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
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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