Shimanto River Network Community

Japan.Endless Discovery

This is a community website where all the lovers of Shimanto River can visit to network and seek interchanges.

Welcome to the Shimanto River Valley

Shimanto River, which is known as the last clear stream in Japan, finds its source on the eastern slopes of Mt. Irazuyama in the northwestern region of Tsuno-cho (former name, Higashi-tsunomura), which is located at the border of Kochi and Ehime Prefectures. Streaming down from an altitude of 1200 meters, the river meanders through as it merges with many tributaries along the way, swelling up with increasing amounts of water until it becomes one great river flowing mildly down southward. The upstream region of Shimanto River is blessed with gorges, scenic woods, and cascades - a variety of large and small picturesque natural sceneries.

By the middle basin, Shimanto River, now joined by many more tributaries, winds back and forth until reaching Kubokawa town where its southward flow is once interrupted by a plateau, then shifting westward from there to gradually reach Taisho town to merge with its largest tributary, the Yuzuhara River. Then farther on through the former Nishitosa-mura village (today, Shimanto Town), the second-largest tributary Hiromi River joins the river, which now resumes its flow southward.

Then, in the downstream region, the river continues to heave ever southward through the town areas until it pours out into the Pacific Ocean (Tosa Bay).
Finally at this point, the journey of the river concludes and meets the oceanwater exposed to the black tides, thus creating a region of brackish waters - a mysterious realm of waters that belongs to neither the sea nor the river.