Shimanto River

The Shimanto River (四万十川, Shimanto-gawa) is a river in western Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.^[1] 196 km in length, it has a watershed of 2,270 km².

Shimanto River
The Shimanto River
Native name	四万十川 (Japanese)
Location
Country	Japan
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• location	32°56′02″N 132°59′45″E
Length	196 km (122 mi)

Since the river is remote from major cities and does not have any dams, it is sometimes referred to as "the last clear stream of Japan". Fishing and production of nori is a thriving industry along the river.^{[citation needed]} It has been named one of the "Three Free-Flowing Rivers in Japan", along with the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture and the Kakita River in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The river also has 47 chinkabashi (沈下橋, sinking bridges), including those of tributaries.^[2] Chinkabashi are low-water crossings constructed without parapets in order not to be washed away by floods. The prefecture decided to preserve them as a cultural heritage.

See also

• Yoshino River, which has similar low water crossings

References

1. Nakayama, Keiko (2022-03-02). A Forest Environment Tax Scheme in Japan: Toward Water Source Cultivation. Springer Nature. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-981-16-9352-6.
2. Association, Kochi Visitors & Convention. "Sada Chinkabashi (submersible bridge)". Visit Kochi Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-10-10.

External links