Floating island as ecological flood alleviation

ABSTRACT

This paper is concerned with a floating island as ecological flood alleviation. Contrary to the flood alleviation scheme proposed by Ministry of Construction, Japan in 1971, Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine was preserved in the oval-shaped bank by the persevering resistance by citizens, scholars, head and staffs of the shrine, and many others, and the riparian work was finally completed on 19 November 2017. The final countermeasure has succeeded to harmonize the flood alleviation of Kakehashi-basin with the preservation of Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine. The riparian work has been welcomed by the majority of citizens in Komatsu-city as well as people concerned with such as staffs in the Ministry of Construction, Ishikawa prefecture, and Komatsu-city. On the basis of Inyogogyo principle, it is realized that Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine lies at an immovable point in the straight line connecting Komatsu-castle and Kanazawa-castle. In the final countermeasure, the primary vision due to Ministry of Construction, which is the satisfactory riparian work for the flood alleviation scheme (100-year design flood) has been integrated into the existing carriers, viz. historical Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine, fauna and flora, and immovable shrine position based on Inyogogyo principle. It is suggested that in the original planning and design of the Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine in seventeenth century there had been a tiny germination of the modern concept of sustainable development.

KEYWORDS:

• Food alleviation
• ecology
• oval-shaped bank
• cultural property
• Inyogogyo principle
• riparian work
• fauna and flora
• Landsenseology

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the head and staffs of the Komatsu-Tenmangu-shrine and Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport and Tourism, Japan for valuable documents and information on this study and for their permanent support.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.