The is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in the

Kii Peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are among ...

of central

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 ...

, located in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: *Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan *Wakayama (city) Wakayama City Hall is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...

and

Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture to ...

s. It is long and has a watershed of . The river rises from

Mount Ōmine , is a sacred mountain in Nara, Japan, famous for its three tests of courage. Officially known as , it is more popularly known as Mount Ōmine due to its prominence in the Ōmine mountain range. It is located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park in ...

in the

Yoshino-Kumano National Park is a national park comprising several non-contiguous areas of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures, Japan. Established in 1936, the park includes Mount Yoshino, celebrated for its cherry blossoms, as well as elements of the UNESCO World Heritag ...

Tenkawa, Nara is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2016, the village has an estimated population of 1,310 and a density of 7.5 persons per km2. The total area is 175.70 km2. Education * Kindergartens ** Tenk ...

and follows a generally southward course to drain into the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

on the border between

Shingū, Wakayama 270px, Shingū city hall 270px, Shingū city aerial photograph 270px, Shingū Castle ruins is a city located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 27,491 in 14649 households and a population density of 110 p ...

and Kihō, Mie. The river is part of the

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Kii Peninsula in Japan. Selection criteria The locations and paths for this heritage site were based on their historical and modern i ...

, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

which incorporates nature scenery of the Kii peninsula with numerous

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

s and

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

s forming a pilgrimage route. Municipalities through which the river passes are: *Nara Prefecture **

Gojō, Nara is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on October 15, 1957. As of September 30, 2014, the city has an estimated population of 33,283, with 13,742 households. It has a population density of 121.17 persons per km². The ...

Totsukawa, Nara is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the largest village in Japan in terms of area. As of January 2017, the village has an estimated population of 3,488 and a density of 5.2 persons per km2. The total area is ...

*Wakayama Prefecture **

Tanabe, Wakayama is a city located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,972 in 35076 households and a population density of 69 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Tanabe is the second largest city in Wakayama ...

*Mie Prefecture **

Kumano, Mie is a city located in Mie Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 16,232 in 8,746 households and a population density of 43 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kumano is located near the southern ti ...

** Kihō, Mie

References

Notes

{{Authority control Rivers of Nara Prefecture Rivers of Mie Prefecture Rivers of Wakayama Prefecture Rivers of Japan