List of rivers of Japan
Rivers of Japan are characterized by their relatively short lengths and considerably steep gradients due to the narrow and mountainous topography of the country. An often-cited quote is 'this is not a river, but a waterfall' by the Dutch engineer (o-yatoi gaikokujin) Johannis de Rijke who had visited the Jōganji River, Toyama Prefecture. The Mogami, the Fuji and the Kuma are regarded as the three most rapid rivers of Japan.
Typical rivers of Japan rise from mountainous forests and cut out deep V-shaped valleys in their upper reaches, and form alluvial plains in their lower reaches which enable the Japanese to cultivate rice fields and to set up cities. Most rivers are dammed to supply both water and electricity.
The longest river of Japan is the Shinano, which flows from Nagano to Niigata. The Tone has the largest watershed and serves water to more than 30 million inhabitants of Tokyo metropolitan area.
List of rivers in Japan
The list below is in geographical order (from north to south). See also Category:Rivers of Japan for an alphabetical list.
Hokkaidō
There are 316 rivers in Hokkaidō.[1]
List of rivers in Hokkaidō by length
The following table is a list of rivers of Hokkaidō by length.[2]
River | Length |
---|---|
Ishikari (石狩川 Ishikari-gawa) | 268 kilometres (167 mi) |
Teshio (天塩川 Teshio-gawa) | 256 kilometres (159 mi) |
Tokachi (十勝川 Tokachi-gawa) | 156 kilometres (97 mi) |
Kushiro (釧路川 Kushiro-gawa) | 154 kilometres (96 mi) |
Yūbari (夕張川 Yūbari-gawa) | 136 kilometres (85 mi) |
Mu (鵡川 Mu-kawa) | 135 kilometres (84 mi) |
Shiribetsu (尻別川 Shiribetsu-gawa) | 126 kilometres (78 mi) |
Tokoro (常呂川 Tokoro-gawa) | 120 kilometres (75 mi) |
Abashiri (網走川 Abashiri-gawa) | 115 kilometres (71 mi) |
Chitose (千歳川 Chitose-gawa) | 108 kilometres (67 mi) |
Saru (沙流川 Saru-gawa) | 104 kilometres (65 mi) |
Akan (阿寒川 Akan-gawa) | 98 kilometres (61 mi) |
Yūbetsu (湧別川 Yūbetsu-gawa) | 87 kilometres (54 mi) |
Shokotsu (渚滑川 Shokotsu-gawa) | 84 kilometres (52 mi) |
Niikappu (新冠川 Niikappu-gawa) | 80 kilometres (50 mi) |
Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu (後志利別川 Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu-gawa) | 80 kilometres (50 mi) |
Shibetsu (標津川 Shibetsu-gawa) | 78 kilometres (48 mi) |
Toyohira (豊平川 Toyohira-gawa) | 72.5 kilometres (45.0 mi) |
Shizunai (静内川 Shizunai-gawa) | 69.9 kilometres (43.4 mi) |
Rumoi (留萌川 Rumoi-gawa) | 44 kilometres (27 mi) |
Koetoi (声問川 Koetoi-gawa) | 41.9 kilometres (26.0 mi) |
Mitsuishi (三石川 Mitsuishi-gawa) | 31.6 kilometres (19.6 mi) |
Makomanai (真駒内川 Makomanai-gawa) | 21 kilometres (13 mi) |
Anano (穴の川 Ana-no-kawa) | 9.4 kilometres (5.8 mi) |
Zenibako (銭函川 Zenibako-kawa) | |
Bifue (美笛川 Bifue-gawa) | |
Okotanpe | |
Ninaru | |
Omakatu |
List of class 1 rivers in Hokkaidō
The following is a list of the 15 first class rivers (1級河川) under management by the Hokkaidō Regional Development Bureau (北海道開発局 Hōkaihatsukyoku):[1]
- Abashiri River
- Ishikari River
- Koetoi River
- Kushiro River
- Mu River
- Rumoi River
- Saru River
- Shibetsu River
- Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River
