Intake of the Meiji-yousui Irrigation Canal is located at the Yahagi River which is down flowed in centre of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The beneficiary paddy field area of 4,740ha covers 8 cities (i.e. Anjo, Okazaki, Toyota, Chiryu, Kariya, Takahama, Hekinan and Nishio). Most of the beneficiary area is on a diluvial plateau on the right bank of the Yahagi River.
Before the construction of the Meiji-yousui Canal, this land was called “Anjo-ga-hara” where a vast barren plateau spread out. It was located higher than the Yahagi River flow and water resources were very limited. It was difficult to develop paddy fields, therefore, was remained as forest and wilderness for a long time. More than half of the limited narrow paddy field along small branches of the river depended on small ponds/reservoirs. Due to the insufficient water, water disputes among farmers often occurred.
The construction of the canal was planned by a farmer Mr. Tsuzuki about 200 years ago at the end of the Edo era. Although the project was approved by the Shogunate Government, the project once collapsed triggered by the death of Mr. Tsuzuki. His plan was inherited by the local facilitators, Messrs. Okamoto and Iyoda, and the construction work started in 1879 under instruction of the Prefectural Government, and 52km of the 4 main canals were completed in March the next year. Since 160km of the secondary canals and 140 diversion structures were constructed afterwards, the sterile plateau was changed into a more than 8,000ha paddy field. Many of irrigation canals in Japan are named after their locations, but this canal had the name of Meiji era, which represents the opening of modern era in 1868. Afterward, during the period from 1910 to 1940, this area was called “Japan Denmark”, which meant the agricultural level was as high as Denmark, the world’s most advanced agricultural country in those days. It appeared in textbooks as a Japanese model farm village and became Japan~s most famous village where study tours from all over the country often visit.
In 2006, the Meiji-yousui Irrigation Canal was chosen as one of the “Top 100 Irrigation Canals in Japan” which includes typical irrigation canals supporting agriculture in Japan. In the west Mikawa area around Anjo City, it is widely adopted as a subject of teaching in primary schools. In addition, the educational paddy field for children named | 21 paddy fields as Station of Water:| opened.
The “Environmental Study Facility of Water| built by the Meiji-yousui Irrigation Canal Land Improvement District has many visitors of local people in the area. The Meiji-yousui Irrigation Canal is the base of the education about water, agriculture, food and environment.