For many years, the picturesque Iwabuchi Floodgate, or Akasuimon (Red Sluice Gate), protected lowlands in the Kita section of Tokyo. The Iwabuchi Floodgate was designed in 1924 by Akira Aoyama, a Japanese architect who also worked on the Panama Canal, and remained in service until 1982. Newer gates were constructed directly behind the historic Iwabuchi Floodgate.
Automated "aqua-drive" motors power many of the watergates in flood-prone Japan. Water pressure creates a force that opens and closes the gates as needed. Aqua-drive motors don't use electricity, so they aren't affected by power failures that can occur during storms.
Learn more:
- Unlocking the secrets of Kita by Kit Nagamura, The Japan Times, May 5, 2006
- Iwabuchi: A proud town founded on ferries by Sumiko Enbutsu, The Japan Times, October 17, 2002
- Floodgates in Japan Photos
- New Water Gate Hoist Model Driven by Hydraulic Motors
