Brick vaults under a lawn
The Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir is a brick-built covered reservoir of 1906 on the east side of the Takao plant in Kasugacho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 16, 1998. It holds water that has been filtered and chlorinated before it is sent out to homes across the city.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as brick, 45.5 metres long, 34.9 metres wide and 5.0 metres high. Its description explains that it consists of two basins, each about 1,600 square metres in area and about 5 metres deep: the pair of distribution basins built in the original works, still in service.
Why it was registered
The Agency's note singles out the Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir as a large Meiji-era brick structure of real technical interest. Its database lists the registration criterion as contribution to the historic landscape of the country; a Water and Sewerage Bureau annual report gives the criterion instead as being difficult to reproduce. This article follows the Agency's database.
The engineering lies in the roof. Each basin is divided into twelve bays, each bay is covered with a brick arch, and the whole is buried under soil. The city describes it as a large brick structure built up one brick at a time.
What to look for
From outside the Takao distribution reservoir hardly looks like a building. Its top is covered in grass and reads as a gently raised lawn. The city explains that the turf keeps the water at a steady temperature, a practical detail for a store of drinking water.
The structure shows itself only on the north side, where, the Agency notes, a brick wall about one metre high is exposed. From that low wall, try to picture the twenty-four vaulted bays beneath the grass.
This is the last step at the plant. Water received at the receiving well passes through the sand of the No. 4 filter bed and the regulating well, gathers here, and then leaves for the city's taps.
Visiting the distribution reservoir
The Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir holds drinking water, and its interior cannot be entered. Visits to the Takao plant require advance application to the Shimonoseki City Water and Sewerage Bureau.
On an arranged visit, go round to the north side to see the exposed brickwork. The lawn is the reservoir's roof, so stay off it unless staff direct otherwise. Ask about photography when you apply.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamaguchi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir
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Q&A
- Can visitors see the Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir?
- Yes, by advance application to the Shimonoseki City Water and Sewerage Bureau. The basins themselves cannot be entered.
- What is the Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir for?
- It stores water that has been treated and chlorinated, ready to be sent out to the city.
- How large is the Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 45.5 metres long, 34.9 metres wide and 5.0 metres high. It has two basins, each about 1,600 square metres and about 5 metres deep.
- Why is the Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir covered in grass?
- According to the city, the turf keeps the water temperature stable. Beneath it, each basin is divided into twelve bays roofed with brick arches and covered with soil.
- When was the Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir built and registered?
- It was built in 1906 with the original waterworks and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 16, 1998.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimonoseki City Waterworks Bureau Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir |
|---|---|
| Location | 8-1 Kasugacho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered January 16, 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Brick; length 45.5 m; width 34.9 m; height 5.0 m |
| Owner | Shimonoseki City |
| Public Access | Visits by advance application (interior closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000485
- Cultural Heritage Online: Takao Water Purification Plant Distribution Reservoir (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/147095
- Shimonoseki City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of the Waterworks (Japanese)
- https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/site/water/5626.html
- Shimonoseki Water and Sewerage Bureau: Annual Report, Public Relations and Registered Properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/15622.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.27
