Play & Study at Huge Dam in Okinawa “Taiho Dam Festival”

Taiho Dam is located at the upstream of Shioya Bay in Ogimi Village in the north of mainland Okinawa.   The height is 77.5m, the crest length is 363.3m, and the reservoir capacity is 20050 thousand ton.  Taiho Dam is the second largest dam in Okinawa.

Being more than 80 km away from Naha, Taiho Dam is a multi-purpose dam used also for drinking water supply for the south of mainland Okinawa including Naha.

On July 5, “The 5^th Taiho Dam Festival” was held.
On the dam lake (Bunagaya Lake), visitors enjoyed a kayak ride or observed the small waterfall and the nest of wild bird, noguchigera (Okinawan woodpecker), which is natural treasure on the pleasure boat tour.

Children were all excited and fully enjoyed water sliders by “Let’s learn playing in the river! Experience flash flood.”

When getting tired from playing with the boat, I could have Japanese soba (buckwheat noodle), which is a specialty product from Ogimi Village at just 500 yen.  Using freshly-harvested soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat flour, it has a good flavor and body.

After lunch, I participated in “Study tour through the inside of the dam,” which is a typical program for a dam festival.
It was a rare chance that I could observe the inside of the dam.
We went down many steps into the bottom of the dam.
How cool it was in the underground passage, a cool haven from the heat and humidity outside!

Inside the dam, as many as 75 uplift pressure gauges are installed to measure water pressure on the bottom surface of the dam body.  In the plumbline room, there are measuring systems useful for a rapid change in water level and earthquake occurrence, etc..  It turned out to be a very interesting study tour from children to adults.

In addition, the experience corner provided us with activities you can get close to nature in Yanbaru (the north of mainland Okinawa) such as yachimun (Okinawan word meaning pottery) making, wood and craft class, shell lamp making for 500 yen or higher. 

In the evening, a related event “The 4^th Shirahama Night Candle” was held mainly in Shirahama Community, Shioya Bay in downstream of Taiho Dam.

Many candles were lit around the outer perimeter and the surface of Shioya Bay. On the special stage of Shirahama Community, performances of eisa (Okinawan traditional folk dance), hula, sanshin (Okinawan three-stringed music instrument) as well as local folk music contest, “The 1^st Shioyabashi Jouwa Singing Contest” were held.  Visitors could enjoy a fantastic night near water.

Ogimi Village offers you experience programs which you can participate any time of the year.  You can try “Canoe Ride on Bunagaya Lake & Trekking along Taiho Fresh Stream” for 6,600 yen per person (for 3 hours).

For more details, please inquire at Incorporated Non-Profit Organization or Planning and Tourism Department, Ogimi Village.

* Planning and Tourism Department, Ogimi Village  
TEL: 0980-44-3007

* Incorporated Non-Profit Organization
TEL: 0980-44-1960
http://www.ogimi-tourism.com/

Okinawa CLIP Photo Writer  KUWA