List of rivers in Japan

The list of rivers in Japan contains a selection of rivers in Japan sorted by region .

Characteristic

Despite its small width, Japan has comparatively high mountains that extend over most of the country. These mountains are characterized by many vertical rock faces and narrow rock folds due to fault lines and deformations. This results in the peculiarity of the Japanese rivers that they generally tend to flow perpendicular to the mountain ranges and have a short and extremely steep longitudinal profile . Therefore, the Shinano , which is the longest river in Japan at 367 km, has a greater gradient than most rivers outside of Japan.

In addition, in combination with deep erosion , the rivers also have a steep slope - in the Japanese Alps often up to 35 °. It is said that the Dutch river engineering engineer Johannis de Rijke , who was employed as a foreign advisor in Japan , said in surprise when he saw the Jōganji in 1891: "This is not a river, but a waterfall!"

Legal classification

Legally, the river systems are divided into two orders by the “river law” ( Japanese 河川 法 , kasen-hō ) . “First order river systems” ( 一級 水系 , ikkyū suikei ) are those river systems that are assigned to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) due to their extent . Then come the “2nd order river systems” ( 二級 水系 , nikyū suikei ), which are administered by the respective prefectures . Rivers that are part of these river systems are referred to as "1st order river" ( 一級 河川 , ikkyū kasen ) or "2nd order river" ( 二級 河川 , nikyū kasen ). There are also smaller river systems that only extend over individual communities and are referred to as “individual river systems” ( 単 独 水系 , tandoku suikei ).

In 1998, 109 "1st order river systems" with 13,935 rivers and 2,713 "2nd order river systems" with 7,029 rivers were counted.

1st order river systems

In Japan the following "first order river systems" exist in the individual regions (the length of the main stream is given in each case):

Hokkaidō

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Residents in the catchment area
Teshio-gawa	天 塩 川	256	5,590	94,000
Shokutsu-gawa	渚 滑 川	84	1,240	28,000
Yūbetsu-gawa	湧 別 川	87	1,480	36,000
Tokoro-gawa	常 呂川	120	1,930	142,000
Abashiri-gawa	網 走 川	115	1,380	94,000
Rumoi-gawa	留 萌 川	44	270	28,000
Ishikari-gawa	石 狩 川	268	14,330	2,500,000
Shiribetsu-gawa	尻 別 川	126	1,640	38,000
Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu-gawa	後 志 利 別 川	80	720	16,000
Mukawa-gawa	鵡 川	135	1,270	13,000
Saru-gawa	沙 流川	104	1,350	13,000
Kushiro-gawa	釧 路 川	154	2,510	177,000
Tokachi-gawa	十勝 川	156	9,010	340,000

Tōhoku

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Iwaki-gawa	岩 木 川	102	2,540	Aomori	482,400
Takase-gawa	高 瀬 川	64	867	Aomori	80,372
Mabechi-gawa	馬 淵 川	142	2,050	Iwate , Aomori	188,000
Kitakami-gawa	北上 川	249	10.150	Iwate, Miyagi	1,389,000
Naruse-gawa	鳴 瀬 川	89	1,130	Miyagi	190,000
Natori-gawa	名 取 川	55	939	Miyagi	1,125,589
Abukuma-gawa	阿 武 隈 川	239	5,400	Miyagi, Fukushima	1,380,000
Yoneshiro-gawa	米 代 川	136	4,100	Akita , Iwate	280,000
Omono-gawa	雄 物 川	133	4,710	Akita	346,481
Koyoshi-gawa	子 吉川	61	1,190	Akita	80,000
Mogami-gawa	最 上 川	229	7,040	Yamagata	999,300
Akagawa	赤 川	70	857	Yamagata	109.294

Kanto

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Kuji-gawa	久 慈 川	124	1,490	Fukushima, Ibaraki	201,981
Naka-gawa	那 珂川	150	3,270	Tochigi , Ibaraki	912.217
Tone-gawa	利 根 川	322	16,840	Gunma , Nagano , Tochigi, Saitama , Tokyo , Chiba , Ibaraki	12,140,000
Arakawa	荒 川	173	2,940	Saitama, Tokyo	9,300,000
Tama-gawa	多摩川	138	1,240	Yamanashi , Tokyo, Kanagawa	4,250,000
Tsurumi-gawa	鶴 見 川	43	235	Tokyo, Kanagawa	1,840,000
Sagami-gawa	相 模 川	109	1,680	Yamanashi, Kanagawa	1,200,000
Fuji-kawa	富 士川	128	3,990	Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka	1,600,000

