Built in Kariya (then called Yosami Village, Hekikai-gun), Aichi, Japan, as one of the world’s largest VLF communication facilities, the Yosami Radio Transmitting Station established the wireless communications toward Europe in 1929. The high-power VLF transmitting facilities with the German-made Telefunken-type High-frequency Generator and the gigantic antenna system of 250m high eight steel towers, regarded as the landmark of Kariya had been employed until its telecommunication was ceased in 1993.
With the future of VLF of penetrating into the sea by some depth, the Yosami Radio Transmitting Station was used for communicating with submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and a war attack message code of “Climb Mount Niitaka 1208” in 1941 was reportedly relayed by the Station.
In 1997 the eight steel towers were demolished, followed by the Station buildings in 2006. Yet the various transmitting equipment is preserved as valuable machine/industrial heritage.
Why Was Yosami Village Chosen?
According to “Topography of Aichi” (Japanese, 1936), Yosami Village was chosen as the site of the Yosami Radio Transmitting Station by the following conditions met:
1.Spacious and firm flat land available geographically and economically
2.Quality electricity accessible economically
3.No high mountains preventing waves in the direction of Europe
4.The angle made by the line with its domestic receiving station and that with European stations is larger than 60 degrees, and is more than 30km far from its domestic receiving station
5.Mass transportation, including laying a temporary railroad, and labor available
Go to Yosami Radio Transmitting Station Memorial Museum
The site of the Yosami Radio Transmitting Station
1 Yama-no-ota, Takasu-cho, Kariya, Aichi, Japan, 448-0812, Japan
(Formerly 1 Yama-no-ta, Oaza-Takasu-, Yosami Village, Hekikai-gun, Aichi, Japan, Japan)
Latitude 34 degrees 58’ 11” N, Longitude 137 degrees 01’ 08”E
Yosami Radio Transmitting Station's Communication Network with Europe, 1929-1937 Compiled by Tetsu Suzuki, 2011
| 無線電信局 Telegraph station |
Receiving station 受信所 | Date communicated 通信期間(5) |
|---|---|---|
| Transmitting station 送信所 | Great-circle Angle from Yosami / Great-circle Distance from Yosami 大圏角(6)/大圏距離 | |
| 1. Warsaw, Poland ポーランド ワルシャワ |
Grodzisk Mazowiecki (<Jap グロディスク(3)) : 30km SW of Warsaw |
(One-way 1928, Sep. 24) 1929, April 15 - 1937, Nov. 22 |
| Babice (1923?-45) ? [Wiki]: Old village name?; 13km W of Warsaw; 16.4/14.29?, 127m x 10, Alexandersona [Wiki] |
328 degrees / 8,500km | |
| 2. Berlin, Germany ドイツ ベルリン |
Geltow<- Gelto (3) ゲルト: 40km SW of Berlin; 25km S of Nauen | (One-way 1928, Sep. 24) 1929, April 22 - 1937, Nov. 22 |
| Nauen (1906-45/47) (<Jap ナウエン(1)) ；45km WNW of Berlin; 50; var. 100-260m, Telefunken [Wiki] |
332 degrees / 8,860km | |
| 3. Paris, France フランス パリ |
Villecresnes? (<Jap ヴィルクレーン(3)) ; 20km SE of Paris; 22km NNW of Sainte-Assise |
(One-way 1928, Sep. 24) 1930, March 1 - 1937, Nov. 22 |
| Sainte-Assise (c. 1928-)( <Jap サンタシーズ(1)); 45km SE of Paris, E of Melum, along Seine; 20.4/15; 250m x 16 |
336 degrees / 9,670km | |
| 4. London, United Kingdom 英国 ロンドン |
Somerton (<Jap ソマートン(4)) (1925/26-) [Wiki] ; 180km WSW of London, 45km NNW of Dorchester |
(One-way 1929, Aug. 10) 1930, Jan. 26 - 1937, Nov. 22 |
| Dorchester (<Jap ドウチエスター(4)) (1927-60s); 180km WSW of London; 4-20MHz, 87m x10+ [Web] Cf: Rugby 1926-03 |
338 degrees / 9,520km | |
| 5. Geneva, Switzerland スイス ジュネーブ |
Unknown 不明 | 1932, Feb. 2 - 1937, Oct. 4 Transferred to Tokyo |
| Gothenburg? (<Jap ゴッテンブルグ(2) ): Was Geneva served through Gothenburg in 1930s? |
330 degrees / 9,300km | |
| 6. Rome, Italy イタリア ローマ |
Unknown 不明 | 1934, June 1 - 1937, Oct. 4 Transferred to Tokyo |
| Coltano (<Jap コルタノ(2)) , Pisa : 250km NW of Rome ?, 250m x ? [Wiki] |
325 degrees / c. 9,170km | |
| [7] Göteborg (Gothenburg) , Sweden スウｴーデン イェーテボリ |
Kungsbacka (1924 -48) クングスバッカ: 25km SSE of Göteborg; 45km SSE of Grimeton; towers 9m, antenna 13km |
1930s? 交信日不詳 |
| Grimeton (1923/24 - present) : 70km SSE of Gotebörg, E of Varburg, SAQ; 16 or 17.2; 127m x 6, Alexanderson, GE; UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, July 2, 2004 |
c. 336 degrees / 8,060km |
[1]「対欧無線電信送信所案内」 Radio Transmitting Station to Europe, 日本無線電信株式会社 Japan Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd., Tokyo, As of March 1928, c. 1928
[2] 1929年1月15日「新愛知新聞」, Shin-Aichi Shimbun, 1929, Jan. 15 (Shown in 刈谷市郷土文化研究会『かりや』第24号（2003年）・鈴木哲「依佐美送信所五〇の謎」50 Mysteries on Yosami Radio Transmitting Station, "Kariya" 24, 2003)
[3] 「対欧無線電信局送信所案内」 Radio Transmitting Station to Europe, 日本無線電信株式会社 Japan Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd., Tokyo, As of April 1929, c. 1929
[4]「対欧無線電信送受信所案内」 Radio Transmitting and Receiving Stations with Europe, 日本無線電信株式会社 Japan Wireless Telegraph Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 1930
[5]『東海の電信電話・90年のあゆみ』 History of Telegraph and Telephone in the Tokai Area, Ninety years 東海電気通信局 Tokai Electrical Communication Bureau, Nagoya, 1962
[6]『依佐美送信所調査報告書』 Report on Yosami Radio Transmitting Station, 中部産業遺産研究会 The Chubu Society for the Industrial Heritage, Toyohashi, Aichi, 1999
