation, and the thoughts behind the construction of the lighthouse.

• Nishinomiya Shrine
  After making a formal bow at the main shrine, you will visit a sub-shrine dedicated to the god of sake brewing, a lantern donated by the sake brewery, and a shrine dedicated to the guardian deity of the sea, confirming the deep connection between the sea, sake, and faith.
  I experienced firsthand how the prayers of the sake brewers and sailors of the past have been passed down in the current appearance of the temple grounds.

• Seiwakan (original bento/sake pairing)
  An original bento lunch box was developed especially for the tour, featuring many local Hyogo ingredients.
  The main course was an A5-grade Saroma beef steak, and the dishes included an appetizer of whelks arranged in the shape of a lighthouse and a "kasu soup" made with Ozeki sake lees, all of which expressed the combination of "lighthouse x sake brewing x local ingredients," and were highly praised by the participants.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

• Nishinomiya Noh Theatre (cultural explanation, experience, viewing of "Takasago")
  Imazu has long had a culture of valuing contributions to education and culture, and this accumulation has led to the existence of the Noh Theatre today.
  On the day, after experiencing Noh movements, participants watched "Takasago" performed by Noh actor Umewaka Motonori. The story of "being called by the god of Sumiyoshi and setting off by boat" resonated with Imazu's port culture, and participants commented that "the history of the region and Noh were connected as one."

• Imazu Lighthouse (visit exterior and interior)
  The Imazu Lighthouse, which was built by Osakaya Chobei, the fifth head of the Nagabe family, in hopes of ensuring safety at sea and is still in operation today, was open to the public. Through a tour of the interior and the port scenery, visitors were able to relive life in a port town that has continued since the Edo period.

• Kaizo (microbrewery tour)
  We visited a brewery that is attracting attention as a new form of sake culture in Nada Gogo and Imazugo, and toured the brewing process. It was an opportunity to experience the charm of Imazu, where tradition and creativity coexist.
• Seiwakan (sake tasting experience)
  The event concluded with a sake tasting experience using Ozeki's unique taste map. The system, which allowed participants to "visualize and understand" the world of sake, was well received as it was easy to understand.

• Sekijuan (souvenirs)
  After filling out a questionnaire at Seiwakan, visitors were asked to submit it at the Ozeki brand shop "Sekijuan," where they were given a one-cup sake with an original label featuring a photo of the Imazu Lighthouse. They were also able to purchase a variety of products from the sake industry that has protected the lighthouse, including limited edition sake and sweets made with sake lees that can only be purchased here.

 

[Highlights and results obtained]

This tour was praised for its unique value, as it allowed visitors to experience cultural assets, food, performing arts, and sake brewing all in one. In particular, the structure of the tour, which allowed visitors to understand the history of Nishinomiya and Imazu as a single story centered around the lighthouse, was highly praised as a new way of presenting tourism materials.
Furthermore, compared to the general retail price (estimated at 6 yen), many participants dealing in products for inbound tourists commented that the price was "quite reasonable" and that "there are few tours that allow you to experience culture from such a wide range of perspectives," confirming the tour's potential as a premium tourist product.

●Experience the value of lighthouses through their stories
The program, which consisted of watching a video, listening to a lecture, and then visiting the site, was highly praised for its effective learning, allowing participants to "learn history and experience it firsthand."

●The cuisine, made with local ingredients, elevated the quality of the tour.
The food specially prepared for this tour was highly praised, with many expressing great satisfaction. In particular, the "Lighthouse-style whelk platter" and "Kasu soup made with Ozeki sake lees" were highly praised, with many saying that "the food is in line with the theme of the tour."

●Rediscovering the region as a place with rich culture
The experience and explanation of the Noh theater was highly satisfying, as even Japanese people find it difficult to do so, and the viewing of "Takasago," which depicts the connection between Imazu and the sea and Nishinomiya, left an impression on the richness of Imazu's cultural soil.
・Survey (breaking news)
Satisfaction: Over 9% are "Satisfied/Very Satisfied"
Intention to revisit Imazu Lighthouse: 70%. Poor access was cited as an issue.
Intent to introduce to others: Over 8%
Tour price (estimated at 60,000 yen): The content for Japanese tourists has been revised and the price is in the 30,000 to 40,000 yen range. Many people said that 50,000 to 60,000 yen would be reasonable for inbound tourists.

 

[Looking ahead]

This tour, centered around the Imazu Lighthouse, linked various assets such as sake brewing, shipping, performing arts, and food culture, and was confirmed to help improve the brand value of Nishinomiya and Imazu and promote travel within the region.It was not just a tourist experience, but also had great significance as an effort to rediscover the cultural resources of the region and connect them to the future.
In the future, we plan to further refine the newly discovered charms of Imazu Lighthouse and its connection to the local community through this project, and spread the value of Imazu Lighthouse to more people by making it more visible (e.g., commercializing tours, holding lighthouse events, producing promotional videos, creating merchandise, etc.).

 

<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