In recent years, "dam tours" have quietly become increasingly popular. Dam cards have become a hot topic, and more and more people are being overwhelmed by the grandeur of dams. There are many dams in Hokkaido that should not be missed! In this issue, we will introduce a selection of attractive dams in Hokkaido.

Toyohirakyo Dam is a famous sightseeing spot for its beautiful autumn foliage. The sheer rocky mountains surrounding the dam provide a spectacular view.

• Dam type: Arched concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 102.5m
• Length of embankment crest: 305.0m
• Total storage capacity: 47,100,000m3
• Dam Lake: Jozan Lake (one of the 100 dammed lakes)

The Sasaryu Dam is Japan's first buttress dam, characterized by its unique latticework of walls. Because of its historical value, it has been selected as a "Civil Engineering Heritage Recommended by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers.

• Dam type: Buttress dam
• Height of embankment: 25.3m
• Length of embankment crest: 199.4m
• Total storage capacity: 607,000m3
• Dam lake: Sasaryu Reservoir (one of the 100 dammed lakes)

Nukabira Dam is located in Daisetsuzan National Park and boasts the largest area and volume of water storage in Hokkaido. When the water level of Lake Nukabira, an artificial lake, drops, the fantastic arch bridge "Tausubetsu River Bridge" appears.

• Dam type: Gravity concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 76.0m
• Length of embankment crest: 293.0m
• Total storage capacity: 193,900,000m3
• Dam Lake: Lake Nukabira

More than 70 years after its construction, the Seidai Dam still retains much of its original appearance and is regarded as a model of postwar dam construction in Hokkaido. This dam is also designated as a Civil Engineering Heritage Site by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers.

• Dam type: Earth dam
• Height of embankment: 29.7 m
• Length of embankment crest: 485.4m
• Total storage capacity: 3,767,000m3
• Dam lake: Seidai Reservoir (one of the 100 dammed lakes)

Located in the Hidaka Mountains Erimo National Park, this dam was built with consideration for the preservation of the natural environment as a "people-friendly dam. The upper part of the dam embankment and the management office can be freely visited, and if reservations are made in advance, visitors can also tour the operation room, observation room, and the interior of the dam under the guidance of dam management branch office staff.

• Dam type: Gravity concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 114.0 m
• Length of embankment crest: 300.0m
• Total storage capacity: 54,000,000m3
• Dam Lake: Tokachi Ryutan Lake

The Kanayama Dam is the only one of its kind in Hokkaido, and one of only 13 dams in Japan. It is a hollow gravity concrete dam, with a large cavity inside the dam. It is an artificial lake blessed with a natural environment and boasts one of the largest total storage capacities in Japan.

• Dam type: Hollow gravity-type concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 57.3m
• Length of embankment crest: 288.5m
• Total storage capacity: 150,450,000m3
• Dam Lake: Lake Kanayama (one of the 100 dammed lakes)

Boasting the second largest water surface area in Japan, this is the largest multipurpose dam in Hokkaido and one of the largest in Japan. The "Sangen Bridge," submerged in the dam lake, is famous as a phantom bridge that appears only once every few years during the drought season.

• Dam type: Gravity concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 110.6m
• Length of embankment crest: 480.0m
• Total storage capacity: 427,000,000m3
• Dam Lake: Lake Shuparo

Taisetsu Dam is a multi-purpose dam built at the top of the main stream of the Ishikari River. Downstream is the scenic Sounkyo Gorge, which is also a popular tourist spot. Lake Taisetsu, the dam lake, is surrounded by virgin forest, and its vast scale and scenery are popular among anglers.

• Dam type: Central soil barrier type rockfill dam
• Height of embankment: 86.5m
• Length of embankment crest: 440.0m
• Total storage capacity: 66,000,000m3
• Dam Lake: Lake Taisetsu

Jozankei Dam is a multi-purpose dam that supports the lives of Sapporo citizens as the city's water reservoir. The downstream park directly below the dam is a great spot for a picnic with its scenic view and museum.

• Dam type: Gravity concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 117.0 m
• Length of embankment crest: 410.0m
• Total storage capacity: 82,300,000m3
• Dam Lake: Sapporo Lake

The collective name "Uryu Dam" refers to the dam complex on the Uryu River, which consists of two dams. More famous than the dam itself is the dammed lake as "Shumarinai-ko", the largest man-made lake in Japan, which has not yet been broken since its completion during the war in 1943.

• Dam type: Gravity concrete dam
• Height of embankment: 45.5m
• Length of embankment crest: 216.0m
• Total storage capacity: 224,653,000m3
• Dam Lake: Shumarinai Lake