About the Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam (正法寺川北沢第十二号石堰堤) is a stone erosion-control dam built in 1923 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 stands about 190 metres below the No. 10 dam. The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam is a mortared gravity dam laid in the diagonal Tanizumi pattern, 29 metres along the crest and 3.0 metres high, battered at 2 bu on both faces, with a stone-faced embankment on its right bank. There is no No. 11 among the registered Kitasawa dams; the numbering jumps from 10 to 12.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the No. 12 dam as one of the early mortared (nerizumi) erosion-control dams built in Japan. Above it, down to No. 10, the dams are dry-laid in level courses; from here downstream they switch to diagonal coursing with mortar packed into the joints. The change of method happened within the same ravine and the same year of work.
The Agency also notes that the spillway notches are made wider from this dam downward. A wall bonded into one mass can take a broader sheet of overflow. The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country, a different criterion from the dry-stone dams upstream.
What to Look For
At the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam, compare the stonework with the dry dams above. Here the blocks are set corner-down on the diagonal, the joints crossing in a lattice and filled with mortar.
Look at the notch as well. It is wider than those upstream, and the band of water crossing it is broader.
Visiting the Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 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. 10 dam is about 190 metres upstream and the No. 13 dam about 160 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. 12 Stone Dam
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam?
- It is on the Kitasawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. It lies about 190 metres below the No. 10 dam.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam built?
- It was built in 1923 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 No. 12 Stone Dam differ from the dry-stone dams upstream?
- It is mortared: the stones are laid diagonally in the tanizumi pattern with mortar in the joints, binding the wall into a single mass. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it one of the early mortared erosion-control dams built in Japan.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 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. 12 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 contributes to the historic landscape of the country.
Basic Information
| Name | Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 12 Stone Dam |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0070 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/7/12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 29 metres, height 3.0 metres, with a stone-faced embankment and an apron |
| 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: 正法寺川北沢第十二号石堰堤
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004861
- 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
