About the Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam (正法寺川北沢第二号石堰堤) is a stone erosion-control dam built in 1922 on the Kitasawa branch of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
It sits about 30 metres below the No. 1-Ko dam. At 16 metres along the crest and only 1.8 metres high, the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam is one of the lower dams on the Kitasawa, and stone revetments line both banks beside it.
Why It Was Registered
The detail that matters here is the crest. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the No. 2 dam, though dry-laid (Karazumi), was given a wider crest than its neighbours so that it could stand up to the load of sediment arriving from the Tanukisawa, a tributary that joins from the right. The engineers kept the dam low and made its top thick.
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The profile is a gravity section battered at 2 bu upstream and 3 bu downstream, built without mortar. Adjusting the section to suit a confluence shows the kind of site-by-site judgement the Taisho-era engineers exercised.
What to Look For
At the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam, compare the thickness of the crest with the dams upstream. The body is only 1.8 metres high, yet the top is noticeably broad.
The revetments deserve a look too. At a confluence, water and gravel swirl and eat at the banks; here dam and walls work together to hold the ground. The relationship is easiest to see from just downstream.
Three more Taisho stone dams stand in the Tanukisawa to the right, and the mouth of that ravine is visible from near the confluence.
Visiting the Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam is an open-air river structure with no admission fee or opening hours. The face of the dam is best seen from the downstream bank; do not walk along the crest or climb down into the stream when the water is up. The No. 1-Ko dam is about 30 metres upstream and the No. 3 dam about 50 metres downstream.
Directions to the valley and safety notes are on the page for the Shohoji River Erosion Control Facilities.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam?
- It is on the Kitasawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. It lies about 30 metres below the No. 1-Ko dam, near the point where the Tanukisawa ravine joins from the right.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam built?
- It was built in 1922 as part of the first phase of the Shohoji River erosion-control project, which Yamagata Prefecture undertook after the flood of 1913 to stop sediment washing downstream.
- Why is the crest of the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam so wide?
- To resist the sediment load coming in from the Tanukisawa tributary, which joins just here. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the dam, although dry-laid, was given a wider crest than the others for extra strength.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam up close?
- It is an open-air river structure with no admission fee or opening hours, and can be viewed from the bank. The face of the dam is best seen from the downstream bank; do not walk along the crest or climb down into the stream when the water is up.
- When did the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 12 July 2005 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce.
Basic Information
| Name | Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 2 Stone Dam |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0061 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/7/12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 16 metres, height 1.8 metres, with bank revetments |
| Owner | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Public Access | Open-air river structure; no admission fee or set hours |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 正法寺川北沢第二号石堰堤
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004852
- Yamagata Prefecture: Shohoji River Erosion-Control Facilities, Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/documents/4123/syohozigawa.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
