A Taishō Rebuild on Edo Foundations
Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome (堂々川四番砂留, Dōdōgawa Yonban Sunadome) is a late Edo-period stone check dam in Yuno, Kannabe-chō, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, largely rebuilt in the early Taishō era and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 3 August 2006.
It stands about 130 metres upstream of No. 3 and is 32 metres long and 3.3 metres high. Fukuyama City's own listing reads the name Yoban rather than Yonban. Its registration number is 34-0078, and it belongs to the national government through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Why It Was Registered
The criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the country. What sets Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome apart is that most of what you see dates from the Taishō era or later. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, apart from a patch of Ranzumi random masonry at the base of the west wing, the dam was built after the start of Taishō.
The central spillway is faced with kenchi-ishi, stones dressed to a pyramidal point and set on the diagonal as Tanizumi. In front of it sits a body of masonry with a gentle convex bulge that catches the falling water. Both wings project forward, so floodwater cannot swing around the ends of the dam and gnaw at the banks. The Agency calls the result a robust construction.
The original work is dated to the late Edo period, between 1751 and 1829, and the rebuilding to the early Taishō era, between 1912 and 1925. No. 2 was rebuilt in the same period, and comparing the aprons of the two dams shows how the same generation of builders approached the problem.
What to Look For
Start with the random masonry at the foot of the west wing. Among the neat, dressed diagonal stones, this is the one place where blocks of all sizes are jumbled together. It appears to be what remains of the Edo dam, with the Taishō work built over it.
Fukuyama City has excavated Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome together with No. 2, and presented the work at the archaeology section of the Hiroshima Historical Society in the 2019 academic year.
The sediment flat behind No. 4 is where the Dōdōgawa Hotaru Dōkōkai built its first biotope for fireflies. Children in the group kept a record of the work, and the group says it won an award from the Minister of the Environment. The group has also recorded subsidence on the left bank of No. 4, a reminder that dry-stone dams survive only as long as someone keeps repairing them.
Visiting
Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome is an open-air river structure, free and viewable from the bank at any time without booking. Stay off the crest and spillway. No official photography restrictions are published.
The projecting wings are clearest from downstream, facing the whole dam. For the old random masonry, approach from downstream along the west bank. Directions and parking are on the Dodogawa Sunadome group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome (Stone Check Dam)
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Q&A
- How do you pronounce Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives Dōdōgawa Yonban Sunadome, while Fukuyama City's listing reads Yoban.
- When was Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome built?
- The Agency dates it to the late Edo period, between 1751 and 1829, with a major rebuilding in the early Taishō era, between 1912 and 1925. Apart from the base of the west wing, most visible masonry is Taishō or later.
- How big is Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome?
- It is 32 metres long and 3.3 metres high, about 130 metres upstream of No. 3.
- What is distinctive about Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome?
- The diagonal kenchi-ishi spillway face, the bulging masonry apron in front of it and the forward-projecting wings, which the Agency describes as a robust construction.
- Can I visit Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome?
- Yes, free and at any time. It is an open-air structure viewed from the bank. Do not climb onto the crest or spillway.
Basic Information
| Name | Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome (堂々川四番砂留) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sakoyama, Yuno, Kannabe-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/8/3 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Length 32 metres, height 3.3 metres |
| Owner | Government of Japan (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Public Access | Outdoors; open at all times, free of charge |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005663
- Fukuyama City: Dodogawa No. 4 Sunadome (Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/soshiki/bunka/64274.html
- Hiroshima Historical Society, archaeology section programme (Japanese)
- https://kouko.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/publication/pdf/2019shigakukoukobukai.pdf
- Dodogawa Hotaru Dokokai: The Sunadome of the Dodogawa (Japanese)
- https://dodogawa.com/sunadome.php
Last verified: 2026.09.24