- Shiribetsu River
- Shokotsu River
- Teshio River
- Tokachi River
- Tokoro River
- Yūbetsu River
Honshu
Tōhoku
First class rivers under the control of Tohoku Regional Bureau (東北地方整備局
- Iwaki River (岩木川) - Aomori
- Takase River 高瀬川 - Aomori
- Mabechi River (馬淵川) - Iwate, Aomori
- Kitakami River (北上川) - Iwate, Miyagi
- Naruse River (鳴瀬川) - Miyagi
- Natori River (名取川) - Miyagi
- Abukuma River (阿武隈川) - Miyagi, Fukushima
- Yoneshiro River (米代川) - Akita, Iwate
- Omono River (雄物川) - Akita
- Koyoshi River (子吉川) - Akita
- Mogami River (最上川) - Yamagata
- Aka River (赤川) - Yamagata
Second class river
- Oirase River (奥入瀬川)
Kantō
First class rivers under the control of Kanto Regional Bureau (関東地方整備局)
- Kuji-gawa 久慈川 - Fukushima, Ibaraki
- Naka-gawa 那珂川 - Tochigi, Ibaraki
- Tone-gawa (利根川) - largest drainage area, and second longest of Japan; Gunma, Nagano, Tochigi, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, Ibaraki
- Edo-gawa (江戸川)
- Arakawa 荒川 (関東) - Saitama, Tokyo
- Sumida-gawa (隅田川)
- Kanda-gawa (神田川)
- Tama-gawa (多摩川) - Yamanashi, Tokyo, Kanagawa
- Tsurumi-gawa (鶴見川) - Tokyo, Kanagawa
- Sagami-gawa (相模川) - Yamanashi, Kanagawa
- Fuji-kawa 富士川 - Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka
Hokuriku
First-class rivers under the control of Hokuriku Regional Bureau (北陸地方整備局)
- Ara River - Yamagata, Niigata
- Agano River (阿賀野川) - Hukushima, Gunma, Niigata
- Shinano River (信濃川) - Nagano, Gunma, Niigata
- Seki River (関川) - Nagano, Niigata
- Hime River (姫川) - Nagano, Niigata
- Kurobe River (黒部川) - Toyama
- Jōganji River (常願寺川) - Toyama
- Jinzū River (神通川) - Gifu, Toyama
- Shō River (庄川) - Gifu, Toyama
- Oyabe River (小矢部川) - Ishikawa, Toyama
- Tedori River (手取川) - Ishikawa
- Kakehashi River (梯川) - Ishikawa
Chūbu
Rivers that flow into the Sea of Japan:
- Agano-gawa (阿賀野川) - Niigata, Fukushima, Gunma
- Shinano-gawa (信濃川) or Chikuma-gawa (千曲川) - longest of Japan
- Seki-kawa (関川) - Nagano, Niigata
- Hime-kawa (姫川) - Nagano, Niigata
- Kurobe-gawa (黒部川) - Toyama
- Jōganji-gawa (常願寺川) - Toyama
- Jinzū-gawa (神通川) - Gifu, Toyama
- Shō-gawa (庄川) - Gifu, Toyama
- Oyabe-gawa (小矢部川) - Toyama, Ishikawa
- Tedori-gawa (手取川) - Ishikawa
- Kuzuryū-gawa (九頭竜川) - Gifu, Fukui
Rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean:
- Fuji-kawa (富士川) - Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka
- Abe-kawa (安倍川) - Shizuoka
- Ōi-gawa (大井川) - Shizuoka
- Tenryū-gawa (天竜川) - Nagano, Aichi, Shizuoka
- Toyo-gawa (豊川) - Aichi
- Yahagi-gawa (矢作川) - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi
- Shōnai-gawa (庄内川) - Gifu, Aichi
- Kiso-gawa (木曽川) - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, Mie
- Nagara-gawa (長良川) - Gifu, Aichi, Mie
- Ibi-gawa (揖斐川) -Gifu, Mie
- Kushida-gawa (櫛田川) - Mie
- Miya-gawa (宮川) - Mie
First class rivers under control of Chubu Regional Bureau (中部地方整備局)
- Kano-gawa 狩野川 - Shizuoka
- Abe-kawa 安倍川 - Shizuoka
- Ōi-gawa 大井川 - Shizuoka
- Kiku-gawa 菊川 - Shizuoka
- Tenryū-gawa 天竜川 - Nagano, Aichi, Shizuoka
- Toyo-gawa 豊川 - Aichi
- Yahagi-gawa 矢作川 - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi
- Shōnai-gawa 庄内川 - Gifu, Aichi
