About the Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam (正法寺川北沢第五号石堰堤) 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 stands about 45 metres below the No. 4 dam. At 40 metres along the crest and 4.6 metres high, the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam has the longest body among the registered Kitasawa dams built in 1922.
Why It Was Registered
It is a gravity section battered at 2 bu upstream and 3 bu downstream, laid dry (Karazumi) in level courses (Nunozumi). The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, as on the other dams, the shoulders of the spillway notch are built to a slope of 1 wari, one horizontal to one vertical, so that water sliding off the crest does not strike a square corner and prise stones loose.
The same entry adds that the site supervisor is said to have been Satō Sōichirō (佐藤總一郎), an assistant civil engineer in the prefectural service. The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. A named foreman is a reminder that these structures were set stone by stone by particular people.
What to Look For
At the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam, look for the diagonal lines at either side of the spillway notch, where the masonry steps down from the crest to the floor of the notch at forty-five degrees.
Forty metres of wall is a lot to take in from the bank. Stand a little way downstream, well back from the water, to see the whole of it.
Visiting the Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa 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 No. 4 dam is about 45 metres upstream and the No. 6 dam about 70 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. 5 Stone Dam
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam?
- It is on the Kitasawa ravine of the Shohoji River in Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. It lies about 45 metres below the No. 4 dam.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 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.
- Who built the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 5 Stone Dam?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the site supervisor is said to have been Satō Sōichirō, an assistant civil engineer of Yamagata Prefecture. The dam was part of the first phase of the Shohoji River erosion-control project.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Kitasawa 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 Kitasawa No. 5 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. 5 Stone Dam |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0064 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/7/12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 40 metres, height 4.6 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: 正法寺川北沢第五号石堰堤
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004855
- 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
