Nestled within Ōido Park in western Tokyo, this impressive maimaizu-ido ("snail well") is the largest preserved example of an ingenious medieval engineering technique. Spanning roughly 33 meters across and descending seven meters deep, its unique spiral ramp allowed ancient travelers along busy trade routes to safely reach the water table through collapse-prone loam soil. Today, visitors can marvel at this prefecture-designated historic landmark and explore the serene surrounding park, which also features a fountain modeled after the ancient well.
- Historic Sites
- Architecture & Engineering
- Unique Landmarks
- Parks
- Archaeology
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