Taketa City in Oita Prefecture is known for its historic water management facilities that play a vital role in agriculture, including the beautiful Hakusui Dam. Published on By Hakusui Dam graces the verdant mountains of Taketa City, Oita Prefecture. It is often called Japan's most beautiful dam.
Cascading waters create scale-like ripples, their rush echoing through lush greenery. Officially named the "Hakusui Reservoir Weir Water Management Facility," it was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1999. Beyond its beauty, the dam plays a vital role in supplying crucial water for agriculture to fields and rice paddies.
Taketa City boasts numerous historic water management facilities, such as reservoirs and circular aqueducts, showcasing ancestral wisdom in infrastructure. Built in 1938 to alleviate agricultural water shortages, Hakusui Dam features a unique design with a smooth, curved right bank and a stepped left bank, engineered to disperse water pressure in delicate geological conditions. Nearly 90 years later, its water retention capacity and elegant curve stand as a testament to past engineering prowess.
According to Shigehiro Okabe, the district office director overseeing the dam, "It is said that the curve was constructed using stacked tuff stone that was excavated during the construction of the left bank." Another notable water management facility is the Otonashiiro Circular Diversion No 12. Constructed in 1934, the structure distributes water from t.