About the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam
The Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam (アカタン砂防大平口堰堤, Akatan Sabō Ōbiraguchi 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 Obiraguchi Dam lies about 260 meters below the Obira Nabekama Dam and carries registration number 18-0031. It is the lowest of the five dams in the Obira section; about 520 meters below it is the Matsugahana Dam.
It measures 8.5 meters across the crest and 3.0 meters high, built in mortarless dry-stone masonry at a gentle batter of about 1.0 to 1, so the face leans well back.
Why It Was Registered
The Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that for all its small size, it shows real structural thought.
The thought is in how the stones are graded. The bottom course uses boulders about 1.5 meters across; above them the masons packed progressively smaller fieldstones, left in their natural shape, more and more tightly toward the top. The crest sags toward the center in the nawa-darumi profile to gather floodwater in the middle. Heavy stones below and small ones above is a principle familiar from castle walls, and here it is applied with care to a dam just 3.0 meters high.
What to Look For
Stand in front of the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam and look at the bottom course: boulders nearly as tall as a person, with stones the size of fists and heads packed above them. The higher you look, the finer the grain, until near the crest the stones lock together with barely a gap.
The crest line is easy to follow too, a shallow arc dipping from each end toward the middle that shows clearly from the side. It is one of the less conspicuous of the nine, but it is a good place to study how the Meiji masons stacked their stone.
Visiting
The Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam sits at the lower end of the Obira section, deep along the trail. The Minamiechizen tourism association puts the walk from the information board near Retreat Takura to the Nabekama Dam, 260 meters upstream, at more than 1 hour, so this dam comes a little before that. Wear sturdy shoes and view it from the trail rather than climbing on it.
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 Obiraguchi Dam
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Q&A
- Where is the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam?
- On the upper Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture. It is the lowest of the five Obira dams, about 260 meters below the Nabekama Dam and about 520 meters above the Matsugahana Dam.
- How big is the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam?
- It is a dry-stone dam 8.5 meters long at the crest and 3.0 meters high, with a batter of about 1.0 to 1.
- What is special about the stonework of the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam?
- Boulders about 1.5 meters across form the base, and smaller natural fieldstones are packed more densely toward the top. The crest sags toward the center in the nawa-darumi style.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a sabo work of 1897 to 1906 that shows careful structural design despite its small size and contributes to the historic landscape.
- When can I visit the Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi Dam?
- From April through November; the trail is closed in winter. It is reached on foot from Retreat Takura.
Basic Information
| Name | Akatan Sabo Obiraguchi 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 8.5 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 Obiraguchi Dam
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004234
- Cultural Heritage Online: アカタン砂防大平口堰堤
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/117114
- 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
