Iburodani River Sabo Dam No. 3

A Curved Stone Sabo Dam of 1900

The Iburodani River Sabo Dam No. 3 (井風呂谷川砂防三号堰堤) is a stone sabo dam that stands for Okayama Prefecture of around 1900, raised around 1911 and in the early Showa period in Minobe, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 14, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a stone dam 73 metres long and 11 metres high; registration number 33-0055.

Dry-Laid Boulders and Later Raisings

Iburodani River Sabo Dam No. 3 stands on the middle reaches of the Iburodani, a tributary of the Makidani River that flows into the Takahashi River (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was built around 1900 of large dry-laid boulders on a curved plan, and dams of dry-laid and mortared masonry were added on top of its gently sloping face around 1911 and in the early Showa period.

In all it is about 12 metres high and over 70 metres long (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, twenty-three sabo dams were built on the Iburodani under the guidance of Uno Enzaburo.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Look for the curved dam of dry-laid boulders and the later masonry added on top (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

It is owned by the national government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency notes that it is widely enjoyed by local people as part of a park; no official information on access times was found.