The , or , is a high variable-radius arch dam on the Kurobe River in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The tallest dam in Japan,

History

left|thumb|Concrete bucket used during construction

In 1951, the Kansai Electric Power Company was formed to provide electric power for the Kansai region of Japan. Shortly after their formation, the area suffered from drought, which caused power rationing. The drought, along with the rapid growth of post–World War II Japan, pushed the company to increase their generating capacity. After a series of geological and hydrological studies of the Kurobe River and Gorge, it was announced in late 1955 that the Kurobe Dam would be constructed.

In July 1956, construction on the dam began. Kansai decided to construct the Kanden Tunnel under Mount Akazawa that could efficiently bring supplies from Ōmachi eastward towards the construction site. The tunnel's construction proved an arduous task, as a large fracture zone in the rock was encountered, which took seven months to repair. In September 1959, the first concrete for the dam was placed and by October next year, the reservoir had begun to fill. The dam's spillway is on its crest and contains 10 wide uncontrolled openings with a maximum discharge capacity of . Three other openings exist in the dam's orifice, which consist of diameter pipes, two of which can discharge a maximum of each and the third . The dam's crest elevation is above sea level, while the reservoir's normal operating level is and low level is considered .

The dam's power station, Kurobe No. 4, is located underground and contains four generators which are powered by Pelton turbines for a total installed capacity of 335 MW and average annual generation of 1 billion kWh. The power station is wide, high, and long. The penstock serving water to the power station is long and utilizes a maximum effective hydraulic head of while transferring a maximum of to the turbines. The plant's surge chamber is long and high. Various accommodations are available in Murodo area as well as near Tateyama Station, for those too tired to make the trip back down into Toyama City.

The novel The Sun of Kurobe (黒部の太陽; Kurobe no Taiyō) dramatizes the construction of the dam. It was adapted into the 1968 film The Sands of Kurobe, which focuses on the perils that the construction of the dam and Kanden Tunnel entailed and other circumstances that took a high toll on human life.