Fujinuma Dam

Overview

Fujinuma Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam built for irrigation in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. It stands on the Sunoko River, a tributary of the Ebana River within the Abukuma River system. The reservoir's official name is Fujinuma Reservoir, though it is also commonly called Fujinuma-ko (Lake Fujinuma) after the natural park on its shore.

Highlights

• ●An earth-fill dam on the Sunoko River, part of the Abukuma River system
• ●A long construction history: begun in 1937, completed in 1949 after wartime delays
• ●Built as an agricultural irrigation reservoir
• ●The dam's 2011 failure and subsequent repair

History

Construction began in 1937 but was halted due to World War II, and the dam was not completed until 1949. Built primarily for agricultural irrigation, it suffered a catastrophic failure on March 11, 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The dam has since been repaired and returned to service.

Map

37.3019, 140.1947 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Learn about the dam's construction history on site
2. 2View the reservoir, known as Fujinuma-ko, and its lakeside natural park
3. 3Reflect on the 2011 breach and the restoration that followed
4. 4Take in the reservoir's present-day role supporting local irrigation before heading back into Sukagawa city

Did you know?

💡 The 2011 breach of Fujinuma Dam, triggered by the Tohoku earthquake, is one of relatively few dam failure incidents recorded in Japan. The dam has since been repaired and continues to serve its irrigation function.

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