# Hydroelectricity in Japan

Hydroelectricity is the second most important renewable energy source after solar energy in Japan with an installed capacity of 50.0 gigawatt (GW) as of 2019. According to the International Hydropower Association Japan was the world's sixth largest producer of hydroelectricity in 2020. Most of Japanese hydroelectric power plants are pumped-storage plants. Conventional hydropower plants account for about 20 GW out of the total installed capacity as of 2007.
Conventional hydropower potential of Japan is considered to be almost fully developed, with little opportunity for further capacity increase. In recent years, almost exclusively pumped storage plants were commissioned, significantly increasing the ratio of pumped storage capacity over conventional hydro. The large capacity of pumped storage hydropower was built to store energy from nuclear power plants, which until the Fukushima disaster constituted a large part of Japan electricity generation. As of 2015, Japan is the country with the highest capacity of pumped-storage hydroelectricity in the world, with 26 GW of power installed. After the 2011 nuclear power shutdowns, pumped-storage plants have been increasingly used to balance the variable generation of renewable energy sources such as solar, which have been growing rapidly in recent years.
As of September 2011, Japan had 1,198 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 3,225 megawatt (MW). The smaller plants accounted for 6.6% of Japan's total hydropower capacity. The remaining capacity was filled by large and medium hydropower stations, typically sited at large dams. Cost per kilowatt-hour for power from smaller plants was high at ¥15-100, hindering further development of the energy source.

## List of hydroelectric power stations

| Station | Capacity (MW) | Prefecture | Coordinates | Status | Type |
| Akiba Dam | 127.1 | Shizuoka | 34°58′20″N 137°49′42″E﻿ / ﻿34.97222°N 137.82833°E﻿ / 34.97222; 137.82833﻿ (Akiba Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Amagase Dam | 92 | Kyoto | 34°52′51″N 135°49′41″E﻿ / ﻿34.88083°N 135.82806°E﻿ / 34.88083; 135.82806﻿ (Amagase Dam) | Operational | conventional |
| Arimine Dam | 534 | Toyama | 36°29′22″N 137°26′55″E﻿ / ﻿36.48944°N 137.44861°E﻿ / 36.48944; 137.44861﻿ (Arimine Dam) | Operational | conventional |
| Dashidaira Dam | 124 | | | Operational |
| Funagira Dam | 32 | Shizuoka | 34°53′26″N 137°48′54″E﻿ / ﻿34.89056°N 137.81500°E﻿ / 34.89056; 137.81500﻿ (Funagira Dam) | Operational |
| Hatanagi-I Hydroelectric Dam | 137 | Shizuoka | 35°19′17″N 138°10′59″E﻿ / ﻿35.32139°N 138.18306°E﻿ / 35.32139; 138.18306﻿ (Hatanagi-I Hydroelectric Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Hatanagi-II Hydroelectric Dam | 85 | Shizuoka | 35°18′29″N 138°12′11″E﻿ / ﻿35.30806°N 138.20306°E﻿ / 35.30806; 138.20306﻿ (Hatanagi-II Hydroelectric Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Hiraoka Dam | 101 | Nagano | | Operational |
| Honkawa | 600 | | | | pumped storage |
| Ikawa Dam | 62 | Shizuoka | 35°12′38″N 138°13′22″E﻿ / ﻿35.21056°N 138.22278°E﻿ / 35.21056; 138.22278﻿ (Ikawa Dam) | Operational |
