National historical site of scenic beauty and natural monument
Stone-Piled Seawall of Yuri Coast
Date registered: September 11, 1997
The stone-piled seawall of Yuri Coast lies across from Tobi in Konoura to Serida in Nikaho. It was constructed in the Edo period (1603–1868) and fostered by the Honjo domain. Local people call the seawall “Mangoku Tsutsumi,” as the Honjo domain was then often called “Honjo Ni Mangoku” for its annual income of 20,000 koku.
The wall was constructed with the aim of breaking the wild waves and winds from the Sea of Japan and securing the coastline. It also prevented salt damage to crops and protected the Hokkoku highway. The details of the seawall can be seen on “Yuri Nanbu Kaiganzu (the map of Yuri south coast)” (Prefectural Designated Tangible Cultural Property), which is thought to have been drawn in the early nineteenth century.
The stone wall was constructed by piling up natural rocks. Large rocks with a diameter of around 30 to 50cm form the surface layer, and gravel and small stones of different sizes fill the inner part of the wall. A drainage system was introduced in order to keep the salt water away from the pure water used for agriculture.
The year of construction is not clear, but there exists a copy of a note requesting a renovation in 1782, which allows us to assume that the construction dates back to the eighteenth century or earlier.
In the history of coastline security and agricultural development, this stone-piled seawall offers a rare and significant civil engineering heritage.
by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
and Nikaho City’s Board of Education
