Where the Raw Water Arrives
The Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well (長江浄水場着水井) is a reinforced concrete receiving well of 1925 in Nagae, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 8, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reinforced concrete structure of 5.0 square metres with steps; registration number 34-0059.
The First Stop for the Raw Water
The Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well is where raw water, carried down by gravity from the Hisayamada Reservoir, first enters the plant (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Reinforced concrete partitions divide the inside, and the top edge is finished with granite.
The plant was built on ground made by cutting about 12 metres off the crest of the Makigatoge pass (槇ヶ峠), as part of Onomichi's first municipal waterworks. Mizuno Hironoshin planned and designed it under the guidance of the engineer Sano Tojiro (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well for its contribution to the historic landscape. At 5.0 square metres it is tiny, but it was registered in 2004 together with the slow sand filter basin and the distribution reservoir, so the entry point of the plant's original treatment sequence survives with them.
What to Look For
The Agency's record points to the granite along the top, the internal partitions and the attached steps of the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well. From here the water is led to the fan-shaped slow sand filter basin (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well lies inside a working water plant, and no official information on public access to the grounds was found. The water bureau says it accepts requests to tour its facilities and describes staff guiding a primary school class around the plant (Onomichi City Water and Sewerage Bureau). Directions and the opening hours of the Onomichi Waterworks Memorial Hall are on the Nagae Water Purification Plant page.
Q&A
- When was the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well built?
- In 1925, when Onomichi's waterworks opened (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well do?
- It is the first structure to receive raw water flowing by gravity from the Hisayamada Reservoir (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well?
- Mizuno Hironoshin, under the guidance of Sano Tojiro (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well?
- It is inside a working plant and no public access is announced; the water bureau accepts requests for facility tours.
- When was the Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well registered?
- On November 8, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well (長江浄水場着水井) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-6-52 Nagae, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/11/08 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 5.0 m², with steps |
| Owner | Onomichi City |
| Public Access | Part of a working water plant (no published access to the grounds) |
References
- Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004408
- Nagae Water Purification Plant Receiving Well (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/140178
- Onomichi Waterworks Centennial website (Onomichi City Water and Sewerage Bureau, Japanese)
- https://water-onomichi-anniv100th.jp/
Last verified: 2026.11.09
