Kiso River

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
• 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
National Palace of Scenic Beauty Natural Monument

Japan Rhine seen from Sarubami Castle

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. 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.

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

The 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. 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.

See also

• Japanese cruiser Kiso

References

• Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301

External links

• 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)