What Aoshita Dam Monument Is
Aoshita Dam Monument (青下ダム記念碑) is a stone monument set on level ground beside the approach road to the right bank of Aoshita No. 1 Dam at Kumagane, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, erected in 1934 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures) on 7 June 1999. It measures 14.4 m wide, 6.9 m deep and 2.6 m high, which makes it less a standing stele than a low built platform of stone.
The stone came from the surrounding district. Throughout Sendai's first waterworks expansion, materials were gathered close at hand: the cobbles on the barrage faces, the masonry of the tunnel portal. The structure commemorating the project is therefore made of the same substance as the project itself.
A spout carved as a goat's head sits at the centre of the front face, and water falls from it. Set into the back is a bronze plate headed with the title of the record of the Sendai waterworks expansion works, carrying the names of those involved: Moniwa Chūjirō as consulting adviser, Yashima Akira as head of the engineering division, Sugimoto Sōjirō as engineer, and others. Water on one side, names on the other.
Recording Who Built It
Modern infrastructure tends to erase its makers. A barrage holds water and a tunnel carries it, but neither structure says who conceived it or who laid the stone. The plate on the back of Aoshita Dam Monument was placed against that erasure. Listing job titles alongside the names, rather than names alone, suggests an intention to record the shape of the organisation as much as the individuals in it.
Moniwa Chūjirō appears as adviser, Yashima Akira as head of engineering, Sugimoto Sōjirō as engineer. Arranging the names by rank, under a title that translates as a record of works, gives the plate the character of a document rather than a dedication.
The listing criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. Of the eight structures registered in the Aoshita valley, this monument and the intake tower are classed as other constructed works, and the monument is the only listing here with no role in moving water. That water still falls from its spout is a deliberate reminder that it belongs to a waterworks.
What to Look For
The goat's head spout is the obvious focus. Animal-headed water spouts have a long history in European fountains, and finding one at a Japanese water source of the early Shōwa era is what makes this piece worth stopping for. The stream that falls from it is thin and the sound modest, audible only once you stop talking.
At 14.4 m wide the monument will not fit in your field of view from close up. Backing off a few paces to take it in brings the cherry trees and the wisteria trellis behind it into the frame as well, and the clearing where Aoshita Dam Monument stands changes character completely between April blossom and autumn bare wood.
Walk round to the back and the plate appears, a face of nothing but text after the ornament at the front. Reading down the names makes it clear that this is a roll of participants as much as a celebration of completion. Benches with tables stand in the clearing, so there is somewhere to sit with the sound of falling water.
Visiting Aoshita Dam Monument
The monument stands inside the Aoshita water source grounds and can be viewed freely from the walking paths, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no admission charge. It is an outdoor structure, so both the front and the reverse can be examined at close range.
Take the history route that begins at the Aoshita Dam Former Management Office. A short descent brings you to the clearing with the cherry trees and the wisteria trellis, and the monument occupies one corner of it. The full loop is 500 m and about 10 minutes, and continuing downhill from the clearing leads to Aoshita No. 1 Dam. The path is unpaved but the gradient along this stretch is gentle. An attendant-operated electric wheelchair is available from the Sendai City Waterworks Memorial Hall for the level sections.
No notice restricts photography, and shooting from the paths is unrestricted. For tripod work or commercial photography, contact the Memorial Hall on 022-393-2188 in advance.
By bus, take the Sendai City service for Jōgi from Sendai Station, alight at Ōtemon-iriguchi and walk 8 minutes. From Kumagane Station on the JR Senzan Line it is 20 minutes on foot. By car, about 40 minutes from Sendai Station or about 30 minutes from the Sendai-Miyagi interchange. The Memorial Hall closes from 1 December to 31 March.
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Q&A
- Can I visit Aoshita Dam Monument freely?
- Yes. It stands in a clearing beside the walking paths of the water source grounds, open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no charge. Both faces can be seen at close range.
- What is the goat's head on Aoshita Dam Monument?
- It is a water spout carved in the form of a goat's head, set at the centre of the front face. A thin stream falls from it, and it is the feature most visitors remember.
- What is written on the back of Aoshita Dam Monument?
- A bronze plate headed with the title of the record of the Sendai waterworks expansion works, inscribed with the names of those who took part, including the adviser Moniwa Chūjirō, the engineering head Yashima Akira and the engineer Sugimoto Sōjirō.
- How large is Aoshita Dam Monument?
- It is 14.4 m wide, 6.9 m deep and 2.6 m high, built of stone quarried locally. The proportions make it a broad low structure rather than an upright stele.
- How do I get to Aoshita Dam Monument?
- Take the Sendai City bus for Jōgi, alight at Ōtemon-iriguchi and walk 8 minutes, or walk 20 minutes from Kumagane Station. Inside the grounds, follow the slope down from the Aoshita Dam Former Management Office to the clearing.
Basic Information
| Name | Aoshita Dam Monument (青下ダム記念碑, Aoshita Damu Kinenhi) |
|---|---|
| Location | 18 Oharamichi, Kumagane, Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 7 June 1999 |
| Quantity | 1 unit |
| Dimensions | Stone, 14.4 m wide, 6.9 m deep, 2.6 m high |
| Owner | Sendai City Water Supply Business Manager |
| Public Access | Freely viewable from the walking paths, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., free of charge |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Aoshita Dam Monument
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001093
- Sendai City Waterworks Bureau: Introducing the Aoshita Water Source Area
- https://www.suidou.city.sendai.jp/soshiki/somu-eigyo/koho/7/404.html
- Sendai City Waterworks Bureau: Aoshita Water Source Walking Map
- https://www.suidou.city.sendai.jp/soshiki/somu-eigyo/koho/7/405.html
- Sendai City Waterworks Bureau: Visitor Information for the Aoshita Water Source Area and Memorial Hall
- https://www.suidou.city.sendai.jp/soshiki/somu-eigyo/koho/7/403.html
Last verified: 2026.09.08