In Nakama, the history of water engineering, industrial heritage and routes through the city and countryside come together. Horikawa tells the story of canal construction, flood control and irrigation; the Onga River Pumping Station represents the water supply for the steel industry. A museum, themed trails and parks add archaeological finds, historic streetscapes and green spaces to this story. Depending on your interests, you can focus on historic waterworks, the city’s history or walks.
Horikawa and Industrial Water
The 12-kilometer-long Horikawa played a significant role in flood control, irrigation and water transport. Construction began in 1621 on the orders of Kuroda Nagamasa, the first Fukuoka daimyo. Work was halted two years later after Nagamasa’s death and resumed only 130 years later. The canal fully opened in 1762 with the completion of Nakama Karato, the water intake gate on the Onga River. The weir is designated a prefectural cultural property. Its mechanism uses narrow boards inserted into grooves to regulate the amount of water.
Another part of the history of water is the Onga River Pumping Station. It began operating in 1910, channeling industrial water from the Onga River to the Yawata Steel Works. Today, the pumping station is part of the World Heritage site Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel. The exterior can be viewed at any time. There is an information board and a specially designed bench on site; an electric pump that was used at the pumping station until a few years ago is on display nearby. Tours may be interrupted due to weather conditions.
City History at the Museum
The Nakama History and Folklore Museum is on the first floor of the Nakama Community Exchange Center. It features a permanent exhibition on the city’s history and hosts special exhibitions. The collection includes fossils from Nakama, finds from the Jōmon, Yayoi and Kofun periods, materials relating to Horikawa and the modern and contemporary coal industry, as well as objects from everyday life. Archaeological finds, industrial history and everyday culture are thus presented side by side, rather than narrowing the city’s history to a single period.
Walking Trails and Cycling
The Nakama Footpath has seven walking routes through a variety of landscapes. The Sokoino Course passes through rural areas close to nature, while the Dote-no-uchi Course leads to a World Heritage site. The Tsudōri Course was created by local high school students; the Machinaka Course runs through streets with historic townscapes. The course descriptions therefore offer different points of interest: the countryside, a World Heritage site as a destination, a route created by young people or historic streets. You can also rent bicycles at the Nakama Community Exchange Center to explore the cycling path along the Onga River, the World Heritage site and Nakama’s rural landscape.
Parks and Cultural Traces
A landscaped greenway park was created in 1989 on the site of the former Katsuki railway line. It features more than 30 replicas of famous stone figures from around the world, including a Moai and a Sphinx. Habu Park offers a different experience: it is Nakama’s largest urban park, distinguished by its abundance of nature and lush plants that change with the seasons. A red bridge over the pond leads to the grounds of Hanyu Shrine. The park is also home to Habu Rakan Hyakuana, a group of cave tombs from the late Kofun period designated a prefectural cultural property.
The Karato-no-Okusu camphor trees also carry a date passed down in connection with Horikawa’s history: one of the trees is believed to have been planted around 1762, approximately when the canal opened. This is an approximate estimate, not a confirmed planting year.
Discover more destinations: Kurate, Yame, Fukuoka, Dazaifu, Chikujo, Iizuka, Itoshima, Ukiha
For the overall travel guide: Fukuoka Prefecture.
