Natori River

Overview

The Natori River is a Class A river roughly 55 km long that flows through central Miyagi Prefecture and empties into the Pacific at Sendai Bay, forming the main stem of the Natori River system. Rising in the Ōu Mountains, it waters the Sendai Plain as it passes through Natori and Sendai on its way to the sea. Celebrated in classical Japanese poetry as an utamakura, it appears in many waka alongside the image of buried wood, giving it a refined literary history.

Highlights

• ●The roughly 55 km main stem of the Natori system, from the Ōu Mountains to Sendai Bay
• ●Its literary standing as an utamakura sung alongside buried wood
• ●A rich flow gathering tributaries like the Hirose, Masuda and Goishi Rivers
• ●Its role as a water source supporting about one million people in Sendai

History

The Natori River rises in the Ōu Mountains within the Zaō range and flows eastward across the Sendai Plain before draining into Sendai Bay on the Pacific coast. Long known as an utamakura, it was sung in waka together with umoregi, timber long buried underground. Gathering tributaries such as the Hirose, Masuda and Goishi Rivers, it is also a vital waterway supplying water for about one million people in Sendai.

Map

38.1751, 140.9596 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Take in the valleys and headwaters on the upstream Zaō and Ōu Mountain side
2. 2Enjoy views from the riverbanks and bridges along the middle course on the Sendai Plain
3. 3Stroll the riverside while recalling the Natori as an utamakura of classical poetry
4. 4Head downstream to the Sendai Bay coast to see where river meets sea

Did you know?

💡 The Natori River is famous as an utamakura of classical waka, sung across the ages as a symbol reflecting the human heart, together with the image of buried wood resting on its bed. In practical terms it still sustains modern life as a water source for about one million people in Sendai.

Nearby spots