A Taisho-Era Hydro Waterway
The Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet (鹿留発電所うそぶき水路吐口部) is a stone waterway structure at Asahi, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, completed in 1918 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 5, 1997. It is the outlet of a waterway that carries water from Lake Kawaguchi to the Miyagawa river for power generation at the Shishidome Power Station downstream (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a stone structure 72.8 metres long with a stone tunnel portal; registration number 19-0020, owned at registration by the Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Using Lake Kawaguchi for Power
The Usobuki waterway carries water from an intake on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi through the hills for power generation. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that the intake, the Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Intake, was begun in 1916 and completed and first carried water in 1918; it was also registered in 1997.
According to Kawaguchiko.net, the waterway also helps regulate the level of Lake Kawaguchi, which has no natural outflowing river.
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet was registered as a structure that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, like the intake, its masonry shows the character of its period, and that over the years it has blended into the surrounding landscape.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a stone tunnel portal set halfway up a slope, from which the water runs down the hillside in an open channel. Water emerging from the hill and flowing down the stone channel preserves the look of a Taisho-era hydroelectric work.
Visiting
The Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet is a working power-company waterway in Asahi 5-chome, Fujiyoshida City. No public opening information has been confirmed, so do not enter the site, and follow any notices from the operator if viewing from nearby.
Q&A
- When was the Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet built?
- It was completed in 1918 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is it for?
- It is the outlet of a waterway carrying water from Lake Kawaguchi to the Miyagawa river for the Shishidome Power Station (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it built?
- A stone tunnel portal halfway up a slope, with an open channel running down the hill, 72.8 metres long (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the intake also a cultural property?
- Yes, the Usobuki Waterway Intake was also registered in 1997 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet registered?
- On November 5, 1997.
Basic Information
| Name | Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet (鹿留発電所うそぶき水路吐口部) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-2457-1, 5-2462-1, 5-4636-1 Asahi, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/11/05 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, 72.8 metres long, with stone tunnel portal |
| Owner | Tokyo Electric Power Company (at registration) |
| Public Access | No public opening information |
References
- Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Outlet (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000346
- Shishidome Power Station Usobuki Waterway Intake (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000289
- Usobuki Waterway Intake (Kawaguchiko.net)
- https://kawaguchiko.net/cultural-assets/usobuki-suiro/
Last verified: 2026.10.11