Aso Tateno Dam
| Aso Tateno Dam | |
|---|---|
The dam during construction in 2022 | |
Aso Tateno Dam Location of Aso Tateno Dam in Kumamoto Prefecture Aso Tateno Dam Aso Tateno Dam (Kyushu) Aso Tateno Dam Aso Tateno Dam (Japan) | |
| Official name | Aso Tateno Damu (阿蘇立野ダム) |
| Location | Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan |
| Coordinates | 32°52′30″N 130°58′25″E / 32.87500°N 130.97361°E |
| Construction began | 1983 |
| Opening date | April 2024 |
| Construction cost | ¥127 billion (US$1.16 billion) |
| Built by | Kyushu Regional Development Bureau |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 83 m (272 ft) |
| Length | 197 m (646 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 10.1×106 m3 (357,000,000 ft3) |
| Catchment area | 383 km2 (148 sq mi)[1] |
| Surface area | 36 ha (89 acres)[1] |
Aso Tateno Dam (Japanese: 阿蘇立野ダム, Hepburn: Aso Tateno Damu), formerly Tateno Dam (Japanese: 立野ダム, Hepburn: Tateno Damu), is a dry dam located in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, in Japan. The dam is used for flood control. The dam started construction in 1983, but was only completed and opened in April 2024.
Overview
Aso Tateno Dam is a dry dam located in Minamiaso, Kumamoto. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) upstream from Kumamoto City. It is built on the Shirakawa River and is used as a flood control measure for the river, which is well known for causing severe floods in the past, such as the 1953 Northern Kyushu flood. The dam is about 83 metres (272 ft) high and about 197 metres (646 ft) long. The dam also features a 40 metres (130 ft) elevator that goes down inside the dam. The dam has three spillways about 5 square metres (54 sq ft) in area. It has a total storage capacity of 10.1 million cubic metres (357,000,000 ft3).[2][3]
The dam's construction began in 1983 by the Kyushu Regional Development Bureau, and was named "Tateno Dam". During construction, it was damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. After 41 years, the dam was completed in 2024. It was unveiled on February 17, 2024, and was also renamed to Aso Tateno Dam, and began operation in April 2024. The total construction cost was approximately ¥127 billion (US$1.16 billion).[3][4][5][6]
Observation deck
Minamiaso, Kumamoto built an observation deck in the former construction site of the dam. The observation deck cost ¥314 million (US$2.86 million) and was compeleted in 2025. It is a 390 square metres (4,200 sq ft) single-story wooden building from which visitors can view the dam's embankment and the surrounding Kumamoto Plain. The observation deck was given the name "Tatetto" (タテット, Tatetto) as it is a combination of the word "Tateno" and "Tetto", meaning "roof" in Italian. The observation desk is set to open to the public in April 2026.[7]
See also
- List of dams in Japan
- Minamiaso Railway
- Mount Aso – Volcano in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
- Aso Caldera – Caldera in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
References
- ^ a b "Tateno Dam - Dams in Japan". Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ ""Denchū ni tsukamari tasukatta" katsute hanran shita "Shirakawa" no ima damu kensetsu ni teibō seibi genzai no kōzui risuku wa?" 「電柱に掴まり助かった」かつて氾濫した『白川』の今 ダム建設に堤防整備 現在の洪水リスクは？ ["I was saved by grabbing onto a utility pole" - The current state of the once flooded Shirakawa River - Dam construction and levee construction - What is the current flood risk?]. TBS News (in Japanese). June 18, 2025. pp. 1–2. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Kido, Yasuhide (February 21, 2024). "Tateno damu aratame "Aso tateno damu" ga kansei 4 tsuki kara ippan kaihō" 立野ダム改め「阿蘇立野ダム」が完成 4月から一般開放 [Tateno Dam, renamed "Aso Tateno Dam," is completed and will be open to the public from April]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ Sugiura, Nami; Kido, Yasuhide (February 10, 2023). "Kumamoto tateno damu "saiten-ryū" Shirakawa no nagare, damu tōrinuke" 熊本・立野ダム「再転流」 白川の流れ、ダム通り抜け [Kumamoto's Tateno Dam "re-diverted": Shirakawa River flows through the dam]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ Kido, Yasuhide (February 5, 2024). "Matatonai keshiki… shikentansui de mansui no tateno damu nigiwau" またとない景色…試験湛水で満水の立野ダムにぎわう [A unique sight... Tateno Dam is full of people as it undergoes test impoundment]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 1, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ "Aso tateno damu kansei-shiki jigyō chakushu kara 41-nen" 阿蘇立野ダム完成式 事業着手から41年 [Aso Tateno Dam Completion Ceremony 41 Years Since Construction Started]. TBS News (in Japanese). February 17, 2024. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- ^ "Aso tateno damu chikaku ni tenbō shisetsu "tatetto" kansei… Kumamoto ken minamiasomura, kankō no kyūkeisho ya jiogaidotsuā kyoten ni" 阿蘇立野ダム近くに展望施設「タテット」完成…熊本県南阿蘇村、観光の休憩所やジオガイドツアー拠点に ["Tattet" observation facility completed near Aso Tateno Dam in Minamiaso Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, to serve as a tourist rest area and geo-guided tour base]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). May 3, 2025. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
External links
- Media related to Tateno Dam at Wikimedia Commons