The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, also known as
the G-Cans Project or the "Underground Temple", is an subterranean
water infrastructure project built to protect the capital Tokyo against
floodwaters during rain and typhoon seasons. It is believed to be one of
the largest water collection facilities in the world.
Building began in
1992 and the massive structure now consists of five concrete silos, a
large water tanks and 59 pillars connected to a number of pumps that can
pump up to 200 tons of water into the Edogawa River per second. It has
also become a tourist attraction, as well as a location for movies, TV
shows and commercials.
The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (首都圏外郭放水路 shutoken gaikaku hōsuiro), also known as the G-Cans Project, is an underground water infrastructure project in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan built for preventing overflow of the city's major waterways and rivers during rain and typhoon seasons.
Work on the project started in 1992; it consists of five concrete containment silos with heights of 65 m and diameters of 32 m, connected by 6.4 km of tunnels, 50 m beneath the surface, as well as a large water tank with a height of 25.4 m, with a length of 177 m, with a width of 78 m, and with 59 massive pillars connected to a number of 10 MW pumps that can pump up to 200 tons of water into the Edogawa River per second.
Central control room
The G-Cans project is also a tourist attraction, and can be visited for free; however, as the tours are conducted in Japanese, a Japanese speaker must be present in the group to act as a translator for non-Japanese speakers.