The Uppermost Dam, Half Buried in Gravel
The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam (小豆沢第三号砂防堰堤, Azukisawa Daisangō Sabō Entei) is a dry-stone erosion control dam built in 1920 at Azukisawa, Miyagawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on March 29, 2019. It is the highest of the three registered dams on the valley, about 240 meters above No. 2 and roughly 440 meters above No. 1, and measures 25 meters long and 5.5 meters high.
It is the shortest of the three but as tall as No. 1. The ravine narrows as it climbs, so a dam of the same height needs less length to span it, and Azukisawa No. 3 plugs the valley close to its tightest point.
Why the No. 3 Dam Was Registered
The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam carries registration number 21-272 and was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the lower 4 meters of its 5.5-meter height are now buried in sediment, and the dam is blending into its surroundings. The listing treats this as proof that the structure did its job of holding back sediment and letting the vegetation recover.
Buried is not the same as broken. A sabo dam is meant to trap the gravel and rock that come down a mountain stream, easing the gradient of the bed behind it so that a sudden surge of debris cannot sweep down on the houses below. The sediment piled against Azukisawa No. 3 is a hundred years of material that never reached the hamlet, and the registration values that record of work.
What to Look For at Azukisawa No. 3
Of the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam, only about the top 1.5 meters of masonry remains in view, the 5.5-meter height less the 4 meters lost to sediment. On the prefecture's signboard the dam appears as little more than a white spill of water and the upper edge of the stonework between overgrown banks. It is the least conspicuous of the three, and that is exactly the point.
Like No. 2, the stone body is laid at a 1:1 (45-degree) slope in hand-set dry-stone masonry, which Gifu Prefecture's Sabo Division describes as hard to reproduce today. The official description mentions no concrete reinforcement of the apron here, unlike the two dams below.
Taken in order from the bottom of the valley, the three dams make a sequence: No. 1 shows its stone face plainly, No. 2 is veiled by a sheet of water, and Azukisawa No. 3 has almost merged with the ravine. The higher the dam, the further it has been absorbed into the landform and the forest.
Seeing Azukisawa No. 3 in Person
The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam is an outdoor structure with no reception desk or admission fee, but it is the farthest of the three, roughly 440 meters up the ravine from the hamlet, and Gifu Prefecture's published materials describe no walking route to it (checked September 25, 2026). The streambed is rough and the dam itself is mostly buried and hard to pick out, so trying to reach it is not recommended.
The roadside information board in the hamlet shows a photo of Azukisawa No. 3 and marks its position on a map. No specific photography rules are published. Keep away from the stream during or after rain. Directions to Azukisawa are on the Azukisawa Sabo Dams page.
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Q&A
- Why is the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam buried in sediment?
- The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam has been catching sediment from upstream for a century. The lower 4 meters of its 5.5-meter height are now buried, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats as evidence that the dam has done its job.
- How much of the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam can be seen?
- Only about the top 1.5 meters of the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam's masonry is exposed. Across its 25-meter length, the spillway and the upper edge of the stone show between overgrown banks.
- Can visitors reach the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam?
- The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam is the farthest up the ravine, and Gifu Prefecture publishes no walking route to it. The photo and map on the roadside information board in the hamlet are the safest way to see it.
- When was the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam built and registered?
- The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam was built in 1920 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on March 29, 2019, under registration number 21-272.
- How does the Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam differ from the No. 1 and No. 2 dams?
- The Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam is the highest up the valley, the shortest at 25 meters, and the only one with its lower half buried. It shares the 1:1 dry-stone slope of the No. 2 dam.
Basic Information
| Name | Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam (小豆沢第三号砂防堰堤) |
|---|---|
| Location | Azukisawa, Miyagawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 29, 2019 (Heisei 31) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Crest length 25 m, height 5.5 m (lower 4 m buried in sediment) |
| Owner | Gifu Prefecture |
| Public Access | Outdoor sabo structure; no reception or admission fee; no published walking route |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Azukisawa No. 3 Sabo Dam
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012738
- Gifu Prefecture, Sabo Division: Registered sabo facilities in Gifu (in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/shakai-kiban/kasen/sabo/11653/bunkazai.html
- Gifu Prefecture, Furukawa Civil Engineering Office: Azukisawa signboard and memorial stone (PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/165619.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.25