Hokuriku

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Arakawa	荒 川	73	1,150	Yamagata, Niigata	40,000
Agano-gawa	阿 賀 野 川	210	7,710	Fukushima, Gunma, Niigata	590,000
Shinano-gawa	信 濃 川	367	11,900	Nagano, Gunma, Niigata	2,950,000
Sekikawa	関 川	64	1,140	Nagano, Niigata	210,000
Himekawa	姫 川	60	722	Nagano, Niigata	20,000
Kurobe-gawa	黒 部 川	85	682	Toyama	71,000
Jōganji-gawa	常 願 寺 川	56	368	Toyama	30,000
Jinzu-gawa	神通 川	120	2,720	Gifu , Toyama	380,000
Shogawa	庄 川	115	1,180	Gifu, Toyama	28,032
Oyabe-gawa	小 矢 部 川	68	667	Ishikawa , Toyama	300,000
Todori-gawa	手 取 川	72	809	Ishikawa	40,000
Kakehashi-gawa	梯 川	42	271	Ishikawa	110,000

Chūbu

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Kano-gawa	狩 野 川	46	852	Shizuoka	640,000
Abekawa	安 倍 川	51	567	Shizuoka	170,000
Ōi-gawa	大 井 川	168	1,280	Shizuoka	90,000
Kiku-gawa	菊 川	28	158	Shizuoka	70,000
Tenryu-gawa	天 竜 川	213	5,090	Nagano, Aichi , Shizuoka	720,000
Toyo-gawa	豊 川	77	724	Aichi	210,000
Yahagi-gawa	矢 作 川	118	1,830	Nagano, Gifu, Aichi	690,000
Shonai-gawa	庄内 川	96	1.010	Gifu, Aichi	2,500,000
Kiso-gawa	木 曽 川	229	9,100	Nagano, Gifu, Shiga , Aichi, Mie	1,700,000
Suzuka-gawa	鈴鹿 川	38	323	Mie	110,000
Kumozu-gawa	雲 出 川	55	550	Mie	90,000
Kushida-gawa	櫛 田 川	85	461	Mie	40,000
Miyagawa	宮 川	91	920	Mie	140,000

Kinki

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Kuzuryu-gawa	九 頭 竜 川	116	2,930	Gifu, Fukui	666.225
Kitagawa	北 川	30th	211	Shiga, Fukui	21,389
Yura-gawa	由 良 川	146	1,880	Hyōgo , Kyoto	300,000
Yodo-gawa	淀 川	75	8,240	Shiga, Kyōto, Osaka , Mie, Nara , Hyōgo	11,650,000
Yamato-gawa	大 和 川	68	1,070	Nara, Osaka	2,150,000
Maruyama-gawa	円 山川	68	1,300	Hyogo	150,557
Kako-gawa	加古川	96	1,730	Hyogo	820,000
Ibo-gawa	揖 保 川	70	810	Hyogo	200,000
Kinokawa	紀 の 川	136	1,750	Nara, Wakayama	689,000
Shingu-gawa	新 宮 川	103	2,360	Nara, Mie, Wakayama	84,000

Chūgoku

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Sendai-gawa	千代 川	52	1,190	Tottori	200,000
Tenjin-gawa	天神 川	32	490	Tottori	65,500
Hino-gawa	日 野 川	77	870	Tottori	60,800
Hiikawa	斐伊川	153	2,070	Shimane , Tottori	435,000
Gōnokawa	江 の 川	194	3,900	Hiroshima , Shimane	202,000
Takatsu-gawa	高 津 川	81	1,090	Shimane	38,600
Yoshii-gawa	吉井川	133	2.110	Okayama	294,000
Asahi-gawa	旭川	142	1,810	Okayama	335,000
Takahashi-gawa	高梁 川	111	2,670	Hiroshima Okayama	273,000
Ashida-gawa	芦 田 川	86	860	Okayama, Hiroshima	269,000
Ōta-gawa	太 田 川	103	1,710	Hiroshima	980,000
Oze-gawa	小 瀬 川	59	340	Hiroshima, Yamaguchi	26,500
Saba-gawa	佐波川	56	460	Yamaguchi	31,100

