Mitaki Dam

Overview

Mitaki Dam is a buttress dam in the Ashizu Valley of Chizu, Tottori Prefecture, standing at an elevation of 729 m. It is 23.8 m high and 82.5 m long, and is used for power production, supplying water to downstream power stations. It is known as the last buttress dam ever built in Japan.

Highlights

• ●A power-generating buttress dam, 23.8 m high and 82.5 m long
• ●Set in the Ashizu Valley at an elevation of 729 m
• ●Notable as the last buttress dam constructed in Japan
• ●Selected as a Civil Engineering Heritage site by the JSCE

History

Completed in 1937 (some sources give 1936) as a dam for power production, it has supplied water to downstream power stations. Buttress dams, which use relatively little concrete and were considered economical, were built from the Taisho into the early Showa era, but rising formwork-labor costs eventually made them uneconomical. Mitaki was the last such dam to be built, and its rarity earned it recognition as a Civil Engineering Heritage site.

Map

35.2714, 134.3331 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head into the Ashizu Valley and take in the natural surroundings
2. 2View the dam body and observe the features of its buttress structure
3. 3Read the on-site interpretation about its heritage significance
4. 4Enjoy the reservoir and the surrounding forest scenery

Did you know?

💡 The dam's reservoir has been selected as one of Japan's notable water-source forests.

Nearby spots