Masuda-ike Pond (益田池)
Masuda-ike Pond is a reservoir which once existed in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture but does not now exist. On the site of the pond, Kashihara New Town was constructed.
Summary
This very big pond was created as an irrigation reservoir in the early Heian period by stemming the flow of the Takatori-gawa River through the embankment. With the embankment extending approximately 200 meters from north of present-day Toriya-bashi Bridge to Torisaka-jinja Shrine and measuring almost 10 meters in height, the reservoir is estimated to have been able to store up to 1.4 to 1.8 million tons of water.
Bank of the Masuda-ike Pond
Part of the bank still remains in the Masudaike Children's Park. Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture preserves and exhibits wooden gutters which were excavated during renovation of the river bed and are designated as cultural property "Gutter Pipes for the Bank of Masuda-ike Pond"by Nara Prefecture.