| Ikehara Pumped Storage Plant | 350 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Imaichi Pumped Storage Plant | 1,050 | Tochigi | 36°49′31″N 139°39′58″E﻿ / ﻿36.82528°N 139.66611°E﻿ / 36.82528; 139.66611﻿ (Imiachi Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Kadonogawa Power Station | 800 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Kannagawa Hydropower Plant $^{U/C}$ | 2,820 | Nagano | 36°00′18″N 138°39′09″E﻿ / ﻿36.00500°N 138.65250°E﻿ / 36.00500; 138.65250﻿ (Kannagawa Hydropower Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Plant | 1,200 | Yamanashi | 35°43′07″N 138°55′47″E﻿ / ﻿35.71861°N 138.92972°E﻿ / 35.71861; 138.92972﻿ (Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Kinugawa-Kurobe Dam | 127 | | | Operational |
| Kisenyama Pumped Storage Plant | 466 | Kyoto | 34°53′30″N 135°51′34″E﻿ / ﻿34.89167°N 135.85944°E﻿ / 34.89167; 135.85944﻿ (Kisenyama Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Konoyama Dam | 126 | Niigata | | Operational |
| Kurobe Dam | 335 | Toyama | 36°33′30″N 137°40′00″E﻿ / ﻿36.55833°N 137.66667°E﻿ / 36.55833; 137.66667﻿ (Kurobe Dam) | Operational |
| Kuroda Dam | 315 | Aichi | 35°11′14″N 137°28′34″E﻿ / ﻿35.18722°N 137.47611°E﻿ / 35.18722; 137.47611﻿ (Kuroda Dam) | Operational |
| Maruyama Dam | 185 | Gifu | 35°28′08″N 137°10′20″E﻿ / ﻿35.46889°N 137.17222°E﻿ / 35.46889; 137.17222﻿ (Maruyama Dam) | Operational |
| Matsubara Dam | 50.6 | Oita | 33°11′39″N 130°59′38″E﻿ / ﻿33.19417°N 130.99389°E﻿ / 33.19417; 130.99389﻿ (Matsubara Dam) | |
| Masegawa Dam | 288 | | | Operational |
| Matanoagawa Pumped Storage Plant | 1,200 | Tottori | 35°14′44″N 133°29′30″E﻿ / ﻿35.24556°N 133.49167°E﻿ / 35.24556; 133.49167﻿ (Matanoagawa Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Miboro Dam | 215 | Gifu | 36°08′17.7″N 136°54′38.9″E﻿ / ﻿36.138250°N 136.910806°E﻿ / 36.138250; 136.910806﻿ (Miboro Dam) | Operational |
| Midono Pumped Storage Plant | 122 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Miho Dam | 7.4 | Kanagawa | 35°24′37″N 139°02′30″E﻿ / ﻿35.41028°N 139.04167°E﻿ / 35.41028; 139.04167﻿ (Miho Dam) | Operational |
| Misakubo Dam | 50 | Shizuoka | 35°11′05″N 137°55′54″E﻿ / ﻿35.18472°N 137.93167°E﻿ / 35.18472; 137.93167﻿ (Misakubo Dam) | Operational |
| Miyagase Dam | 24 | Kanagawa | 35°32′26″N 139°15′09″E﻿ / ﻿35.54056°N 139.25250°E﻿ / 35.54056; 139.25250﻿ (Miyagase Dam) | Operational |
| Miyanaka Dam | 449 | Niigata | | Operational |
| Nagano Pumped Storage Plant | 220 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Niikappu Pumped Storage Plant | 200 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Nishiotaki Dam | 234 | Nagano | | Operational |
| Numappara Pumped Storage Plant | 675 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Ohashi Dam | 615 | Kōchi | 33°46′13″N 133°20′12″E﻿ / ﻿33.77028°N 133.33667°E﻿ / 33.77028; 133.33667﻿ (Ohashi Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Ōigawa Dam | 68.2 | Shizuoka | 35°09′53″N 138°08′34″E﻿ / ﻿35.16472°N 138.14278°E﻿ / 35.16472; 138.14278﻿ (Ōigawa Dam) | Operational |
| Okawachi Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,280 | Hyōgo | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Okukiyotsu Pumped Storage Power Station (1 & 2) | 1,600 | Niigata | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Okinawa Yanbaru Seawater Pumped Storage Power Station | 30 | Okinawa | 26°40′25″N 128°15′56″E﻿ / ﻿26.67361°N 128.26556°E﻿ / 26.67361; 128.26556﻿ (Okinawa Yanbaru Seawater Pumped Storage Power Station) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Okutadami Dam | 560 | Niigata/Fukushima | 37°09′12″N 139°15′00″E﻿ / ﻿37.15333°N 139.25000°E﻿ / 37.15333; 139.25000﻿ (Okutadami Dam) | Operational | conventional |
