An Erosion-Control Dam above Nakatsugawa
The Yamagami Sabo Dam (山神砂防堰堤) is a gravity erosion-control (sabo) dam built in 1940 on the Yotsume River at Ege, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006. It was the first dam built in the erosion-control scheme drawn up after the Yotsume River disaster (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a concrete gravity dam 42 metres long and 8.0 metres high, with a sub-dam, apron and revetments; registration number 21-0103, owned by the national government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).
Protecting a River through Town
The Yamagami Sabo Dam stands on the middle reaches of the Yotsume River, a tributary of the Nakatsu River in the Kiso River system that flows through the centre of Nakatsugawa (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Gifu Prefecture). It was built upstream to hold back debris from a river that runs through the town.
The Agency places it as the first dam of the erosion-control project planned after the Yotsume River disaster.
Why It Was Registered
The Yamagami Sabo Dam was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Gifu Prefecture lists it among the registered erosion-control dams in the prefecture.
What to Look For
The Yamagami Sabo Dam is a mortared-masonry gravity dam 42 metres long and 8 metres high, built as one with its revetments and a gently curved sub-dam (Agency for Cultural Affairs), so the main dam, sub-dam and banks form a single structure across the river.
The whole face is laid in tanizumi, a diagonal pattern in which stones are set at an angle (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting the Yamagami Sabo Dam
The Yamagami Sabo Dam is an erosion-control facility of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and we found no official information on public access. Take great care near the river, which can rise quickly. The location is Ege, Nakatsugawa City.
Q&A
- When was the Yamagami Sabo Dam built?
- In 1940 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Yamagami Sabo Dam?
- 42 metres long and 8.0 metres high, a concrete gravity dam (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why was the Yamagami Sabo Dam built?
- As the first dam of the erosion-control scheme planned after the Yotsume River disaster (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the face of the Yamagami Sabo Dam like?
- It is laid entirely in the diagonal tanizumi pattern (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Yamagami Sabo Dam registered?
- On October 18, 2006.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamagami Sabo Dam (山神砂防堰堤) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ege, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Concrete gravity dam, 42 metres long, 8.0 metres high, with sub-dam, apron and revetments |
| Owner | National government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Public Access | No official information on public access |
References
- Yamagami Sabo Dam (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005863
- Registered erosion-control dams in Gifu (Gifu Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/2279.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06