The 3rd Dam Web Ring Playboy Off-line Meeting - Goro's Stomach Exploration Tour (2004/11/22)

The off-site locations for this meeting are "1162-Ikawa Dam" and "1178-Nagashima Dam" in Shizuoka Prefecture. During and at the end of the tour, we were also able to cover "0000-Nagashima Sand Storage Dam," "1161-Okuizumi Dam," and "1153-Oigawa Dam.

It is thanks to the efforts of Mr. Yajaku of "Sparrow's Social Studies Tour Book" that our visit to the Igawa Dam was made possible. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Yajaku.

Date: 11/22/2004

View of the apt railroad from the platform of Nagashima Dam Station

The meeting place was the parking lot on the right bank of Nagashima Dam at 9:30 a.m. The day was Monday, November 22...a weekday, so I was worried about making it in time. As I was in a great hurry, I saw a "Giant" in front of me.will of a catDam masterI saw Mr. Abebe's car in the "A" section and immediately called him on his hands-free phone, expecting him to arrive at the meeting place 10 minutes before the meeting time. As it turned out, I almost made it just in time.

The last time we did our own research, we drove all the way, but this time we were informed that the Shizuoka City road Kanzo line (Honkawane-cho Chibikyo to Shizuoka City Igawa) was closed due to a landslide, so we decided to take the Southern Alps Apputo line from Nagashima Dam station to Igawa Dam in the Oigawa river.

On Rainbow Bridge

This year, we had to refrain from visiting dams and autumn leaves because of typhoons, earthquakes, and bear ruckus. I was also able to ride the Oigawa railroad, Minami-Alps Aputo-line, and enjoyed the scenery in the railroad windows which I usually can't enjoy in a car. It is good to travel by train, too.

Unfortunately, however, the seats do not offer a spectacular view, and we will have to suffer through this later on....

View of the old railway track

Over there are the ruins of the old railroad tracks. I am not a railroad enthusiast, but I am somewhat fond of such things. On the Aputo Line, you can see such abandoned railway tracks here and there.

Nagashima Reservoir...?

Oh, that's the Nagashima Reservoir, isn't it?

His wife knows him very well. I didn't realize the dam was so popular, even among housewives!

I was simply chatting with a friend. I was simply chatting with a friend.
I mean, I'd like you to change to that seat...
All right! I'll get my revenge on the return trip! I'll get my revenge on the return trip!

Incidentally, the Nagashima Reservoir was almost completely submerged, and only the top of the dam was visible.

The shadow and autumn leaves in the railroad in the valley and the railroad.

The railroad runs through the Tsuchibikyo gorge carrying the dream to Igawa. I have never seen such a high elevation railroad bridge.

View of the Ousumi Dam from the car window

Oh! It's the Ouizumi Dam!
The last time I visited the railroad alone, I could only take pictures from the dead end of the Chuden managed road above the railroad, but this time I succeeded in taking pictures even closer than that.

View of the Ousumi Dam from the car window

The camera will slow down at the best spots, but since it is a digital camera, it takes a long time to stand by when it notices the camera is running, making it quite difficult to take pictures.

And there is no time to adjust...
I had no choice but to take a quick shot at random....

View of Okuizumi Dam from the dam lake side...?

As we continued on our way, we heard an announcement, "After passing through the tunnel, you will be able to see the Ouizumi Dam from the back side! This was a great opportunity! I thought, "This is a great chance!" But when I tried to take a picture, I found what I was looking at.... But when I tried to take a picture of the dam, I found that it was hidden by trees, and I could not understand what was going on.

View of the embankment from the car window

Just before approaching to the last stop "Igawa station" of the Minami-Alps Apputo Line, you can see the magnificent view of the Igawa Dam from the window. I could hear a groan from the participants in the car.

By the way, you can take pictures with the windows open, but there were general visitors at the dam side windows, so I had no choice but to take pictures through the glass of the boarding gate. Therefore, the reflection is very strong....

View of the levee from the downstream side of the right bank

There was a souvenir shop and a cafeteria when I got off the station, but I decided to see them on my way back and headed directly to the embankment. Last time I drove to the embankment, but this time I walked from the station. This angle is also one that you would not notice if you were in a car.

