Kizu River

Overview

The Kizu River (木津川, Kizu-gawa) is a first-class river flowing through Mie and Kyoto prefectures as a tributary of the Yodo River system. It gathers the Tsuge and Hattori rivers in Iga City, Mie, and the Nabari River in Minamiyamashiro, Kyoto. The stretch upstream of the Nabari confluence is sometimes called the Iga River.

Highlights

• ●A first-class river of the Yodo River system crossing Mie and Kyoto
• ●Joined by the Tsuge and Hattori rivers at Iga City
• ●Named after the riverside place name Kizu, meaning an old timber port
• ●Identified with the Izumi River praised in a classical waka poem

History

The name Kizu derives from a place along the banks where, in the Nara period, a port was built to land timber used for constructing the capital of Heijō-kyō and other city palaces. In the Edo period, six officially recognized landing points along the river, Kasagi, Mikanohara, Kamo, Kizu, Haze, and Imoarai, were established, and river transport by cargo boats to the Yodo River confluence flourished. The Izumi River celebrated in a waka by the courtier Kanesuke is also said to refer to this river.

Map

34.8343, 135.7715 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1View the confluence with the Tsuge and Hattori rivers around Iga City in the upper basin
2. 2Travel downstream toward Minamiyamashiro to see where the Nabari River joins
3. 3Stroll along the natural riverbanks within the Kyoto section of the basin
4. 4Return to the nearby town and reflect on the history behind the Kizu place name

Did you know?

💡 The place name Kizu, which gave the river its name, refers to a port where timber for building the capital was unloaded during the Nara period.

Nearby spots