A Signature in Stone
On the left abutment of Shimizugawa Dam No. 3, set into the stonework, is a carved stone plaque. Incised on it are the structure's name, the year it was finished, and the abbreviated crest of the Home Ministry, the branch of pre-war central government that ran the works. It is a small, deliberate signature, the sort of thing that turns an anonymous grey wall into a dated document you can read on site.
The dam itself is the longest of the group, 80 metres across, though only 4 metres high, laid where the Shimizu River runs through forest in the Sekigane district of Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture. It was completed in 1938 (Showa 13) and sits about 200 metres below Dam No. 6.
Who Built It, and Why
The plaque points back to why the dam exists. When the Muroto Typhoon struck western Japan in September 1934, the Tenjin River basin, which the Shimizu feeds, was badly flooded. The Home Ministry responded with a programme of sabo (erosion-control) dams to hold the mountain's loosened sediment in place, and built the Shimizu group between 1937 and 1944. The crest carved into No. 3 records that authorship in stone.
No. 3 has come down in unusually complete condition. Downstream of the main wall stands a sub-dam laid in nuno-zumi, level coursed masonry, and the two are tied together by a stone revetment that has held. Check dams surviving with their apron and bank works intact are not common, and this is part of what earned the group its listing as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2004, under a criterion recognising structures that shape a region's historic landscape.
A Low Grey Line
Come to read the plaque and you end up noticing the masonry around it: the long face laid mostly in diagonal tani-zumi, the level nuno-zumi of the sub-dam below, the way the revetment carries the stonework out along the banks so the whole reach feels of a piece. At 80 metres the dam draws the eye sideways rather than up, a low grey line across a green valley.
The dam is an outdoor structure on public land, freely visible, with no admission. It lies in mountain country on narrow roads, so a car helps, and the spa town of Sekigane below is a natural base. The plaque sits on the left abutment; footing near the water can be uneven, so take care and check local conditions if you want a closer look.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tottori
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shimizu River Third Dam
- [ Tottori Sand Dunes & Camel Riding Experience ]
Q&A
- What is carved on the plaque at Dam No. 3?
- The structure's name, its year of completion, and the abbreviated crest of the Home Ministry, the pre-war government body that built the dam.
- How large is Dam No. 3?
- It is 80 metres long, the longest of the five registered Shimizu dams, and 4 metres high.
- Why is it considered well preserved?
- Its downstream sub-dam and the stone revetment linking the two structures both survive intact, which is uncommon for check dams of this age.
- What is nuno-zumi?
- Level, horizontally coursed stone masonry. The sub-dam below No. 3 is laid this way, while the main wall is mostly diagonal tani-zumi.
- Can I see the plaque in person?
- Yes. It is on the left abutment of an open-air structure with no admission, though the site is remote and best reached by car.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimizugawa Dam No. 3 (清水川第三堰堤) |
|---|---|
| Location | Hori, Sekigane-cho, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registered 23 July 2004 |
| Registration No. | 31-0067 |
| Completed | 1938 (Showa 13) |
| Structure | Concrete gravity dam faced in mortared stone, with sub-dam and revetment; length 80 m, height 4.0 m |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Owner | The State (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Note | Carved stone plaque bearing the Home Ministry crest on the left abutment |
| Access | Outdoor structure on public land; no admission; remote, reached by car |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Shimizugawa Dam No. 3
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004294
- Cultural Heritage Online — Cultural Properties of Kurayoshi City, Tottori
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/region/31/31203
- MLIT, River Data Book — Tenjin River System
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/toukei_chousa/kasen/jiten/nihon_kawa/0711_tenjin/0711_tenjin_01.html
- MLIT — Historic River Structures
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/pamphlet_jirei/kasen/rekishibunka/kouzoubutsu04.html
Last verified: 2026.07.05