Greetings

When we arrived at the embankment, the off-site participants briefly introduced themselves and were greeted by the dam manager.
Incidentally, from right to left are the head of the dam management office, the head office sales representative, and the Playboy editor. I guess they must have come from Nagoya if they are from the head office.... I should have greeted him properly. I heard that the neighboring management office was quite fearful because of the rumors that a person of high rank from the head office would be coming to the office.
After this, we watched a documentary film of the construction of the Igawa Dam at the exhibition hall. This was a bit of a disappointment for me, as I had expected to see a special edition of the film, since the general public could also see it.

Everyone is thrilled!

After learning about the basics of the Igawa Dam in the exhibition hall, we will finally go inside the hollow gravity dam. Visitors descend to the lowest level at once from the elevator installed at the top end.

Elevator shaft

This is an elevator shaft. This is not an elevator covered with concrete walls as seen in ordinary buildings. It is a bare steel frame. Inside the elevator, there is a window glass in some parts, so you can see the hollow from above. I tried to take a picture of it, but unfortunately I couldn't....

As one exits the elevator, a pale sodium lamp illuminates the area, creating something of a magical atmosphere.

Inside the Hollow

The interior is truly hollow. The space is quite large, so voices and sounds resonate and echo throughout the area. The ceiling is not flat, but rather triangular.

Inside the Hollow

It is indeed a very strange space. Despite the fact that it is so hollow, it maintains its strength. I don't know anything about physics or structural mechanics, but it is said that water pressure can be released into the cavity. It is truly a triumph of science (mystery)!

Inside the Hollow

The space looks like the set of a TV drama or something. But this is inside the dam embankment. You almost forget that you are inside the dam.

Everyone being briefed in the Hollow.

The management office staff explained the situation to me, but I was no longer able to hear them.

Inside the Hollow

This is Block 12.
The atmosphere is so extraordinary that it could be used for a movie or something....

Corridor between each block

The space between the blocks is a passageway, a feature not found in other gravity-type structures.

Inside the Hollow

There is an occasional "cacophonous" sound echoing at the back of the block. This sound is caused by a mechanism that spits out a certain amount of leaking water, a "shishio-doshi" so to speak.

Inside the Hollow

This is the 11th block.
Someone said. Someone said, "This is a chapel. Another says, "This is a chapel. This is a temple. Both words fit this hollow. If you were brought here blindfolded, no one would realize that you were inside the dam's embankment.

hydraulic iron pipe

As you walk through each block, you will hear a tremendous "go" sound. This sound is the sound of water flowing through the water hydraulic pipes. The hydraulic pipes are shown in the photo on the left. The diameter of the pipes is larger than the height of the visitors, and it is truly a sight to behold.

Touching the iron pipe ...

Moreover, it is possible to touch this steel pipe. If you were to come here for an interview, you would never be able to touch a steel pipe. Water is working in these pipes. I was filled with emotion when I thought of that. By the way, this person is not me.

Inside the Hollow

I think this was an elevator used for material delivery....
Intensely hazy memory...
And it's violently shaky....

Question in front of hydraulic iron pipe

Everyone listens intently.

View of the levee from just below the levee (left bank side)

The group exits from the block where the hydraulic pipe is located. I never thought I would be looking up at the Igawa Dam from below, but it is a really good angle. Of all the angles of the dam, I like the angle from just below the embankment the best.

hydraulic pipe nameplate

This is a nameplate that tells the specifications of the hydraulic iron pipe. The old font used on the nameplate is very tasteful.

Giant hydraulic iron pipe worm #1?

It is like a giant worm. That doesn't mean it's a monster or a virus. It's one of ours (and that's not quite right either...). You can see how huge it is by comparing it with the person in the picture below.

View of the exhibition hall from just below the dike

Looking up, you realize that the exhibition hall is that high up.
It is as if they are watching over us.

The group climbs the stairs leading to the suspension bridge

Now, after having had a taste of the area directly below the embankment, we will cross the suspension bridge directly below and move to the right bank.
According to the manager, the right bank was not supposed to be open to the public, and the plan was to come to the halfway point of the suspension bridge and come back, but this was not conveyed properly and they crossed over to the right bank. The person in charge of the suspension bridge said that the plan was to come to the middle of the bridge and come back, but he did not convey the plan properly and crossed to the right bank. This incident raised my personal liking level of Chuden by about 5 (mystery).

suspension bridge

There seemed to be a weight limit on the suspension bridge, so I let about 5 people go ahead of me and then I crossed it. It was the first time in my life to cross a suspension bridge. Maybe... (sweat)

Suspension bridge and embankment

After crossing the suspension bridge, an angle was waiting for us that we would never have been able to experience if we had just come to this dam as an ordinary visitor.

