WAKKANAI, Hokkaido -- The combination of the sweeping colonnade and curved ceiling of the 427-meter-long breakwater in this north Japan city may remind people of an ancient Roman arcade.

       Repairs are seen underway on a heavily damaged concrete section of the Wakkanai Port North Breakwater Dome along the sea, in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. The work is slated to last until February 2022. (Mainichi/Taichi Kaizuka)

       I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the Wakkanai Port North Breakwater Dome when I visited. Construction of the giant structure began in 1931 and took five years to complete. It was built to keep waves and sea spray away from a road and a rail line leading to the berths for liners plying the route to the island of Karafuto -- now Russia's Sakhalin.

       Seventy columns are arranged at 6-meter intervals, and the half-arched structure is 13.6 meters high. A stone monument explaining its origin says, "This is commonly called a 'dome' because of the unique exterior reminiscent of an ancient Roman colonnaded corridor. It is the only such structure in the world." It was designed by civil engineer Minoru Tsuchiya, then 26. It was designated as a Hokkaido Heritage site in 2001 as a historic monument to the Karafuto seaway era.

       The site is frequented by tourists and film crews, but also by locals on early morning strolls.

       Ferries breaking the quiet with their whistles as they headed out to Rishiri and Rebun islands off Wakkanai reminded me again that I was in a port.

       (Japanese original by Taichi Kaizuka, Hokkaido Photo Group)

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       The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Sept. 5, 2021.

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       This series explores Japan's architectural wonders and secrets of yesteryear. Read more Retro Japan articles here.

       Arches topping the colonnade are seen from the outside of the Wakkanai Port North Breakwater Dome in Wakkanai, Hokkaido. (Mainichi/Taichi Kaizuka)

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