Cobblestone Walls of the Iri Plant
The Iri Power Station Penstock and Main Building Retaining Walls (入発電所鉄管路擁壁及び本館擁壁) are stone retaining walls of a hydroelectric station built in 1920 in Iri, Kagamino Town, Tomata District, Okayama Prefecture, and were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006. They are owned by the Chugoku Electric Power Company.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records them as stone, 67 m in total length; the registration number is 33-0129.
Why They Were Registered
The Iri Power Station retaining walls were registered as structures that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, they consist of a 36 m wall along both sides of the penstock linking the water tank and the powerhouse, and a 31 m wall that turns the corner along the north and east sides of the powerhouse.
They are built of large and small cobblestones laid with mortar, and form one of the components of the hydroelectric facility built by Bisaku Electric (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Up close, you can see how rounded cobbles of different sizes are fitted together in mortared masonry. The walls line the penstock down the slope and wrap the north and east sides of the powerhouse, holding up the site.
The steps and wall of the water tank are also of cobblestones (Agency for Cultural Affairs), so the same masonry runs through the whole station.
Visiting the Iri Power Station Retaining Walls
The Iri Power Station retaining walls are part of a utility-owned power facility. Information on the station as a whole is on the Iri Power Station page. Do not enter the facility, and follow posted guidance when viewing from outside.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Iri Power Station Penstock and Main Building Retaining Walls
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- When were the walls built?
- In 1920.
- When were they registered as a cultural property?
- On October 18, 2006.
- What do the walls consist of?
- A 36 m wall along the penstock and a 31 m wall around the north and east of the powerhouse, 67 m in all.
- How are they built?
- Of large and small cobblestones laid with mortar.
- Can you visit them?
- They are part of a power facility; follow posted guidance when viewing from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Iri Power Station Penstock and Main Building Retaining Walls (入発電所鉄管路擁壁及び本館擁壁) |
|---|---|
| Location | 964 Iri, Kagamino Town, Tomata District, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | Stone, 67 m long |
| Owner | Chugoku Electric Power Company |
| Public Access | Part of a power facility |
References
- Iri Power Station Penstock and Main Building Retaining Walls (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005919
Last verified: 2026.10.06