- Kiso-gawa 木曽川 - Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, Aichi, Mie
- Suzuka-gawa 鈴鹿川 - Mie
- Kumozu-gawa 雲出川 - Mie
- Kushida-gawa 櫛田川 - Mie
- Miya-gawa 宮川 - Mie
Kansai
The first class rivers under the control of Kinki Regional Bureau (近畿地方整備局)
- Kuzuryu-gawa 九頭竜川
- Kita-gawa 北川 - Shiga, Fukui
- Yura-gawa ja:由良川 - Hyogo, Kyoto
- Yodo-gawa (淀川), Seta-gawa (瀬田川) or Uji-gawa (宇治川)
- Yasu-gawa (野洲川)
- Katsura-gawa (桂川), Hozu-gawa (保津川) or Ōi-gawa (大堰川)
- Kamo-gawa (鴨川)
- Kizu-gawa (木津川)
- Dōton-bori (道頓堀)
- Yamato-gawa (大和川) - Nara, Osaka
- Maruyama-gawa (円山川) - Hyogo
- Kako-gawa (加古川) - Hyogo
- Ibo-gawa (揖保川) - Hyogo
- Ki-no-kawa (紀ノ川, 紀の川) - Nara, Wakayama
- Yamato-gawa (大和川) - Nara, Osaka
- Kumano-gawa (熊野川) or Shingu-gawa (新宮川)- Nara, Mie, Wakayama
The second class river
- Muko-gawa (武庫川)
Chūgoku
First class rivers under control of Chugoku Regional Bureau (中国地方整備局)
- Sendai River (千代川) - Tottori
- Tenjin River (天神川) - Tottori
- Hino River (日野川) - Tottori
- Hii River (斐伊川) - Shimane, Tottori
- Gō-no-kawa, or Gō-gawa (江の川, 江川) - Hiroshima, Shimane
- Takatsu River (高津川) - Shimane
- Yoshii River 吉井川 - Okayama
- Asahi River 旭川 - Okayama
- Takahashi River (高梁川) - Hiroshima, Okayama
- Ashida River 芦田川 - Okayama, Hiroshima
- Ōta-gawa (太田川) - Hiroshima
- Ose River 小瀬川 - Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
- Saba River 佐波川 - Yamaguchi
Shikoku
First class rivers under control of Shikoku Regional Bureau (四国地方整備局)
- Yoshino-gawa (吉野川) - Kochi, Ehime, Tokushima, Kagawa
- Naka-gawa 那賀川 - Tokushima
- Doki-gawa 土器川 - Kagawa
- Shigenobu-gawa 重信川 - Ehime
- Hiji-kawa ja:肱川 - Ehime
- Monobe-kawa 物部川 - Kochi 6
- Niyodo-gawa 仁淀川 - Ehime, Kochi
- Shimanto-gawa (四万十川) - Ehime, Kochi
Kyūshū
First class rivers under control of Kyushu Regional Bureau (九州地方整備局)
- Onga-gawa 遠賀川 - Fukuoka
- Yamakuni-gawa 山国川 - Oita, Fukuoka
- Chikugo-gawa (筑後川) - Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, Saga
- Yabe-gawa 矢部川 - Fukuoka
- Matsuura-gawa 松浦川 - Saga
- Rokkaku-gawa 六角川 - Saga
- Kase-gawa 嘉瀬川 - Saga
- Honmyo-gawa 本明川 - Nagasaki
- Kikuchi-gawa 菊池川 - Kumamoto
- Shira-kawa 白川 - Kumamoto
- Midori-gawa 緑川 - Kumamoto
- Kuma-gawa (球磨川) - Kumamoto
- Ōita-gawa 大分川 - Ōita
- Oono-gawa 大野川 - Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Ōita
- Banjo-gawa 番匠川 - Ōita
- Gokase-gawa 五ヶ瀬川 - Kumamoto, Ōita, Miyazaki
- Omaru-gawa 小丸川 - Miyazaki
- Ōyodo-gawa 大淀川 - Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki
- Sendai-gawa 川内川 - Miyazaki, Kagoshima
- Kimotsuki-gawa 肝属川, 肝付川 - Kagoshima
References
- 1 2 河川概要 (in Japanese). Ministry of Land,Infrastructure and Transport and Tourism Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ↑ "2006 Hokkaido Statistics" (PDF). Hokkaido Government. 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- 全国109の一級水系 (109 of first class rivers; by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan)
- 一級水系の河川整備基本方針策定状況(平成21年3月6日現在)(you can see where first class rivers are)
See also
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rivers of Japan. |
- Rivers of Japan - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism