The Reservoir on Shiroyama Hill
The Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir (福山市旧佐波浄水場配水池) is the distribution reservoir of a waterworks of 1925 in Sabacho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reservoir of concrete and brick covering 929 square metres; registration number 34-0133.
Two Basins and Tower-Like Entrances
The Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir fills the east end of the plant on Shiroyama hill in Saba (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It measures 32 metres east to west and 29 metres north to south and is 4.7 metres deep, with two basins set side by side from east to west.
The middle of the east and west faces rises like a small tower, each opening an inspection entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Fukuyama City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, water ran from this plant into the city by gravity.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its description points to the two basins filling the east end of the plant and to the east face, with its tower-like entrance and memorial plaque.
The Plaque: Never Resting, Day or Night
High on the east face, over the reservoir entrance, hangs a memorial plaque reading 不舎晝夜. The bureau says it was written by Anno Shin'ichi (阿武信一), Fukuyama's first mayor, sometimes called the waterworks mayor: a wish that water would never stop, day or night, and a record of the effort and pride that went into the project.
The phrase comes from Mencius, who described water welling up from its source and flowing without pause through day and night (Fukuyama City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau). The bureau treats the plaque as the starting point of Fukuyama's modern water supply.
What to Look For
Stand in front of the east face to see the tower-like entrance and, above it, the plaque reading 不舎晝夜. The structure combines concrete and brick, and from the east side you get a sense of how large the two basins are.
Visiting
The reservoir stands inside Saba Shiroyama Park and can be seen from the park grounds (Fukuyama City cultural properties map). No official information on access to the basins themselves was found.
Q&A
- When was the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir built?
- In 1925 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir?
- 32 metres east to west, 29 metres north to south and 4.7 metres deep, with two basins.
- What does the plaque on the Saba reservoir say?
- 不舎晝夜, roughly "never resting, day or night," written by Fukuyama's first mayor, Anno Shin'ichi.
- Can I visit the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir?
- Yes, from the grounds of Saba Shiroyama Park; no official information on access to the basins was found.
- When was the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir registered?
- On March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir (福山市旧佐波浄水場配水池) |
|---|---|
| Location | 202-7 and others, Sabacho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/03/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Concrete and brick, area 929 m² |
| Owner | Fukuyama City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible in Saba Shiroyama Park (no information on access to the basins) |
References
- Former Saba Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009533
- Water and Sewerage of Fukuyama (Fukuyama City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/342014.pdf
- Cultural Properties Map (Fukuyama City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/155581.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.29
