is a
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
built on the
Kiso River
The is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005) ...
system, located in the Higashino section of
Ena City
300px, Ena City Hall
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,777, and a population density of 96.7 persons per km², in 19,820 households. The total area of the city was .
Geography
Ena is located in the ...
, in
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
History
The
Agi River
The is a river in Japan which flows through Gifu Prefecture. It is part of the Kiso River system.
Geography
The river originates from Mount Yaki on the border of Nakatsugawa and Ena and flows west. It flows through the Akigawa Dam and the ...
connects with the
Kiso River
The is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005) ...
just below
Ōi Dam
The is a dam located between the cities of Ena and Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was built to produce electricity for the surrounding area. The Agi River flows through the dam.
Built in 1924, the Ōi Dam was the first dam built any ...
, running through a basin with a fairly large 2,000 mm of annual rainfall, and has long been used by
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
's
Tōnō
is the southeastern portion of Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. The Tōnō region received its name as a combination of the ''kanji'' for "east" (東) and "Mino" (美濃). The borders of this region are not officially set, but it ge ...
region (which includes the cities of
Ena, Gifu, Ena and
Nakutsugawa) for tap water and industrial-use water. However, in times of heavy rainfall, Agigawa River would quickly overflow, flooding the surrounding area. The river flows through Ena City, making levee construction difficult; the
Chūō Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central.
Naming
Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Nag ...
and the
Central Japan Railway Company
is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...
's
Chūō Main Line
The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It connects Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faste ...
also cross the river, which led to increased demand for safe flood control measures.
Demand for tap water for
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
and the
Chūkyō Metropolitan Area
, or the , is a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya (the "Chūkyō", i.e., the "capital in the middle") in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urbanized part of the Tōkai region. The population of 9,5 ...
's postwar population boom, as well as industrial-use water for the
Tōkai
Tōkai ( 東海, literally ''East Sea'') in Japanese may refer to:
* Tōkai region, a subregion of Chūbu
* Tōkai, Ibaraki, a village, also known as "Tokaimura" (Tokai-village)
* Tōkai, Aichi, a city
* Tōkai University, a private university in T ...
and
Chūkyō Industrial Area
The is another name for the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area and the surrounding prefectures, which have strong economic links to it. This industrial region includes the Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures.
One of the dominant companies of the region ...
s also rose. Attempts to meet water demand for
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
came up short, with the
Makio Dam
Makio Dam ( ja, 牧尾ダム) is a dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irriga ...
on the
Ōtaki River
The Ōtaki River is in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It originates in the Tararua Range and flows for , heading southwest through a valley in the Tararua Ranges. It turns northwest in the area of Ōtaki Forks, where it is joined ...
alone proving insufficient. Water was also in short supply in Gifu Prefecture's Tōnō region, centering on
Tajimi City, sometimes escalating to drought. Existing water rights and hydroelectricity-use water rights were given priority, precluding the possibility of siphoning off water from the middle of the river, and forcing the creation of multiple small reservoirs.
With these problems in mind, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (now the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries may refer to:
* Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Cambodia)
* Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
* Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Niue)
* Depar ...
) unveiled its plan to construct Agigawa Dam to—among other things—secure new water rights for irrigation of Gifu Prefecture's Tōnō region. In 1967, the project was passed along to the
Ministry of Construction's Regional Developmental Bureau (now the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Chūbu Regional Developmental Bureau, and in 1969 the construction plans for a special multi-purpose dam were drafted. The Kisogawa had already been marked for water resource development following the Water Resources Development Promotion Act in 1966, but in March 1973 the "Kisogawa River Water System Development Plan " was partially amended, and the project was inherited by the Water Resources Development Public Corporation (now the (Incorporated Administrative) Japan Water Agency).
With this, the construction of the multi-purpose Agigawa Dam continued, with the goal of leveraging both flood prevention and better water usage.
Purpose
Agigawa Dam was initially slated for completion in 1985, but ran into opposition from 30 households in Ena City's Higashino area and Nakatsugawa City (including the former Iwamura village) that were to be submerged as part of the dam's creation. The dam is located near the main part of Ena City, and residents also opposed it on grounds that it would've disrupted the area's excellent transportation; negotiations stalled. In response, the dam was designated as subject to the Act on Special Measures for Up-stream Area Development, enacted in 1973. This raised the amount of funding for compensating households affected by the dam's construction, as well as funding used for developing local infrastructure related to reservoir area development, which helped move negotiations forward, culminating in the start of construction on the main dam. After 21 years, the dam was completed in 1990.
Agigawa Dam is a central rock-filled impermeable embankment-type dam, with an original height of 100.0 meters that was later extended to 102.0 meters but sank to 101.5 meters. The dam site is curved, and resembles an arch when viewed from the air.
One of its purposes is flood control across the Agigawa and Kisogawa systems' central and lower sections. Along with
Maruyama Dam
The is a dam on the border of Mitake and Yaotsu in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was built on the upper reaches of the Kiso River system. It is a gravity dam that is tall. It was built after World War II as part of a large, nationwide dam buildin ...
