About the Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam (正法寺川南沢第五号石堰堤) is a stone erosion-control dam built in 1926 on the Minamisawa, the southern ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
It stands in the upper reaches of the Minamisawa, the uppermost of the eight registered dams there. The Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam is 15 metres along the crest and 3.0 metres high, a mortared gravity dam laid in the diagonal Tanizumi pattern and battered at 2 bu on both faces.
Why It Was Registered
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the dam belongs to the second phase of the Shohoji River works, which the prefecture carried out on the Minamisawa after finishing the Kitasawa. It marks where that phase began.
It is a small dam whose job is to ease the gradient of the streambed. Like the mortared dams on the Kitasawa it uses diagonal coursing, with both faces set to the same 2-bu batter. The Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country.
What to Look For
At the Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam, compare the flat bed of sediment trapped upstream with the drop on the downstream side; the difference shows how much a single dam flattens the ravine.
With equal slopes on both faces, the profile seen from the side is close to a trapezoid, unlike the steeper upstream face of the dry-stone dams on the Kitasawa.
Visiting the Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 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 Minamisawa No. 6 dam is 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 Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam?
- It is on the Minamisawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. It stands in the upper reaches of the Minamisawa, the uppermost of the registered dams on that ravine.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam built?
- It was built in 1926 as part of the second phase of the Shohoji River erosion-control project, which Yamagata Prefecture undertook after the flood of 1913 to stop sediment washing downstream.
- How does the Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam differ from the Kitasawa dams?
- It is a mortared tanizumi dam from the second phase of works, battered equally at 2 bu on both faces. The first-phase dams on the upper Kitasawa are dry-laid in level courses, with a different stone pattern and cross-section.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 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 Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 10 November 2005 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country.
Basic Information
| Name | Shohoji River Minamisawa No. 5 Stone Dam |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0079 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/11/10 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 15 metres, height 3.0 metres |
| 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: 正法寺川南沢第五号石堰堤
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004888
- 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
