About the Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne
The Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne (正法寺川北沢下流鉄線蛇籠水制工) is a set of wire-gabion groynes built in 1925 on the Kitasawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
A groyne is a structure set into a river to turn the current or slow it. The Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne lies below the Kitasawa No. 16 dam, with 9 units set roughly at right angles to the flow. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database records it as 1 site, built of stone in 9 units.
Why It Was Registered
The groynes use Kawasaki-type iron wire gabions: baskets woven in a hexagonal mesh and packed with stones. According to the Agency, the gabions are stacked two tiers high, with more gabions draped densely over the top at roughly even intervals.
The Agency rates the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne as the sturdiest form of kurakake (saddle-hung) groyne among the flexible gabion groynes. It follows the same form as the Kitasawa Iron Wire Gabion Groyne upstream (1924), but with the saddle gabions set closer together. The Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design.
What to Look For
At the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne, pick out the two stacked tiers and the gabions saddled across them. How tightly the saddles are packed is what distinguishes this set.
With 9 units across the stream, watch how the water turns between them to see what the groynes are doing.
Visiting the Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne
The Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne is an open-air river structure with no admission fee or opening hours. The layout of the gabions is easiest to read from the bank above; do not climb on the groynes or handle the wire mesh. The Kitasawa No. 16 dam stands upstream.
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 Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne?
- It is on the Kitasawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. It lies below the Kitasawa No. 16 dam.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne installed?
- It was installed in 1925 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.
- How does the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne differ from the Kitasawa Iron Wire Gabion Groyne?
- Both are saddle-hung groynes of Kawasaki-type gabions stacked two high with more draped over the top. The Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne (1925, 9 units) packs its saddle gabions more densely, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the sturdiest form of the type. The upstream set dates from 1924 and has 7 units.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne up close?
- It is an open-air river structure with no admission fee or opening hours, and can be viewed from the bank. The layout of the gabions is easiest to read from the bank above; do not climb on the groynes or handle the wire mesh.
- When did the Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 10 November 2005 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), as a structure that serves as a model of design.
Basic Information
| Name | Shohoji River Kitasawa Downstream Iron Wire Gabion Groyne |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0087 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/11/10 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 site (9 units) |
| Dimensions | 9 saddle-hung groynes (Kawasaki-type iron wire gabions) |
| 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: 正法寺川北沢下流鉄線蛇籠水制工
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004904
- 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