(on the Kisogawa) and a cluster of other multi-purpose dams on the Kisogawa river system, the standardized design flood discharge level at Mount Inuyama was lowered from 16,000 tons per second by 3,500 tons to 12,500 tons per second. Another purpose is for unspecified water utilization, which Agigawa Dam provides for by maintaining the proper flow and ecosystem of the Kisogawa, thus securing customary water usage rights for farmlands in the area.
Agigawa Dam along with Makio Dam and
Misogawa Dam
Misogawa Dam ( ja, 味噌川ダム) is a dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as ...
provide a source of water to Aichi Prefecture, including tap water for the
Owari region, the
Chita Peninsula
Chita Peninsula (知多半島 ''Chita Hantō'') is a peninsula to the south of Aichi Prefecture, central Honshū, Japan. It runs approximately north-south. To the west is Ise Bay, while to the east it encloses Mikawa Bay. It faces the Atsumi ...
, Nagoya, and Gifu Prefecture's Tōnō region, as well as tap and industrial water to cities of Tajimi, Toki, Mizunami, Ena, and Nakatsugawa.
The dam's presence is felt in times of drought, as in 1994's drought when water to the Chita Peninsula was cut off for 19 hours on one day.
Recreation
The artificial lake created by Agigawa Dam is called ''Agigawa-ko''. On the right bank of the dam there is a small museum, restaurant, park, and other facilities, providing a recreational spot for the people of Ena. Summertime fireworks and water fountains that preserve water quality on the lake can also be enjoyed. A concert was held on the lake bottom before it was filled during initial impoundment. In 2005, Agigawa Dam was named as one of the Water Resources Environment Engineering Center's "Selected 100 Dam Lakes" upon recommendation by the city of Ena, along with Ōi Dam (on the Kisogawa).
The same area features a number of other attractions such as
Ena Gorge
is a river valley located at the mid reaches of the Kiso River, which runs through the cities of Ena and Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Ena Gorge was so named by Shiga Shigetaka, a geographer of that time who praised the harmony of the m ...
,
Iwamura Castle
270px, Edo period layout
was located in the southeastern area of Mino Province in Japan. Its ruins can be found in the modern-day municipal subdivision of Iwamura, in Ena, Gifu Prefecture. Along with Takatori Castle in Nara and Bitchu-Matsuyama ...
(made famous in the tale of the "Castle Mistress"), Japan Taishō Village (a theme park), the cities of
Toki and
Mizunami
Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_ Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_">Nakasendō.html"_;"title="Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō">Hosokute-juku_on_the_Nakasendō_
_is_a_Cities_of_Japan">city_located_in_ ...
, which are well known for the production of Mino ceramic ware and
Oribe ware
Oribe ware (also known as 織部焼 Oribe-yaki) is a style of Japanese pottery that first appeared in the sixteenth century. It is a type of Japanese stoneware recognized by its freely-applied glaze as well as its dramatic visual departure from t ...
;
Magome-juku
was the forty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō connecting Edo with Kyoto in Edo period Japan. It is located in former Mino Province in what is now part of the city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was also the last ...
and
Tsumago-juku
was the forty-second of the sixty-nine post towns on the Nakasendō. It is located in Nagiso, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been restored to its appearance as an Edo-era post town and is now a popular tourist destination.
Hi ...
, two stations on the
Nakasendō
The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 6 ...
, a road that connected
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
and
Edo;
Meiji Mura
is an open-air architectural museum/theme park in Inuyama, near Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, Japan. It was opened on March 18, 1965. The museum preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji (1867–1912), Taishō (1912–1926), and early Sh ...
, and
Inuyama Castle
is a ''yamajiro''-style Japanese castle located in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The castle overlooks the Kiso River, which serves as the border between Aichi and Gifu Prefectures. The ''tenshu'' of Inuyama Castle, one of only 12 ...
. Many visitors travel to the area as a tourist destination.
To reach the dam, take the
Chūō Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central.
Naming
Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Nag ...
from the Ena Interchange, and after Route 19, transfer to Route 257 from the Masaie intersection, heading straight toward Iwamura until you arrive at the dam. If traveling via public transportation, take the Chūō Main Line to
Ena Station
is a railway station in the city of Ena, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and by the third-sector railway operator Akechi Railway.
Lines
Ena Station is served by the Chūō Main Line, and is loca ...
, and then transfer to the Tōnō Railways bus going toward Tōnō Station, riding for about 15 to 20 minutes and getting off the bus at "Higashino Koujima".
Notes
References
Damnet (Japanese)*『日本の多目的ダム』1980年版:建設省河川局監修・全国河川総合開発促進期成同盟会編。山海堂 1980年
*『ダム便覧 2006』:日本ダム協会。2006年
External links
*
{{Selected 100 Dam Lakes of Japan
Dams in Gifu Prefecture
Dams completed in 1990
Ena, Gifu