Ukawa river

Overview

The Ukawa River is a second-class river on the Tango Peninsula in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Running through Kyotango and Miyazu, it stretches about 17.89 km with a basin of 54.2 sq km, making it the second-largest river on the peninsula after the Takeno. Gathering water from the Takao, Kongo-Doji and Taiko mountains, its clear stream threads through rural valleys before reaching the Sea of Japan.

Highlights

• ●The peninsula's second-largest river after the Takeno
• ●Clear waters that nurture prized ayu sweetfish
• ●The upstream stretch known as the Nomagawa
• ●Coastal valley scenery near the river mouth

History

The upper and middle reaches rise in the Seya district of Miyazu and the Noma area of Yasaka in Kyotango, where the river has long been known by a different name, the Nomagawa. Local communities drew on the valley waters for farming and daily life, growing up alongside the river. In its lower reaches through the Ukawa district of Tango, it takes the name Ukawa, and this change of name mirrors how closely the land and its people are tied to the flow.

Map

35.7542, 135.1629 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Sense the headwater valley air in the upstream Noma area
2. 2Follow the river down past rural hills and rice fields
3. 3Feel the bond between clear water and daily life in Ukawa
4. 4See the current empty into the Sea of Japan at Hei

Did you know?

💡 The Ukawa is celebrated for the ayu sweetfish that thrive in its pure water. That a single river is called Nomagawa upstream and Ukawa downstream is itself a reflection of local history.

Nearby spots