Nagara River

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title: "Nagara River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-aichi-prefecture", "rivers-of-gifu-prefecture", "rivers-of-mie-prefecture", "rivers-of-japan"] description: "River in the Nōbi plain" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagara_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in the Nōbi plain ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Nagara River
native_name	ja
image	nagararivergifu.JPG
image_caption	The Nagara River flowing through Gifu
map
source1_location	Mount Dainichi
mouth_location	Ise Bay
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	Japan
length_km	166
discharge1_avg	120 m3/s
basin_size_km2	1985
river_system	Kiso River
::

| name = Nagara River | native_name = ja | image = nagararivergifu.JPG | image_size = | image_caption = The Nagara River flowing through Gifu | map = | source1_location = Mount Dainichi | mouth_location = Ise Bay | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Japan | length_km = 166 | source1_elevation = | mouth_elevation = | discharge1_avg = 120 m3/s | basin_size_km2 = 1985 | river_system = Kiso River The Nagara River has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Along with the Kiso River and Ibi River, the Nagara River is one of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. Previously, the river was named Sunomata River (墨俣川 Sunomata-gawa). With a length of 166 km, it drains an area of 1985 km2 in the Chūbu region and empties into Ise Bay. The government of Japan classifies it as a Class 1 river.

Outline

Also, famous for being a clear-flowing river, it has been named one of the "Three Clear-Flowing Rivers in Japan," along with the Kakita River in Shizuoka Prefecture and the Shimanto River in Kōchi Prefecture. In 1985, the middle section of the Nagara River was named to "Japan's 100 Famous Waters." It was included among Japan's top bathing areas in 1988 and again in 2001. The river is also a popular tourist destination because of Nagaragawa Onsen, a collection of natural hot springs (mostly in the city of Gifu) that are known for their high iron content.

Downstream, the Nagara River converges and diverges with the Kiso and Ibi rivers multiple times. Though the Nagara River is considered part of the Kiso River system, various construction projects over the years have kept the two rivers separate all the way to the mouth of the river.

Other construction projects had previously changed the flow of the river, too. Up until the Shōwa period, two minor rivers diverged from the Nagara River in the heart of the city of Gifu, but construction in 1939 created the current path of the river through the system. As a result of this construction, about 160 ha of land was recovered, upon which the Gifu Memorial Center, schools, and other buildings were built.

Cormorant fishing

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/gifuukai2.jpg" caption="Gifu"] ::

Cormorant fishing is an ancient tradition in which cormorants are used to catch various fish in lakes and rivers. Cormorant fishing takes place in two cities: Gifu, where it is called "Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River," and Seki, where it is called "Oze Cormorant Fishing" (小瀬鵜飼 Oze Ukai). Though eleven other places in Japan also host cormorant fishing, only the fishing masters on the Nagara River are Imperial Fishermen of the Household Agency.

River communities

The river passes through or forms the boundary of the following communities:

;Gifu Prefecture: :Gujō, Mino, Seki, Gifu, Mizuho, Ōgaki, Anpachi, Wanouchi, Kaizu ;Aichi Prefecture: :Aisai ;Mie Prefecture: :Kuwana

References

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Nagaragawa_Mouth_of_River_Floodgate-1.jpg" caption="Barrage"] ::

References

1. [http://www.nagaragawa.org/ Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen]. {{in lang. ja Gifu Nagaragawa Onsen and Ryokan Cooperative. Accessed June 6, 2007.
2. [http://www.city.gifu.gifu.jp/kankou/08_eng_01.html Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River] {{webarchive. link. (2007-04-28 , Gifu City Hall. Accessed June 8, 2007.)

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::