A Stone-Faced Dam Seen from the Irohazaka
The Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam (方等上流砂防堰堤) is a sediment-control dam of 1952 in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a concrete gravity dam 53 metres long and 30 metres high, with an auxiliary dam; registration number 09-0067.
Holding Back the Debris of Mount Nantai
The Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam is a mortared-masonry gravity dam built in the Fukasawa gully, a left-bank tributary of the Daiya River, which rises on Mount Nantai (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Its body, 30 metres high, holds back the sediment carried down the gullies that radiate across the slopes of Mount Nantai (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape: its fine stone facing and the water shining among the restored greenery enrich the view down from the Irohazaka road.
What to Look For
Look down from the Irohazaka road at the finely laid stone and the falling water (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is a sediment-control structure of the national government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), and no official information on access to the dam was found. The Agency notes that it can be seen from the Irohazaka road.
Q&A
- When was the Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam built?
- In 1952 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How high is it?
- 30 metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is it for?
- Holding back sediment from the slopes of Mount Nantai.
- Where can it be seen from?
- From the Irohazaka road above.
- When was the Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam registered?
- On January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam (方等上流砂防堰堤) |
|---|---|
| Location | Futarasan area, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Concrete gravity dam, 53 m long, 30 m high, with auxiliary dam |
| Owner | National Government (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
| Public Access | Visible from the Irohazaka road |
References
- Hoto Upstream Sabo Dam (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003062
Last verified: 2026.10.18