| Okutataragi Pumped Storage Plant | 1,932 | Hyōgo | 35°14′12″N 134°51′23″E﻿ / ﻿35.23667°N 134.85639°E﻿ / 35.23667; 134.85639﻿ (Okutataragi Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Plant | 1,206 | Nara | 34°7′4″N 135°49′16″E﻿ / ﻿34.11778°N 135.82111°E﻿ / 34.11778; 135.82111﻿ (Okuyoshino Pumped Storage Power Station) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Otori Dam | 182 | Fukushima | 37°12′53″N 139°12′50″E﻿ / ﻿37.21472°N 139.21389°E﻿ / 37.21472; 139.21389﻿ (Otori Dam) | Operational |
| Sagami Dam | 31 | Kanagawa; | 35°36′56″N 139°11′43″E﻿ / ﻿35.61556°N 139.19528°E﻿ / 35.61556; 139.19528﻿ (Sagami Dam) | Operational |
| Sakuma Dam | 350 | Aichi | 35°05′58″N 137°47′39″E﻿ / ﻿35.09944°N 137.79417°E﻿ / 35.09944; 137.79417﻿ (Sakuma Dam) | Operational | conventional |
| Sasamagawa Dam | 58 | Shizuoka | 34°58′17″N 138°05′38″E﻿ / ﻿34.97139°N 138.09389°E﻿ / 34.97139; 138.09389﻿ (Sasamagawa Dam) | Operational |
| Senzu Dam | 22.2 | Shizuoka | 35°13′00″N 138°05′25″E﻿ / ﻿35.21667°N 138.09028°E﻿ / 35.21667; 138.09028﻿ (Senzu Dam) | Operational |
| Shimogo Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,000 | Fukushima | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Plant | 1,280 | Nagano | 36°28′26″N 137°41′23″E﻿ / ﻿36.47389°N 137.68972°E﻿ / 36.47389; 137.68972﻿ (Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Shinanogawa Pumped Storage Plant | 234 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Shintoyone Pumped Storage Plant | 1,125 | Aichi | 35°07′33″N 137°45′38″E﻿ / ﻿35.12583°N 137.76056°E﻿ / 35.12583; 137.76056﻿ (Shintoyone Pumped Storage Plant) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Shiobara Pumped Storage Plant | 900 | Tochigi | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Shiogō Dam | 58 | Shizuoka | 35°00′05″N 138°05′15″E﻿ / ﻿35.00139°N 138.08750°E﻿ / 35.00139; 138.08750﻿ (Shiogō Dam) | Operational |
| Shiroyama Dam | 275 | Kanagawa | 35°35′09″N 139°17′22″E﻿ / ﻿35.58583°N 139.28944°E﻿ / 35.58583; 139.28944﻿ (Shiroyama Dam) | Operational |
| Tagokura Dam | 390 | Fukushima | 37°18′38″N 139°17′13″E﻿ / ﻿37.31056°N 139.28694°E﻿ / 37.31056; 139.28694﻿ (Tagokura Dam) | Operational |
| Takami Pumped Storage Plant | 200 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Taki Dam | 92 | Fukushima | 37°23′13″N 139°32′02″E﻿ / ﻿37.38694°N 139.53389°E﻿ / 37.38694; 139.53389﻿ (Taki Dam) | Operational |
| Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,200 | Gunma | 36°46′56″N 139°03′23″E﻿ / ﻿36.78222°N 139.05639°E﻿ / 36.78222; 139.05639﻿ (Tamahara Pumped Storage Power Station) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Tashiro Dam | 40.1 | Shizuoka | 35°29′55″N 138°14′47″E﻿ / ﻿35.49861°N 138.24639°E﻿ / 35.49861; 138.24639﻿ (Tashiro Dam) | Operational |
| Tedorigawa I Dam | 250 | | | Operational |
| Tokuyama Dam | 153 | Gifu | 35°39′55″N 136°30′08″E﻿ / ﻿35.66528°N 136.50222°E﻿ / 35.66528; 136.50222﻿ (Tokuyama Dam) | Operational |
| Okuyahagi Pumped Storage Power Station | 1,160 | Gifu | 35°11′59″N 137°27′31″E﻿ / ﻿35.19972°N 137.45861°E﻿ / 35.19972; 137.45861﻿ (Tominaga Dam) | Operational | pumped storage |
| Yagisawa Pumped Storage Plant | 240 | | | Operational | pumped storage |
| Yomihaki Power Station | 112 | | | Operational |