About the Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam (正法寺川北沢第七号石堰堤) 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 45 metres below the No. 6 dam. The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam is a dry-laid (Karazumi) gravity dam, 23 metres along the crest and 3.2 metres high, battered at 2 bu upstream and 3 bu downstream, with a stone-faced earth embankment at its right-bank end.
Why It Was Registered
The technical point the Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights is how the stones are graded. A dam takes more pressure from the sediment behind it the lower you go, so the builders changed the size of the stone between the upper and lower parts of the body, setting the biggest blocks where the load is heaviest.
Without mortar, a dry-laid wall depends entirely on the weight and fit of its stones, so matching stone size to load is exactly the kind of decision this method demands. The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce.
What to Look For
Run your eye up the face of the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam from the base and look for the point where the blocks get smaller. The lower courses are heavy; the upper ones lighter.
At 3.2 metres high the dam is easy to take in whole from the downstream bank, stone-faced embankment included.
Visiting the Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam
The Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 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. 6 dam is about 45 metres upstream and the No. 8 dam about 45 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. 7 Stone Dam
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- Where is the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 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. 6 dam.
- When and why was the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 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.
- Why do the stones of the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 Stone Dam change size?
- Because the lower part of a dam carries more sediment load than the upper part. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the builders used larger stones below and smaller ones above, a deliberate technical refinement.
- Can I see the Shohoji River Kitasawa No. 7 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. 7 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. 7 Stone Dam |
|---|---|
| Location | Shimo-Oginoto, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 06-0066 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/7/12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 dam |
| Dimensions | Crest length 23 metres, height 3.2 metres, with a stone-faced embankment |
| 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: 正法寺川北沢第七号石堰堤
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004857
- 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
