About the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8
The Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 (アカタン砂防八号堰堤, Akatan Sabō Hachigō Entei) is an earth-fill check dam on the Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture, built between 1897 and 1906 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 23, 2004.
Dam No. 8 lies about 570 meters below the Oku-no-Higashi Dam and carries registration number 18-0034. At 112 meters across and 11 meters high, it is the largest of the nine Akatan Sabo Dams. About 700 meters farther down is Dam No. 9, the last of the series.
It is a long embankment of earth laid across the valley where it begins to widen, with a stone training wall 30 meters long attached at its right end.
Why It Was Registered
The Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape. Beyond its sheer size, the Agency for Cultural Affairs draws attention to how the builders split the work between materials.
The downstream face is a gentle earth slope at a batter of 1.6 to 1, but its lower part is dry-stone masonry at 1.0 to 1. Stone protects the foot, where water strikes hardest; earth makes up the bulk above. Matching material to position was likely a way to raise a very long dam with a limited supply of stone. Fukui Prefecture's account records a tradition that women built the earth dams by senbon-tsuki, ramming the fill with poles in large groups.
What to Look For
Step back from the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 to take it in whole. A 112-meter bank running across the valley looks less like a dam than a hill or levee. Grass and trees cover the surface, so it is the straight line of the crest and the stonework at the base that give away its origin as something people built.
Look for the seam where the stone foot meets the earth slope, and for the 30-meter training wall at the right end. Following the line where stone gives way to soil tells you exactly where the Meiji engineers decided stone was needed and where earth would do.
Visiting
According to Fukui Prefecture, cars can drive as far as the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8. On foot, the Minamiechizen tourism association puts it about 13 minutes up the trail from Dam No. 9. It also makes a good starting point for the walk up to the Oku-no-Higashi and Matsugahana dams. The forest road is narrow, so drive slowly.
The trail is open to visitors from April through November and closed in winter. Directions and parking are on the Akatan Sabo Dams page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8
- [ Eiheiji Temple & Tojinbo Cliffs Day Trip ]
Q&A
- Where is the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8, and can I drive there?
- On the Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture, about 570 meters below the Oku-no-Higashi Dam and about 700 meters above Dam No. 9. Fukui Prefecture says cars can drive as far as Dam No. 8.
- How big is the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8?
- It is an earth dam 112 meters long and 11 meters high, the largest of the nine Akatan dams, with a 30-meter dry-stone training wall at its right end.
- What is the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 made of?
- Mostly compacted earth, but the lower part of the downstream face is dry-stone masonry at a batter of 1.0 to 1, so the builders used different materials in different places.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as the largest of the Akatan dams, a sabo work of 1897 to 1906 notable for combining earth and stone.
- When can I visit the Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8?
- From April through November; the trail is closed to visitors in winter.
Basic Information
| Name | Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8 |
|---|---|
| Location | Furuki, Minamiechizen, Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/7/23 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 112 meters, height 11 meters, with stone training wall |
| Owner | Fukui Prefecture |
| Public Access | Exterior only, from the walking trail; closed in winter |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Akatan Sabo Dam No. 8
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004237
- Cultural Heritage Online: アカタン砂防八号堰堤
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/117317
- Fukui Prefecture, Sabo Division: Akatan Sabo Dams
- https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/sabo/akatan.html
- Fukui Prefecture: Akatan Sabo Dams leaflet (PDF)
- https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/sabo/akatan_d/fil/akatan.pdf
- Japan Civil Engineering Consultants Association: Akatan Sabo
- https://www.jcca.or.jp/dobokuisan/japan/hokuriku/akatan.html
- Minamiechizen Tourism: Akatan Sabo and Kokuratanigawa Sabo dams
- https://www.minamiechizen.com/feature/66243/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
