Mannoike Pond

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Mannoikeirrigation reservoirKukaiyuru-nukiManno

Photo: Reggaeman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · original

Mannoike Pond looks different depending on the season, the weather, and the time of day — none of which a single photo can tell you.

Kagawa has almost no rivers and very little rain, and its answer for more than a thousand years has been reservoirs. Mannoike is the largest irrigation pond in Japan: about twenty kilometres around and holding 15.4 million tonnes. It was first built around 700, breached repeatedly, and was rebuilt in 821 under the direction of Kukai — the monk from this province who founded Shingon Buddhism — using an arched embankment that held.

It is still the water supply for a large part of the Sanuki plain. In mid-June the sluice is opened for the rice planting in a ceremony called yuru-nuki, which predates the Edo period and draws a crowd to watch the water go out. The rest of the year it is a large quiet lake ringed by hills with a forest park on one shore.

Before you go

Access hours

Open at all times

Closed: Open year-round

Entry fee

Free

Best time to visit

Mid-June for the sluice opening | April for cherry blossom | November for autumn colour

Time to allow

60–90 minutes

Access route

Getting there in detail

Kanno, Manno, Nakatado District. Car recommended; from Kotohira. Free to visit, with the surrounding roads and the Mannoike Forest Park open to walkers. The pond is about 20 km around and holds 15.4 million tonnes, the largest irrigation reservoir in Japan. The yuru-nuki sluice-opening ceremony is held in mid-June. The Sanuki Manno National Government Park adjoins it.

Local knowledge

**Mid-June for the yuru-nuki.** The sluice opening for the rice planting is a working agricultural event that predates the Edo period, and it draws a crowd. Dates are announced locally. **Kukai rebuilt it in 821.** The founder of Shingon Buddhism was from this province and was sent to fix the embankment after repeated failures. The arched design is attributed to him. **It is still in use.** This is not a scenic lake but the water supply for a large part of the plain. The level varies a great deal through the season. **Kagawa is short of water.** Fewest rivers, least rain. Understanding that is what makes a reservoir the prefecture's most important historic structure. **The national park adjoins it.** Sanuki Manno covers 350 hectares next door and charges separately, which makes the two a full day.

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