Power Plant Entrance

Oh, yes. The power plant is located directly below the dike. Also, since it is directly under the dike, there is a guard door to prevent water from flowing into the power plant due to the crest discharge. The gray thing on the right side of the photo is such a door, and it seems to slide to the left.

Cross section of dam

After the tour just below, we returned to the inside of the dike. Inside the dike, there were several explanatory signs that seemed to have been made with the general public in mind.

The inner workings of the Igawa Dam

Number of blocks: 18; number of gravity-type blocks: 5; block shape: I-shape; concrete savings: approx. 30%; temperature in hollow: 8 (winter) to 15 (summer) °C; first hollow gravity dam in Japan (completed S32.9)

Current temperature in the dike is 8°C

It was definitely pointing to 8 degrees Celsius, although it was late fall outside and not winter.

Elevator in the dike

This is the elevator lift entrance in the dike. It is an old-style elevator, and the inside is quite small. But the elevator gives a sense of history. It would be great if the doors were manual!

Question and answer time

After going out to the top edge, we went to the back of the administration office for a question and answer time. Everyone was asking difficult questions, and I was having a hard time digesting them.... What I learned was that the prefectural road leading from Igawa to Hatanagi was originally a road for Chuden's management when it was first built, and was transferred to the prefecture in the late 1965s. I could not help but be impressed by this.

View of the suspension bridge just below the embankment from the right bank road

After the Q&A time, we greeted each other and finished our tour at the Igawa Dam. After that, we had a little late lunch. While moving to the cafeteria, we looked again from the right bank road directly under the embankment, and were a bit surprised to think that we had crossed that suspension bridge.

Dam with grandchildren

This is the Southern Alps Aputo-line in the way back to Oigawa. I was so eager to take a decisive chance this time, but there were so many tourists in the autumn foliage season that I ended up sitting on the seat on the mountain side.... Therefore, I couldn't aim at the Ouizumi Dam from the back...onz
But I kind of like this shot. The guests sitting in the river-side seats were grandparents and grandchildren on a short trip, and it is a really heartwarming scene.
I bet he will be a dam maniac too (lie).

leaves changing color (colour)

The mountains were completely covered with autumn leaves.
However...

Look. There's Kazushige Nagashima.

Again, the Nagashima Reservoir was not clearly captured. This was taken through a window.
Look. There's the Nagashima Reservoir."
It is not clear whether they are saying that they are.

Kazushige Nagashima

Upstream of this is Shigeo Nagashima.

Coupling with Abt locomotive

Now, we arrived at the Nagashima Dam station. I saw something valuable there. It is a coupling scene. But I am not a railroad enthusiast.

Model of gate section

Now, the group enters the Nagashima Dam Administration Office. The last time we visited Nagashima Dam, we were not able to go inside because it is closed on Sundays and holidays. This is because the building is closed on Sundays and holidays, but today is a weekday, so we were able to go inside.
The day of the week was also good, and it was probably thanks to Mr. Nagano that we were allowed to visit the inside of the levee.

Explanation from the management office

The dam manager gave us a brief explanation of the Nagashima Dam. He seemed to know in advance that we were not ordinary tourists, so he would guide us on a course for experts. We are very much looking forward to it.

full-size gate

I did not notice it at all, but what I saw displayed on the wall was a full-scale model of the gate.
Hmm? There's some kind of orb in the picture! It appears to have brought in a spirit from the temple at the Igawa Dam (lie: probably dust from the lens).

Inside the control room

The center of Nagashima Dam.

It is equipped with the latest facilities and is said to be fully equipped. Of all the dams managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Nagashima Dam is the only one that is monitored 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Today there is no one indoors and the atmosphere is quiet, but if it rains, it will surely turn into a battlefield.

Visitors from the observation deck

When I walked out from the walkway where I could see the control room, I found myself on the roof of the surveillance ship's warehouse next to the control room, which was a little observation deck.
This is probably the only spot where the levee can be viewed from above.

antenna

The last time I visited, I saw the antenna only from a distance, but in this way it is a large antenna. The pillars supporting the antenna itself were assimilated into the design and well integrated.

