About the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam
The Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam (アカタン砂防大平ナベカマ堰堤, Akatan Sabō Ōbira Nabekama 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 Nabekama Dam stands about 90 meters below the Obira Middle Dam and carries registration number 18-0030. At 6.0 meters across and 3.0 meters high, it has the shortest crest of the nine. Nabekama suggests "pots and kettles" in Japanese, though no source we could find explains how the name arose.
About 260 meters farther down is the Obiraguchi Dam.
Why It Was Registered
The Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits this modest structure with checking erosion and collapse along the banks and easing the gradient of the bed, which in turn let the surrounding vegetation return.
The Obira valley that the Meiji rains stripped bare is now thick with trees and moss. On the agency's reading, that green is not an accident but a result of the dams that steadied the streambed. This one earned its place less for its size than for its part in making the landscape around it.
What to Look For
The Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam is dry-stone work laid on exposed bedrock at a gentle batter of about 1.0 to 1, so its face leans back more than most of the stone dams here. The crest is built in the slack-rope nawa-darumi profile, and the water slips quietly over the center.
Look closely at the seam between bedrock and masonry. The lowest stones are fitted to the bumps and hollows of the natural rock, and at a glance it is hard to tell where the valley ends and the dam begins. On a dam this small, that fit with the ground is easy to see.
Visiting
The Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam is in the Obira section of the trail. The Minamiechizen tourism association puts the walk from the information board near Retreat Takura at more than 1 hour one way. Wear sturdy shoes, expect steps and slopes, and view the dam from the trail rather than the rock.
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 Nabekama Dam
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Q&A
- Where is the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam?
- In the Obira section of the upper Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture, about 90 meters below the Obira Middle Dam and about 260 meters above the Obiraguchi Dam.
- How big is the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam?
- It is a dry-stone dam 6.0 meters long at the crest and 3.0 meters high, with a batter of about 1.0 to 1, the shortest crest of the nine Akatan dams.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a sabo work of 1897 to 1906 that stopped bank erosion, eased the streambed and allowed the surrounding greenery to recover.
- How long is the walk to the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam?
- According to the Minamiechizen tourism association, more than 1 hour on foot from the information board near Retreat Takura.
- When can I visit the Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama Dam?
- From April through November; the trail is closed to visitors in winter.
Basic Information
| Name | Akatan Sabo Obira Nabekama 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 6.0 meters, height 3.0 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 Nabekama Dam
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004233
- 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
