Arai-zeki ( a bank to weaken the current by digging down the riverbed like steps ) of the Ogure river was one of the most difficult work in the third section. This river was one of the currents that separated from the Nagara river near Oyabu Wanouchi Town Ampachi County at present and joined the Ibi river ( that is more than 2 meters lower than the Nagara river ) near Imao Hirata Town Kaizu County. Once the Nagara river rose, the water surged into the Ogure river whose water level was no less than 2-4 meters low and did great damade to the basin of the river. The Ogure river is an artificial river which villages in Takasu waju that had been troubled by flood of the Nagara river applied and made by themselves in 1619. So flood damage of the Nagara river was getting smaller, but next the basins of the Ogure river and the Ibi river got damaged. The bank consturuction of the Ogure river was added to a helped construction ( an Autumn construction ) keeping not being decided either to make a bank that completely close at a fork of the Nagara river ( the original plan ) or to make arai- zeki that just calm the water force down ( the plan changed ). In Feburary of the 5th year of the Horeki, this construcrion was decided to make the latter bank because it might cause floods if they closed the river. At 250 meters down the river from Kuichigai-zeki ( a bank ) at the Nagara river, they made arai-zeki about 180 meters long and 42 meters wide and covered its whole surface with the bamboo baskets filled with stones. This stone bank can dam the water up to 1 or 2 meters flood. If the river rises more than that, the water gets over the stone bank and flows out of it. It was planned that this stone bank made the water force down remarkably. But it became a very hard construction even to close the river temporarily, because of its deep bottom and rapid current at this point. It is said that they buried alive people under the ground or the bottom of the water as sacrifices for this difficult construction. After their pains and effort, this hard construction was finely finished on March 28th of the 5th year of the Horeki. This fine result became a rumor in that neighborhood. It was praised and called g Satsuma-zeki ( a bank ) hsince then. The Ogure river arai-zeki has been changed into a rice field between Fukuzuka waju and Takasu waju after the construction to separate the three rivers was finished. Two monuments|gOgure-gawa arai-zeki hihand gSatsuma-zeki isekihtalk about Satsuma Heroes' great works.
Ogaki Seinen Club e-mail address
scogaki@mb.gi.net.or.jp