About the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam
The Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam (アカタン砂防大平中堰堤, Akatan Sabō Ōbira Naka Entei) is a dry-stone 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.
The Obira Middle Dam lies about 115 meters below the Mizuya Lower Dam and carries registration number 18-0029. At 28 meters along the crest and 7.5 meters high, it is the longest of the five dams in the Obira section.
About 90 meters below it is the Obira Nabekama Dam.
Why It Was Registered
The Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs dwells on one feature above all: its angle. Rather than crossing the stream square-on, the dam is set diagonally to the current, throwing the falling water against an outcrop of bare bedrock. The agency credits this reading of the terrain with creating a waterfall that looks as if it belongs to the valley.
The likely reason for the angle is practical. Hard rock can take the pounding of the water; the soil banks cannot.
What to Look For
The Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam is dry-stone work built to a steep batter of 0.4 to 1, so from the front the wall looks almost vertical, one of the most upright of the Akatan stone dams.
What you come for is the fall of the water. It clears the crest, runs off at an angle and breaks on the rock face beside the dam. It looks less like water spilling over a man-made weir than a cascade on a natural ledge, which is the effect the agency's description has in mind. After rain, or during the spring melt, the pattern is easiest to read.
Visiting
The Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam is in the Obira section, well up the trail. The Minamiechizen tourism association says it takes more than 1 hour on foot from the information board near Retreat Takura to the Nabekama Dam, which sits 90 meters below this one, so plan a little more. Wear sturdy shoes and watch from the trail rather than scrambling onto the rocks.
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 Obira Middle Dam
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Q&A
- Where is the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam?
- In the Obira section of the upper Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture, about 115 meters below the Mizuya Lower Dam and about 90 meters above the Nabekama Dam.
- How big is the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam?
- It is a dry-stone dam 28 meters long at the crest and 7.5 meters high, with a steep batter of 0.4 to 1, the longest of the five Obira dams.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam built at an angle?
- Setting it diagonally to the current sends the falling water onto exposed bedrock, which can absorb the force, instead of onto the soil banks.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a sabo work of 1897 to 1906 whose terrain-conscious design creates a waterfall that blends with the natural setting.
- When can I visit the Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam?
- From April through November; the trail is closed in winter. Allow more than 1 hour each way on foot from Retreat Takura.
Basic Information
| Name | Akatan Sabo Obira Middle Dam |
|---|---|
| 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 28 meters, height 7.5 meters |
| 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 Obira Middle Dam
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004232
- Cultural Heritage Online: アカタン砂防大平中堰堤
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/169542
- 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
- Minamiechizen Tourism: Akatan Sabo and Kokuratanigawa Sabo dams
- https://www.minamiechizen.com/feature/66243/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
