Nakama: Water Engineering, City History and Parks

In Nakama, water engineering, industrial history and green urban spaces come together. The Horikawa and the Onga River Pumping Station bring the area’s former use of water to life; a museum, parks and seven different walking routes offer further perspectives on its history and landscape.

Water Engineering and Industrial History

The Onga River Pumping Station began operating in 1910 to carry industrial water from the Onga River to the Yawata Steel Works. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel. The exterior of the pumping station can be viewed at any time. There is an information board and a specially designed bench on site; nearby, an electric pump that was used at the station until a few years ago is on display. Tours may be interrupted due to weather conditions.

The 12-kilometer Horikawa was opened in 1762 and served flood control, irrigation and water transport. Construction had begun as early as 1621, by order of Kuroda Nagamasa, the first daimyo of Fukuoka. Two years later, after Nagamasa’s death, work was suspended; it resumed only 130 years later. The canal was fully opened in 1762, with the completion of Nakama Karato, the water intake gate on the Onga River. At the weir, the water flow is regulated by inserting narrow boards into the grooves. Designated a Prefectural Cultural Property, Nakama Karato demonstrates water engineering through a specific structure.

Museum, Urban Greenery and Cultural Heritage

The Nakama History and Folklore Museum is located on the first floor of the Nakama Community Exchange Center. Its permanent exhibition covers the city’s history, alongside special exhibitions. The collection includes fossils from Nakama, finds from the Jōmon, Yayoi and Kofun periods, materials on the Horikawa and the modern and contemporary coal industry, as well as objects related to local folklore. The museum brings natural history, early settlement history, water engineering and industry together in one place.

Habu Park is the largest city park in Nakama. It is known for its abundant nature and lush plants, which change with the seasons. A red bridge over a 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 connect the area to the history of the canal: one of the trees is believed to have been planted around 1762, when the Horikawa opened.

Another green space with an unusual touch is the Greenway Park, created in 1989 on the site of the former Japanese National Railways Katsuki Line. More than 30 replicas of famous stone figures from around the world stand there, including a Moai and a Sphinx. The park thus connects the site’s former use with a collection of figures usually associated with places far apart.

Routes and Different Themes

The Nakama Footpath consists of seven walking routes through different landscapes. The Sokoino Course passes through rural areas rich in nature, while the Dote-no-uchi Course leads to a World Heritage Site. The Tsudōri Course was created by local high school students, and the Machinaka Course passes through streets with a historic townscape. The routes therefore offer a range of themes: rural scenery, World Heritage, local initiative or historic streets. When choosing a route, you can focus on the subject that interests you most during your trip.

At the Nakama Community Exchange Center, visitors can rent bicycles to explore the cycling path along the Onga River, the World Heritage Site and Nakama’s rural landscape. While the walking routes are described by their individual names and themes, bike rentals offer another way to experience these urban surroundings. Together with the pumping station, the Horikawa, the collections and the parks, they provide a varied picture of the city’s history and landscape.

Discover more destinations: Chikushino, Kurume, Kitakyushu, Itoshima, Munakata, Yukuhashi, Fukuoka, Dazaifu

For the regional travel overview: Fukuoka Prefecture.