Ushibuse River No. 2 Check Dam

A Dry-Stone Check Dam of 1886

The Ushibuse River No. 2 Check Dam (牛伏川第二号堰堤) is a stone check dam for erosion control of 1886 in Uchida, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 14, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a gravity dam of stone, 25 metres long and 6.5 metres high; registration number 20-0582.

A Dry-Stone Check Dam

The No. 2 Check Dam stands on the upper Ushibuse River, part of the Shinano River system: a dry-stone dam 25 metres long and 6.5 metres high, built on bedrock (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The body is laid at a gentle slope, and although the section changes between the wings and the spillway, the crest is rounded along its whole length, blending into its natural setting (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Why It Was Registered

The Agency notes its crest, rounded along its whole length, which blends into the natural setting, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Look for the rounded crest and the dry-stone body laid at a gentle slope (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

It is owned by Nagano Prefecture (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the prefecture's Matsumoto Construction Office, anyone may visit the erosion control works freely; they are about 20 minutes by car from Matsumoto Station, with parking at Gofukuji temple (about 20 cars) and elsewhere. Some spots are dangerous, so take care. The stepped channel and check dams are introduced together on the Ushibuse River Erosion Control Works page.