The is a part of

Katsura River The is a continuation of two other rivers, the Hozu River, a small, speedy river which begins in the mountains near Kameoka and then slithers through the mountains separating Kameoka and Kyoto; and the Ōi River (大堰川 ''Ōi-gawa''), whi ...

in Kyoto 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 extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The river begins in the mountains near

Kameoka is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 87,518 in 29,676 households and a population density of 390 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kameoka abuts Kyoto to the east and is loca ...

, a town northwest of

Kyoto City Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...

. It snakes into the

Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. Notable t ...

section of western Kyoto before changing its name to

. The Hozu River is considered scenic, and is known primarily for its association with ''Hozugawa Kudari'', literally "down the Hozu river", a sightseeing

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

boat that goes downstream from Kameoka to Arashiyama. Hozugawa Kudari is especially popular in the fall, when the

Japanese Maple ''Acer palmatum'', commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: ''irohamomiji'', , or ''momiji'', (栴), is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. ...

leaves change colors, and in the Spring, when the

sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of Prunus, genus ''Prunus'' or Prunus subg. Cerasus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especia ...

, or Japanese cherry tree, blooms. The trip usually takes about two hours. In August, 2006, a rock fell from the mountains that line the river and hit a woman on the head, seriously injuring her. Overall, however, Hozugawa Kudari is considered safe.

Gallery

Image:Hozuboat1.jpg, Boat on Hozu River Image:Jrballe_hozu_river_2007_001.JPG, Hozu River from the Romantic Train

References

External links

Hozugawa River Boat Ride
(Hozugawa Yusen Sightseeing Boat Association) (Hozu gorge) Rivers of Kyoto Prefecture Rivers of Japan {{Japan-river-stub