The Takinoyu-segi and Ohkawara-segi Irrigation System is an agricultural canal system excavated in response to the petition of a head member of Tazawa Village, Yosen Sakamoto to the Takashima Provincial Government over 200 years ago. The system continues to be properly maintained, managed and used as irrigation canals even now.
Yosen Sakamoto (1736-1809) devised an innovative irrigation system at the time, called a “kurikoshi (pass-on)” irrigation system. In 1775, he started frequenting the provincial government to persistently petition for development of such a system.
A “kurikoshi” irrigation system connects several rivers flowing east and west with canals that send overflow from the fuller rivers in the north to those in the south with water shortages. This was a revolutionary strategy at the time for irrigating farms.
Takinoyu-segi and Ohkawara-segi Irrigation System draw water from the Takinoyu-gawa River which begins in Mt. Tateshina. Takinoyu-segi and Ohkawara-segi Irrigation System were completed in 1785 and 1792 respectively. In addition to agricultural use, the irrigation system offers water for fire-fighting, household use and environmental use.