The is a large

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

that stretches from the Mino area of southwest

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

to the Owari area of northwest

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

and extreme northern

Mie Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, 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 an ...

, covering an area of approximately .Topography and Geology of the Nobi Plain
Soki Yamamoto ( Rissho University). Accessed November 23, 2007. It is an

alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a plain (an essentially flat landform) created by the deposition of sediment over a long period by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A ''floodplain'' is part of the process, bei ...

created by the

Kiso Three Rivers The are the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi Three R ...

(the Ibi, Kiso and Nagara rivers) and has very fertile soil. It is bordered on the west by the Ibuki and Yōrō

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

s, and to the east by the Owari Hills. Its northern border is marked by the Ryōhaku Mountains and the south by

Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso Three Rivers between Mie prefecture, Mie and Aichi prefecture, Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . The mouth of the bay is and is connected to the small ...

Geography

Nobi Plain and Nagoya from Mount Sanpo 2008-9-24

The downstream areas of the three areas are located in Aichi Prefecture and constitute a vast

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

, with the level of the land sometimes dipping below

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. Because the water levels can change rapidly due to storms, there was often much water damage throughout history, leading to many distinct cultural habits, such as municipalities surrounded by earthen rings (e.g. Wanouchi, Gifu Prefecture). The modern cities of Tsushima and

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

were built on low-level

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

s to ward off water damage and flourished as a result. The Yōrō Fault is located on the edge of the Nōbi Plains and is the cause of the Yōrō Mountain Range.

Sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to th ...

from the three rivers forms the eastern edge of the plain, which easily shows the declination of the area. The declination is called the Nōbi Tilt (濃尾傾動運動 ''Nōbi Keidō Undō''). The Neodani Fault running through the central part of the Nōbi Plain was the cause of the 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake, one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan's mainland. The plain was also devastated by the 1586 Tenshō earthquake, where 8,000 people died.

Major cities

;Aichi Prefecture :

Ichinomiya is a Japanese language, Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a Provinces of Japan, province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth.''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retr ...

, Kasugai,

Komaki is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 148,872 in 68,174 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Komaki is commonly associated with the former Komaki Airport, whi ...

, Inuyama, Kōnan, Iwakura,

Inazawa is a Cities of Japan, city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 135,580 in 54,999 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city was . Geography Inazawa is located in the flatlands o ...

, Tsushima ;Gifu Prefecture :

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

, Ōgaki, Kakamigahara, Hashima

References

Plains of Japan Landforms of Gifu Prefecture Landforms of Aichi Prefecture Tourist attractions in Gifu Prefecture Tourist attractions in Aichi Prefecture {{aichi-geo-stub

Geography

Major cities

See also

References