Dry Stone Laid by Hand
The Kuwatani No. 6 Sabo Dam (桑谷第六号砂防堰堤) is a hand-built dry-stone sabo dam of 1920 in Kuwano, Miyagawacho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a stone dam 36 metres long and 5.5 metres high; registration number 21-276.
Dry Stone Laid by Hand
The Kuwatani sabo dams are stone erosion-control dams built in 1920 and 1921 on the Kuwatani, a stream of the Miyagawa in the Jinzu River system; 5 of them are registered (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Gifu Prefecture). From downstream they run No. 5, No. 1, No. 2, No. 10 and No. 6.
Kuwatani No. 6, at the top of the stream, was built in 1920 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is 36 metres long and 5.5 metres high, raised in dry stone masonry at a batter of 1 to 1.
Deep in the valley, it keeps its first form well and has been little buried by sediment. The Agency notes that it shows well the technique of Taisho-period dry-stone dams built by hand alone.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
At Kuwatani No. 6, look for the 36-metre dry-stone wall, which keeps its first form (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The dams are sabo (erosion-control) works owned by Gifu Prefecture, in the valley of the Kuwatani stream at Kuwano, Miyagawacho, Hida (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visits was found. The 5 dams are introduced together on the Kuwatani Sabo Dams page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1920 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is it?
- At the top of the stream.
- How big is it?
- 36 metres long, 5.5 metres high.
- Why does it matter?
- It shows hand-built dry-stone work.
- When was the Kuwatani No. 6 Sabo Dam registered?
- On March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuwatani No. 6 Sabo Dam (桑谷第六号砂防堰堤) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kuwano, Miyagawacho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/03/29 (Heisei 31) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone dam, 36 m long, 5.5 m high |
| Owner | Gifu Prefecture |
| Public Access | No official information on visits |
References
- Kuwatani No. 6 Sabo Dam (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012742
- Cultural Properties among Sabo Works (Gifu Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/shakai-kiban/kasen/sabo/11653/bunkazai.html
Last verified: 2026.10.31
