The Stone-Faced Weir of the Gami Plant
The Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station (賀美発電所取水所) is the intake of a hydroelectric station, built in 1919 on the Sato River in Kosuge-cho, Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 8, 2004. It is owned by the Tokyo Electric Generation Company.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a gravity-type concrete weir 33 m long and 2.9 m high, with a settling basin, intake, a 59 m headrace and 99 m of stone revetment; the registration number is 08-0142.
Why It Was Registered
The Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it is the intake of the Gami Power Plant planned by Ibaraki Electric, located about 4 km upstream of the powerhouse.
At its centre is a gravity weir faced in horizontally coursed stone with a gently arched crest, built as one with two carefully finished sluice gates and a concrete settling basin (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Notice the gentle upward curve along the crest of the weir and the horizontal courses of its stone facing. Beside the weir stand the two sluice gates, also neatly finished in stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Water taken in at the weir settles its silt in the basin before passing to the intake and headrace, and 99 m of stone revetment line the riverbank.
Visiting the Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station
The Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station is part of a working power station. No official information on viewing points or parking could be confirmed. Do not enter the facility, and follow posted guidance near the river. The Gami Power Plant page covers the station as a whole.
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Q&A
- When was the Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station built?
- In 1919.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- On November 8, 2004.
- Where is the intake?
- On the Sato River in Kosuge-cho, Hitachiota, about 4 km upstream of the Gami powerhouse.
- How large is the weir?
- A gravity-type concrete weir 33 m long and 2.9 m high, faced in coursed stone with a gently arched crest.
- Can you visit it?
- It is part of a working power station; follow posted guidance when viewing from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station (賀美発電所取水所) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kosuge-cho, Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/11/8 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | Gravity-type concrete weir, 33 m long, 2.9 m high, with settling basin, intake, 59 m headrace and 99 m stone revetment |
| Owner | Tokyo Electric Generation Company |
| Public Access | Part of a working power station |
References
- Gami Power Plant Water Intake Station (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004312
- Cultural properties (Tokyo Electric Generation Company)
- https://tokyohatsuden.co.jp/csr/cultural_property/
- Sato River hydroelectric plants (JSCE Civil Engineering Heritage)
- https://committees.jsce.or.jp/heritage/node/956
Last verified: 2026.10.06
