Kamo River

The Kamo River (Japanese: 鴨川 or 賀茂川, "Kamo-gawa") is a river in Kyoto, Japan. It is 31 km long and is a tributary of the Yodo River.

It rises from Mount Sajikigatake in the north of Kyoto, and goes through the center of the city and then meets the Katsura River at Fushimi. The riverbanks are popular walks for residents and tourists. In summer, restaurants open balconies looking out to the river.

In Kyoto there are pathways on which one can walk along the river. Though the water level is usually relatively low—significantly less than one meter in most places—during the rainy season, these pathways sometimes flood in their lower stretches.

nihongo|Demachiyanagi|出町柳, in northern Kyoto where the Kamo River joins the nihongo|Takano River|高野川|Takano-gawa, is a popular spot for barbecues in the summer.

Geographic Description

The source of the Kamo River is Sajikigatake Mountain in the Northern ward of Kyoto city. After running through the mountain town of Kumogahata, it enters the Kyoto basin at Kamigamo in the Kita (North) ward. Running south-south-east between Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine, it is joined by the Takano River at the Kamo Bridge (at Imadegawa Street) and then continues due south through Kyoto City's Nakagyo (Central) ward. In the vicinity of the Shijo Bridge, flanking the famous Gion area, it shifts again towards the south-west and runs until Kamitoba in the southern Fushimi ward where it flows into the Katsura River. When running through the Nakagyo ward, the Kamo River splits west into the nihongo|Takase River|高瀬川|Takasegawa which runs southward parallel to it.

Onomastics

In Japanese the river is called "Kamo-gawa", and is generally written using the kanji compound 鴨川. The first kanji means "wild duck" and is read "kamo", and the second kanji means "river" and is read "gawa". However, north of Imadegawa Street (the point where it is met by the Takano River) "Kamo-gawa" is generally written using a different kanji compound, 賀茂川 (and less frequently 加茂川). Otherwise, from the Deai Bridge until the Iwaya Bridge north of Kyoto city it is called Kumogahatagawa (雲が畑川) as it passes through the Kumogahata village. North of the Iwaya Bridge until its source the Kamo River is known as Ojitanigawa (祖父谷川).

History

The Kamo River was the eastern limit of Heiankyō, and had a significant meaning according to fengshui. Since the route of the river is highly linear, some people believe it was artificial, though no record of massive construction exists.

Floods often threatened the ancient capital. Emperor Shirakawa recited his three unmanageable things: Sōhei (armed monks of Enryaku-ji), dice, and the water of the Kamo River. These days, however, the riverbanks are reinforced with concrete and have improved drainage systems. The merchant Suminokura Ryōi constructed the Takase River on a parallel with the Kamo River in early 17th century. Transportation was done on the canal instead of the unstable mainstream.

The encounter between Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Benkei at Gojō Bridge (not the present one, but presumably Matsubara Bridge) over the river is a famous legend set in the late Heian period. Sanjō Bridge was regarded as the west end of the Tōkaidō during the Edo period.

In the past, the river was a crucial source of relatively pure drinking water for Kyoto residents. It also played a role in Kyoyuzen dyeing, a famous craft of Kyoto.