A Study on Landscape along an Agricultural Canal Located at the Base of a Hill

A Case Study of Goudo-yosui Canal, Higashimatsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture

Abstract

Goudo-yosui was the agricultural canal into which river water was led by a weir of traditional form and structure. Because it was obviously readable on the map that the channel traced the base of the hill, it was expected that the way of water conveyance in conformity with the topography emerged as landscape along the side of the canal. The result showed that both the channel running at the base of the hill and the farmlands of the lower side were viewed and such way of water conveyance emerged as the sequences of the scenes viewed while walking. However, the sequential landscape was not homogeneous but it changed into 3 stages. In the first stage, the river water was led into the canal along the base of the hill, and the water running through the canal was sent to the farmlands in the next stage. In the last stage, the water was drained to the channel from the farmlands on the both sides.