About the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam
The Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam (アカタン砂防奥の東堰堤, Akatan Sabō Oku-no-Higashi 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 Oku-no-Higashi Dam (奥の東堰堤) lies about 160 meters below the Matsugahana Dam and carries registration number 18-0033. About 570 meters downstream is Dam No. 8, the largest of the Akatan group.
It is 25 meters across and rises to 8.0 meters at a batter of 1.0 to 1, the tallest of the seven stone dams, all in mortarless dry-stone masonry. The spillway at its right end is paved with stone on the bottom, and from it a training wall 21 meters long runs off at a right angle to the dam.
Why It Was Registered
The Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a large-scale stone structure that holds its own amid the greenery that has grown back around it.
Much of its value lies in the plain fact of building a stone wall this high by hand between 1897 and 1906. The stone-paved spillway and training wall belong to the same system as at Matsugahana, but here the spillway sits at the right end instead of the left. The builders appear to have judged each site separately, turning each dam toward whichever side of the valley offered solid rock.
What to Look For
Look up at the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam from the front to feel its height: 8.0 meters of stone closing off the valley, with trees on both slopes crowding right up to its edges. The Minamiechizen tourism association describes its gentle curves as seeming to lean into the surrounding green.
Walk to the right end and you can see the paved floor of the spillway and the 21-meter training wall striking off at a right angle. Water lands first on the stone paving, then turns along the wall and runs downstream. Even at low water, the path the builders intended for it is easy to read.
Visiting
The Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam is about 13 minutes' walk up the trail from Dam No. 8, according to the Minamiechizen tourism association. Cars can drive as far as Dam No. 8, so the walk from there is short. Expect steps and slopes, wear sturdy shoes, and keep off the crest and stone faces.
The trail is open to visitors from April through November and closed in winter. Directions and parking are on the Akatan Sabo Dams page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam?
- On the Akatani River in Furuki, Minamiechizen, Fukui Prefecture, about 160 meters below the Matsugahana Dam and about 570 meters above Dam No. 8, roughly 13 minutes' walk from the latter.
- How big is the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam?
- It is a dry-stone dam 25 meters long at the crest and 8.0 meters high, with a batter of 1.0 to 1, the tallest of the seven Akatan stone dams.
- What is the training wall at the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam?
- A stone wall 21 meters long that runs at a right angle from the paved spillway at the dam's right end. It turns the falling water and keeps it from scouring the banks and the dam's foot.
- Why is the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a large-scale stone structure of 1897 to 1906 that stands out amid the restored greenery and contributes to the historic landscape.
- When can I visit the Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi Dam?
- From April through November; the trail is closed to visitors in winter.
Basic Information
| Name | Akatan Sabo Oku-no-Higashi 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 25 meters, height 8.0 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 Oku-no-Higashi Dam
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004236
- 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