View of the embankment (dam lake side) from the observation deck

This is what the embankment looks like viewed from the observation deck.
This angle was also not possible during the previous interview.

corridor connecting an annex to a pond-side building (in traditional palatial-style architecture)

After that, we will move to the inside of the dike. The elevator is located inside the control center, and the smooth transition from the control center to the dike gives the impression of a well-planned route.
What looks like shelves are communication cables, etc., which are like lifelines connecting the control room to various parts of the dike.

Staircase in audit corridor

Further stairs lead to the basement.
I could not actually go down the stairs, but you can see that there is a fall prevention fence in the middle of the stairs. It seems that even in case of a fall, it is designed to stop halfway, but I am worried about whether it will really stop. Even if it does stop, it will not be unscathed....

Nagashima Dam Corridor Guide Map

Surprisingly, you will find that they are not at the bottom of the dike.

corridor connecting an annex to a pond-side building (in traditional palatial-style architecture)

It is a long audit corridor. And it is new and clean.

gate nameplate

Nagashima Dam Main discharge facility

Type: Sliding high pressure radial gate
Number of gates: 6
Net diameter interval x door height: 5.00m x 6.40m
Opening/closing speed: 0.3 m/min (average perpendicular to the bottom of the discharge pipe)
Door weight: 150t/portal
Completion date: March 1997 (gates 1, 3, 5), March 1998 (gates 2, 3, 6)
Production Companies: Ishibari/Kawasaki Specific Construction Joint Venture, Hitachi/Kurimoto Specific Construction Joint Venture

Gate top

Hydraulic cylinder located at the top of the gate.
It is very huge.

Radial gate top

It looks like a Gundam (or perhaps a Nagashima Dam...) or some kind of battleship catapult.
White ship, Nagashima Dam.
Shigeo, let's go!"
But since it is red, is it a gate for Shah? If so... (Enough said).

They do not have to take any measures against pigeons. Whatever it is, there are no pigeons in this area.

Gate hoist

Gate winder in gate hoisting room.
This guy is also very huge.

crest gate

One of the two crest gates. Incidentally, this is in the area pictured above. This is a place where normal coverage would not be possible.

View directly below the levee from the aerial viewing corridor

This is located just downstream of the crest gate and is like an aerial corridor.
So you can see the nadir.

Gate hoisting chamber

On the wall of the hoist, there was a manual showing the gate operation procedure. At a glance, it looked like something even I could do, but I guess I wouldn't be able to operate it.

Gate hoisting chamber

It is really a large space. It could be used as a shelter.
Even in the event of a major earthquake, this place will be absolutely safe.

Entrance to the skyline from the audit corridor

This is the end of the tour inside the dike.
When I went outside, I was like, "Oh, I'm out here.
When you are in the dike, you don't know where the heck you are in the dike.

Participants listening to the explanation at the top

Finally, the visit to Nagashima Dam is over.
Since it is the last time, everyone is listening intently to the explanation of the management office staff.

Oigawa Dam

After breaking up at Nagashima Dam, those who wish to go will move on to Oigawa Dam.
Since it was long past dusk, I thought it would be too dark to take pictures, but to my surprise, it was lit up and I was able to take night pictures. However, it was lit up and I could take pictures of the night view.
Here is an unexpected event! I happened to meet a certain driver who sometimes posted an oyster on the bulletin board of Mr. Miyajima's site "DAM MANIA" at the Oigawa Dam when he came to deliver the Daily Report on Dam Management. I couldn't help but feel a sense of fate.

summary

This concludes the "3rd Dam Web Ring Playboy Off-line Meeting. When we arrived home and had dinner at a service area, I sent a text message to Mr. Miyajima on his cell phone. He immediately called me to see what was going on and said, "Two cars in front of us are on fire"! He said that a truck vehicle caught fire near the Fujikawa Interchange.
It was a very enjoyable and fulfilling off-line meeting, despite the many things that happened. There are still too many episodes to write about here, but for the sake of this page, I will skip them and keep them to myself.
I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Miyajima, Mr. Nagano, Mr. Yajaku, Shueisha's Playboy, Chubu Electric Power Company's Igawa Dam Management Office, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Nagashima Dam Management Office for their efforts in this off-site meeting. Thank you very much.

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