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 the Otonashiiro irrigation canal to three locations.
Water continuously flows from 20 "water windows" in a 6.4-meter diameter cylinder, feeding into three separate channels. It effectively resolved local water disputes and, although converted to concrete in 1984, maintains its original structural integrity.
The plaque commemorating the aqueduct bears the poignant inscription: "Water is the soul of farmers." The Wakamiyairo Sasamuta Aqueduct, with its two arches covered with ivy, is another sight to behold. Overlooking the iron bridge of the Hohi Main Line, the aqueduct bridge spans 59 meters (194 ft) in length and 4 meters (13 ft) in width, carrying water from the Wakamiyairo aqueduct.
The bridge was completed in 1916 but collapsed shortly thereafter. It was promptly rebuilt the following year. The modernization of local agriculture has led to increased crop yields, made possible through the tireless service of numerous water management facilities in .
Today, these facilities continue to uphold the enduring wisdom and perseverance of earlier generations. ( ) Author: , Hidden Wonders | A Fortress-Like Construction Site Revealed in Gunma Hidden Wonders | Moominvalley Park's Umbrella Display Brightens Rainy Days Emperor Naruhito Returns to the Thames of His Graduate Studies Hidden Wonders | Paying Tribute to Time at a Clock Festival Hidden Wonders | Return of the Zombie Train on the Watarase Keikoku Railway Ekiben, a Disappearing Culture You must be logged in to post a comment You must be to post a comment..
