Heisei Ozeki Dam

Overview

Heisei Ozeki is a barrage weir on the Yamakuni River, a Class-A river, built about four kilometers upstream from its mouth and straddling Koge in Fukuoka Prefecture and Nakatsu in Oita Prefecture. As its name suggests, it was so called because it was the first weir directly administered by the (then) Ministry of Construction to be completed in the Heisei era. Though modest at about 3.15 meters high, it plays a key role in flood control and water supply, and together with the border-crossing Yamakuni River it shapes a broad, tranquil riverside landscape.

Highlights

• ●A name derived from being the first directly administered weir completed in the Heisei era
• ●Riverside scenery shaped by the Yamakuni River along the Fukuoka-Oita border
• ●The rarity of a roughly 3.15-meter weir treated as a specified multipurpose dam
• ●Its role as a river facility for flood control and water supply

History

Work on Heisei Ozeki began in 1983, and it was built in phases for flood control and water supply, reaching full completion in 1991. It was originally to be named the Nakatsu Weir, but because it was the first weir directly administered by the Ministry of Construction to be completed in the Heisei era, it was named Heisei Ozeki. Although it is a weir, it was constructed under the Specified Multipurpose Dam Act and is legally treated as a specified multipurpose dam managed centrally by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, making it a somewhat unusual structure.

Map

33.5833, 131.1722 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Take in the weir and riverside scenery about four kilometers upstream from the Yamakuni River mouth
2. 2Reflect on the origin of the name Heisei Ozeki
3. 3Stroll with an eye on its location straddling the Fukuoka-Oita prefectural border
4. 4Combine your visit with historic sites and local specialties in central Nakatsu

Did you know?

💡 The name Heisei Ozeki comes from its being the first weir directly administered by the Ministry of Construction to be completed after the start of the Heisei era, a distinctive choice that honors an era rather than a place. Though it looks like a low weir of about 3.15 meters, it is legally managed by the state as a specified multipurpose dam, an intriguing structure poised between weir and dam. It is a riverside spot unique to the Yamakuni River flowing along the Fukuoka-Oita border.

Nearby spots