The Kiso River (木曽川, Kiso-gawa) is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly 229 km (142 mi) long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya.[1] It is the main river among the Kiso Three Rivers (along with the Ibi and Nagara rivers) and forms a major part of the Nōbi Plain. The valley around the upper portion of the river forms the Kiso Valley.
| Kiso River | |
|---|---|
 Kiso River and bridge (Inuyamatoushukourain'oohashi) seen from Mount Igi | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Japan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Mount Hachimori (Nagano) |
| • elevation | 2,446 m (8,025 ft) |
| Mouth | Nagoya |
• location | Ise Bay |
• coordinates | 35°02′04″N 136°44′43″E / 35.034563°N 136.745333°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 229 km (142 mi) |
| Basin size | 5,275 km2 (2,037 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 169 m3/s (6,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Kiso River |
 | |
Parts of the Kiso River are sometimes referred to as the Japan Rhine because of its similarities to the Rhine in Europe.
Kiso River embankment
editThe Kiso River embankment (木曽川堤, Kiso-gawa tsutsumi) was built in the Edo period and extends for a 47 kilometer between the cities of Inuyama and Yatomi to protect against flooding. After a portion of this embankment was rebuilt following collapse due to record floods in May 1884, local volunteers brought in 1,800 saplings of sakura trees at the request of the governor of Aichi Prefecture, replacing Japanese red pine trees which had formerly lined the embankment. These cherry blossoms included many unusual varieties including some wild cherry tree species, and specifically excluded the Somei Yoshino variety that had become extremely popular all over Japan. A seven-kilometer portion of this embankment between the cities of Ichinomiya and Kōnan has been designated as both a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument since 1927. [2] The number of cherry trees gradually decreased due to natural attrition to less than 400 by 2001, but the city of Ichinomiya undertook a large-scale replanting campaign to bring the embankment back to its former appearance.
Other portions of the Kiso River in Inuyama, and Kakamigahara, Kani, and Sakahogi in Gifu Prefecture were designated collectively as a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1934.[3]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). "Kiso-gawa" in Japan encyclopedia, p. 529., p. 529, at Google Books; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File Archived 2012-05-24 at archive.today.
- ^ "木曽川堤（サクラ）". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "木曽川". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
References
edit- Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301
External links
edit
- Kisogawa River Sand Data — a Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) website
- Cultural Properties of Aichi Prefecture(in Japanese)
- Aichi Now official site for Aichi Tourism(in Japanese)
- Konan City home page(in Japanese)
 | This Nagano Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Aichi Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Gifu Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Mie Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article related to a river in Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |