The is a river that runs through

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

and

Shimane is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguc ...

prefectures in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is the largest river in the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428. History '' ...

. It is also called the Gōgawa River () and, in Hiroshima, the Enokawa River (). The mainstream originates from

Mount Asa Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

(阿佐山) located in

Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima is a town in Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Kitahiroshima was formed on February 1, 2005 from the merger of the towns of Chiyoda, Geihoku, Ōasa and Toyohira, all from Yamagata District. As of April 30, 2017, population ...

(former Geihoku). Its three tributaries including Basen River (馬洗川), Saijō River (西城川) and Kannose River (神野瀬川) flows into the mainstream in . The gradients being relatively gentle, the river had been commonly used for boat transport until 1930s, when

Sankō Line The is a former railway line and current bus line in western Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The 108.1 km (67.2 mi) line connected in Shimane Prefecture to in Hiroshima Prefecture and featured 30 tunnels. ...

and trafficways were built and opened. There are some valleys and waterfalls such as , and around the region of the river. It is known for ''

ukai Ukai is a census town in Tapi district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Demographics India census, Ukai had a population of 10,858. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Ukai has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than t ...

'' (鵜飼い) or cormorant fishing for ayu, which can be found especially in Miyoshi. According to one theory ''ukai'' in Miyoshi has taken place since late

Sengoku Period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

, and is now one of the tourist attractions of the city.

Communities

180503 Go-no-kawa Gotsu Shimane pref Japan02s3

The river and its tributaries pass through or borders eight cities and seven towns that are located in Shimane Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture as is shown below. As of 2000 according to the national census 278,207 people lived in the drainage basin, including 104,169 from Shimane and 174,038 from Hiroshima. ;Hiroshima Prefecture: : Kitahiroshima, Akitakata,

Higashihiroshima is a Cities of Japan, city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of July 31. 2016 the city has an estimated population of 185,418 and a population density of 291.85 persons per km2. The total area is 635.32 km2. Higashihiroshima is a c ...

, Sera, Jinsekikogen,

Fuchu Fuchu, King of Chu (), clan name Xiong, () was from 227 to 223 BC the last king of the state of Chu during the late Warring States period of ancient China (though sources argue that Lord Changping was the last king of Chu). Fuchu was his give ...

Shōbara 270px, Shōbara City Hall 270px, Bihoku-kyuryo Park 270px, Shobara city center area aerial photograph is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 32,343 in 14984 households and a population density of ...

, Miyoshi ;Shimane Prefecture: : Ōnan, Misato, Iinan, Kawamoto, Ōda,

Hamada A hamada ( ar, حمادة, ) is a type of desert landscape consisting of high, largely barren, hard rocky plateaus, where most of the sand has been removed by deflation. The majority of the Sahara is in fact hamada. Other examples are Negev dese ...

, Gōtsu

Dams

Major dams located within the basin are shown below. * Haji Dam - located in

Akitakata, Hiroshima is a Cities of Japan, city located in north-central Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has a population of 31,565, with 13,223 households and a population density of 59 persons per km². of The total area is 538.17 ...

. Water in the reservoir is supplied to

Ōta River is a 103 kilometer (64 mile) long river in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Its main stream originates in (1,339m) and empties through a flood control channel into the Seto Inland Sea. The river is one of the major rivers in the prefecture and de ...

that flows into

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka ...

through a tunnel under the dividing ridge. The reservoir is selected as , and the lakeside is noted for the cherry blossoms. *

Kōbo Dam is a dam in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while ext ...

- located on Kannose River, one of the tributaries, in

Takano, Hiroshima was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of November 2021, the town had a population of 1,593 and a density of 10.00 persons per km². The total area was 159.18 km². On March 31, 2005, Takano, along with the towns of ...

. * Kutsugahara Dam - located on Kannose River in

Kimita, Hiroshima was a village located in Futami District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,923 and a density of 22.39 persons per km². The total area was 85.87 km². On April 1, 2004, Kimita, along with the ...

. * Haizuka Dam - located on Jōge River (上下川), one of the tributaries, in Mirasaka, Hiroshima. * Hamahara Dam - located in

Misato, Shimane is a town located in Ōchi District, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. It was formed on October 1, 2004 from the merger of the village of Daiwa and the town of Ōchi. As of March 1, 2017 the town has a population of 4,712 and a density Dens ...

Notes

; References

External links

Chugoku Regional Development Bureau
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonogawa River Rivers of Hiroshima Prefecture Rivers of Shimane Prefecture Rivers of Japan