Shikoku

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Yoshino-gawa	吉野 川	194	3,750	Kōchi , Ehime , Tokushima , Kagawa	641,000
Naka-gawa	那 賀 川	125	874	Tokushima	59,000
Doki-gawa	土 器 川	33	140	Kagawa	35,000
Shigenobu-gawa	重 信 川	36	445	Ehime	233,000
Hijikawa	肱 川	103	1,210	Ehime	112,000
Monobe-gawa	物 部 川	71	508	Kochi	40,000
Niyodo-gawa	仁 淀 川	124	1,560	Ehime, Kochi	105,000
Shimanto-gawa	四万 十 川	196	2,270	Ehime, Kochi	100,000

Kyushu

Surname	Japanese	Length in km	Size in km² of the catchment area	Prefectures	Residents in the catchment area
Onga-gawa	遠 賀 川	61	1,026	Fukuoka	666.406
Yamakuni-gawa	山 国 川	56	540	Ōita , Fukuoka	36,801
Chikugo-gawa	筑 後 川	143	2,863	Kumamoto , Ōita, Fukuoka, Saga	1,090,777
Yabe-gawa	矢 部 川	61	647	Fukuoka	182,889
Matsuura-gawa	松浦 川	47	446	saga	97,818
Rokkaku-gawa	六角 川	47	341	saga	122,827
Kase-gawa	嘉 瀬 川	57	368	saga	133,412
Honmyō-gawa	本 明川	21st	87	Nagasaki	54,583
Kikuchi-gawa	菊池 川	71	996	Kumamoto	208,694
Shirakawa	白 川	74	480	Kumamoto	131,375
Midorikawa	緑 川	76	1,100	Kumamoto	517.189
Kuma-gawa	球磨 川	115	1,880	Kumamoto	137.375
Ōita-gawa	大分 川	55	650	Ōita	252,808
Ōno-gawa	大野 川	107	1,465	Kumamoto, Miyazaki , Ōita	206,818
Banjō-gawa	番 匠 川	38	464	Ōita	56,527
Gokase-gawa	五 ヶ 瀬 川	106	1,820	Kumamoto, Ōita, Miyazaki	127,638
Omaru-gawa	小丸 川	75	474	Miyazaki	32,616
Ōyodo-gawa	大 淀 川	107	2,230	Kagoshima , Kumamoto, Miyazaki	601,321
Sendai-gawa	川内川	137	1,600	Miyazaki, Kagoshima	195,944
Kimotsuki-gawa	肝 属 川	34	485	Kagoshima	115,578

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Takashi Oguchi, Kyoji Saito, Hiroshi Kadomura, Michael Grossman: Fluvial Geomorphology and Paleohydrology in Japan . In: Geomorphology . Vol. 39, 2001, 2.1 Steep watersheds, pp. 3-19 , doi : 10.1016 / S0169-555X (01) 00048-4 ( PDF ).
2. ↑ Keiichi Katsube, Takashi Oguchi: Altitudinal Changes in Slope Angle and Profile Curvature in the Japan Alps: A Hypothesis Regarding a Characteristic Slope Angle . In: Geographical Review of Japan (Series B) . Vol. 72, No. 1 , 1999, p. 63-72 ( PDF ).
3. ↑ ^{a b} 水 辺 づ く り 用語 集 . 国土 交通 省 東北 地方 整 備 局 , accessed August 31, 2011 (Japanese). 
4. ↑ 日本 の 川 . 国土 交通 省 河川局 , Retrieved August 31, 2011 (Japanese). 

Web links

• Complete map and documents on the river systems of the 1st order at the MLIT (Japanese)
• Overview information on the first order river systems at MLIT (Japanese)
• River information (Japanese)