Civil Engineering Heritage
The Stonemasonry of Nakiri
In 2022, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers recognized it as a Civil Engineering Heritage Site.
Cape Daio is also known as a stonemasons' town and stone walls can be seen throughout it. The stonemasonry in Nakiri was built by local masons for fishing ports and settlements and has been recognized as valuable civil engineering heritage for its support in the development of the area.
・Date of Construction: About 1860 - 1930
・Selected as Civil Engineering Heritage in 2022
What is The Stonemasonry of Nakiri?
The History of
Nakiri Stonemasonry
The Nakiri district of Shima City, home to Cape Daio, is a hilly terrain with a lot of rock beds, making it easy to obtain stone. It is said that there were few flatlands in the hilly areas that could reach 20 to 50 meters in altitude so sweet potatoes were grown in the fields more than rice.
Sweet potato production began in the middle of the Edo period and as the fields expanded so too did the population. Sweet potatoes are a summer crop and because there is a lot of rain in the summer, something was needed to prevent the erosion of soil and fertilizer.
For this reason, permanent masonry was used to terrace the farmland and develop slopes. As the population increased, the foundations of houses were built as well as stone walls to protect them from the sea breeze. The scenery of the Nakiri area was made over a long time and not only the work of stonemasonry but people who are said to be semi-experts.
Development of the Nakiri Fishing Port
Construction work on the Nakiri Fishing Port began in December 1919 and required 220,000 man-days over the 9-year period until its completion in 1928.
Masons and many other local people were involved in the construction. At that time, a single stonemason required the help of four or five other people, so it is believed that many were able to learn the techniques while helping. According to the Town History of Daio, the improvements "became the driving force behind the complete demonstration of preserved techniques and training of numerous apprentices to become known as 'Nakiri stonemasons.'"
Sources: The Stonemasons of Nakiri: The Mason Town of the Shima Peninsula (by Toshihide Innami), Town History of Daio
Development of the Nakiri Stonemasonry Highlights
Examples of stonemasonry are found scattered all over the area, so please use this map below as a reference while enjoying a walk around. Click on the pickaxe marks (⛏) for explanations of each location. If you would like to learn more about the Civil Engineering Heritage Site, the Stonemasonry of Nakiri, please click below.
The Future of
the Stonemasonry
Much of the stonemasonry still exists as the foundations of private residences and farmlands as a part of the infrastructure supporting daily life. If left untouched for a long time, it will become unsafe. Moreover, because the Cape Daio area is a popular tourist destination with many visitors, a system to preserve the masonry is needed from the perspective of maintaining the landscape.
Much of the stonemasonry still exists as the foundations of private residences and farmlands as a part of the infrastructure supporting daily life. If left untouched for a long time, it will become unsafe. Moreover, because the Cape Daio area is a popular tourist destination with many visitors, a system to preserve the masonry is needed from the perspective of maintaining the landscape.
