Background

   In Bessho district in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, a series of masonry check dams built in the Edo period for erosion control, called sunadome, were found in the mountains by local residents. This is the largest series of sunadome in Japan in terms of scale and number.

Objectives

   To hand down this regional asset of sunadome to future generations, local residents have carried out maintenance activities and other efforts to repair collapsed sections of the masonry structures.

Overview

   To ensure that local residents’ preservation and maintenance efforts are sustainable, effective methods to repair and maintain the dams will be discussed. Meanwhile, suitable measures will be discussed for the local organization to improve its organizational management, and PR and awareness-raising activities.

Expected effects

   Through local residents’ activities, the following results can be expected: preservation of the natural environment, conservation of satoyama landscapes, improved local community ties, creation of new opportunities for interaction and living, and enhanced disaster-prevention awareness.