A lighthouse was built at Cape Omae as early as 1635, when the Tokugawa Shogunate recognized the frequency of marine accidents on the rocks off the coast of Tōtōmi Province.

Although not one of the eight lighthouses stipulated specifically by the provisions of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1858, construction was given priority by the Meiji government after a Japanese navy vessel grounded on the rocks off Cape Omae on April 8, 1871.

During World War II, Omaesaki Lighthouse was bombarded by United States Navy warships, cracking its lens and causing severe damage to its structure.

Omaesaki Lighthouse is currently open to the public, and can be ascended for a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.

Omaesaki Lighthouse is located at Cape Omae (御前崎, Omae-zaki) in Omaezaki City (御前崎市, Omaezaki-shi), Shizuoka Prefecture.