This map (green markers) shows the locations of the known, extant 'Radio Towers' to be found within Japan.
A red map marker indicates the location (known or estimated) of a lost radio tower. Clicking on the marker will reveal the name and an image if one is available. The labelling is currently a messy mix of English (translations and transliterations) and Japanese.
Update Jan 2025: I have created 3D models of two of Kyoto's radio towers, while the models aren't perfect I hope they give you a better idea of what these objects are actually like.
Primary Information Sources
Hitomi, S. (2019). Rajio-to ni tsuite no oboegaki [Memorandum on radio towers]. Minzoku Bunka (Kinki University), (31):183–227.
人見佐知子 et al. (2020). (近畿の民俗・文化) 天王寺公園のラジオ塔. 民俗文 化, (32):49–64.
Ichiman, K. (2020). Senzen, senchū no rajio-tō [Pre-war and wartime radio towers]. Sangyō Kōkogaku [Industrial Archaeology], (157):120–124.
Maruyama, Y. (2021). Kansai ni nokoru media ikō - JOBK no kensetsu shita rajio-tō 関 西に残るメディア遺構 - JOBKの建設したラジオ塔. Fukuyama Daigaku Ningen bunka gakubu kiyō 福山大学人間文化学部紀要, 21:13–25.
Images
All images are author's own or contributed by the uploaders to the Wikimedia Commons ‘Radio Speaker Towers’ category.
Note
This is still very much a work in progress, as is research on 'radio towers' in general, and new information will be added as it comes to light.
Changes
22 May 2025: Added locations in Yamaguchi Pref. Many of these are quite vague as the original yearbook data is quite poor, and in many cases the addresses have changed multiple times.
21 May 2025: Location of Sumida Kōen RT identified as being in area north of Kototoi Bridge on Asakusa side, placemarker added.
24-27 Dec 2024: Kumamoto(partial), Nagasaki(partial),Shiga, Miyagi, Sendai, Ehime and Kōchi locations added
14 May 2023: Locations of missing RTs in Kyoto CIty and Fukuoka Prefecture added
There are two locations in the yearbook lists that I have not been able to identify with any degree of accuracy; these are 小倉市判津新町公園 and 福岡県太宰府町東園内. Hitomi suggests that the first might contain an incorrect character (incorrect: 判津, correct: 到津), the second (‘Azuma-en’ in Dazaifu) is still proving elusive, I’m pretty sure it’s not the Chinese restaurant that seems to be Google search’s favourite suggestion.
16 May 2023: Locations of missing RTs in Kagoshima, Oita and Miyazaki Prefectures added
In Kagoshima there is one location which I have been unable to identify and which is thus missing from the map; 鹿児島県鹿屋町信用組合横広場. Kanoya(chō) is still there but I haven’t managed to identify the location of any ‘shinyō kumiai’ that existed at the right period.
17 May 2023: Locations in Aomori Prefecture added.
2-3 Jun 2023: Locations in Chiba, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Fukui and Niigata added.
5 Jun 2023: Locations in Ishikawa Prefecture added.
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