A Small Dam With a Precise Job
Some 75 metres southeast and upstream of Dam No. 4, in the upper reaches of the Kiwada valley at Okabe in Fujieda, sits Kiwadagawa Sabo Dam No. 5. It is one of the smaller structures in the group, its crest running 15 metres across and its wall rising 4.9 metres, with a stone apron and about 10 metres of bank protection on each side below. Compared with the broad dams lower down, this one reads as modest, a stone step set quietly into the streambed.
Its job is precise. Where the tall dams downstream catch and hold debris, Dam No. 5 works as a ground sill, fixing the level of the bed so the stream cannot cut down into it and undermine the slopes above. It steadies the channel itself. Built around 1912, it belongs to the upper part of a valley where the main effort went into hillside works, and where a chain of small stone structures kept the reshaped ground from slipping again.
The System Behind the Stones
Kiwadagawa Sabo Dam No. 5 was placed on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 2002 for its part in the historic landscape of the country. Behind the plain stone wall lies an early chapter of public works administration in Japan.
The valley became a designated sabo zone under the Home Ministry in 1911, the year after the great storm. Shizuoka Prefecture took charge of the works as the project body, drawing on a national subsidy to carry them out. This was erosion control organised as government policy, with the state, the prefecture, and the local ground all named in the plan. Dam No. 5, small as it is, is one piece of that administered landscape, built to a shared design and set in its place according to the survey of the whole valley rather than raised on its own.
What to Notice
The pleasure of Dam No. 5 lies in the details of its work. Step down to the stone apron below the wall and you can see how it was made: a paved bed of stone laid to take the fall of the water and stop it from scouring the ground at the foot of the dam. This apron, and the low banks that run beside it, show erosion control thought through as a system rather than a single wall.
The upper valley is quieter and shadier than the entrance. Cedar closes in overhead, and the stream narrows. Because Dam No. 5 sits close above Dam No. 4, the two can be seen on one short stretch of the path, a chance to compare how the builders varied each structure to suit its spot. Hydrangeas mark the early summer here as below, and the autumn colour arrives a little later under the deeper canopy.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kiwada River Erosion Control Dam No. 5
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Q&A
- How is Dam No. 5 different from the larger dams?
- It is smaller and works mainly as a ground sill, fixing the level of the streambed rather than holding back large volumes of debris. It steadies the channel in the upper valley.
- Who built and paid for it?
- The valley was made a designated sabo zone under the Home Ministry in 1911. Shizuoka Prefecture carried out the works as the project body, supported by a national subsidy.
- What is the stone apron for?
- The paved apron below the wall takes the fall of the overflowing water and prevents it from scouring away the ground at the base of the dam.
- Where exactly is it?
- In the upper part of the valley, about 75 metres upstream of Dam No. 4, along the streamside path in Tsuta no Hosomichi Park. Admission is free.
- Were the hillsides worked on as well?
- Yes. The project centred on hillside works to stabilise the slopes, with small dams like this one holding the reshaped ground and streambed in place.
Basic Information
| Name | Kiwadagawa Sabo Dam No. 5 (Kiwadagawa Sabō Gogō Entei) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kiwada, Okabe, Okabe-chō, Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registered 16 July 2002 |
| Built | Around 1912 (early Taishō era) |
| Structure | Dry-stone masonry check dam; crest length 15 m, height 4.9 m, with a stone apron and 10 m of bank protection on each downstream side |
| Owner | Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Access | Upper valley in Tsuta no Hosomichi Park, about 75 m above Dam No. 4; free admission |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties — Kiwadagawa Sabo Dam No. 5
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002768
- Fujieda City — List of Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.fujieda.shizuoka.jp/soshiki/sports_bunka/bunkazai/gyomu/1/1445916678885.html
- Tokaido Sunshu Japan Heritage — Tsuta no Hosomichi
- https://tokaido-sunshu.jp/cultural-property/2_92.html
Last verified: 2026.07.11