Rivers of Japan are characterized by their relatively short lengths and considerably steep gradients due to the narrow and mountainous topography of the country. An often-cited quote is 'this is not a river, but a waterfall' by the Dutch engineer (o-yatoi gaikokujin) Johannis de Rijke who had visited the Jōganji River, Toyama Prefecture. The Mogami, the Fuji and the Kuma are regarded as the three most rapid rivers of Japan.
Typical rivers of Japan rise from mountainous forests and cut out deep V-shaped valleys in their upper reaches, and form alluvial plains in their lower reaches which enable the Japanese to cultivate rice fields and to set up cities. Most rivers are dammed to supply both water and electricity.
The longest river of Japan is the Shinano, which flows from Nagano to Niigata. The Tone has the largest watershed and serves water to more than 30 million inhabitants of Tokyo metropolitan area.
The list below is in geographical order (from north to south). See also Category:Rivers of Japan for an alphabetical list.
There are 316 rivers in Hokkaidō.
The following table is a list of rivers of Hokkaidō by length.
The following is a list of the 15 first class rivers (1級河川) under management by the Hokkaidō Regional Development Bureau (北海道開発局, Hōkaihatsukyoku):
Abashiri River
Ishikari River
Koetoi River
Kushiro River
Mu River
Rumoi River
Saru River
Shibetsu River
Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River
Shiribetsu River
Shokotsu River
Teshio River
Tokachi River
Tokoro River
Yūbetsu River
First class rivers under the control of Tohoku Regional Bureau (東北地方整備局
Iwaki River (岩木川) - Aomori
Takase River 高瀬川 - Aomori
Mabechi River (馬淵川) - Iwate, Aomori
Kitakami River (北上川) - Iwate, Miyagi
Naruse River (鳴瀬川) - Miyagi
Natori River (名取川) - Miyagi
Abukuma River (阿武隈川) - Miyagi, Fukushima
Yoneshiro River (米代川) - Akita, Iwate
Omono River (雄物川) - Akita
Koyoshi River (子吉川) - Akita
Mogami River (最上川) - Yamagata
Aka River (赤川) - Yamagata
Second class river
Oirase River (奥入瀬川)
First class rivers under the control of Kanto Regional Bureau (関東地方整備局)
Kuji-gawa 久慈川 - Fukushima, Ibaraki
Naka-gawa 那珂川 - Tochigi, Ibaraki
Tone-gawa (利根川) - largest drainage area, and second longest of Japan; Gunma, Nagano, Tochigi, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, Ibaraki
Edo-gawa (江戸川)
Arakawa 荒川 (関東) - Saitama, Tokyo
Sumida-gawa (隅田川)
Kanda-gawa (神田川)
Tama-gawa (多摩川) - Yamanashi, Tokyo, Kanagawa
Tsurumi-gawa (鶴見川) - Tokyo, Kanagawa
Sagami-gawa (相模川) - Yamanashi, Kanagawa
Fuji-kawa 富士川 - Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka
First-class rivers under the control of Hokuriku Regional Bureau (北陸地方整備局)
Ara River - Yamagata, Niigata
Agano River (阿賀野川) - Hukushima, Gunma, Niigata
Shinano River (信濃川) - Nagano, Gunma, Niigata
Seki River (関川) - Nagano, Niigata
Hime River (姫川) - Nagano, Niigata
Kurobe River (黒部川) - Toyama
Jōganji River (常願寺川) - Toyama
Jinzū River (神通川) - Gifu, Toyama
Shō River (庄川) - Gifu, Toyama
Oyabe River (小矢部川) - Ishikawa, Toyama
Tedori River (手取川) - Ishikawa
Kakehashi River (梯川) - Ishikawa
Rivers that flow into the Sea of Japan:
Agano-gawa (阿賀野川) - Niigata, Fukushima, Gunma
Shinano-gawa (信濃川) or Chikuma-gawa (千曲川) - longest of Japan
Seki-kawa (関川) - Nagano, Niigata
Hime-kawa (姫川) - Nagano, Niigata
Kurobe-gawa (黒部川) - Toyama
Jōganji-gawa (常願寺川) - Toyama
Jinzū-gawa (神通川) - Gifu, Toyama
Shō-gawa (庄川) - Gifu, Toyama
Oyabe-gawa (小矢部川) - Toyama, Ishikawa
Tedori-gawa (手取川) - Ishikawa
Kuzuryū-gawa (九頭竜川) - Gifu, Fukui
Rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean:
Fuji-kawa (富士川) - Nagano, Yamanashi, Shizuoka
Abe-kawa (安倍川) - Shizuoka
Ōi-gawa (大井川) - Shizuoka
Sakawa river (酒匂川) - Shizuoka, Kanagawa
Tenryū-gawa (天竜川) - Nagano, Aichi, Shizuoka
Toyo-gawa (豊川) - Aichi
Yahagi-gawa (矢作川) - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi
Shōnai-gawa (庄内川) - Gifu, Aichi
Kiso-gawa (木曽川) - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, Mie
Nagara-gawa (長良川) - Gifu, Aichi, Mie
Ibi-gawa (揖斐川) -Gifu, Mie
Kushida-gawa (櫛田川) - Mie
Miya-gawa (宮川) - Mie
First class rivers under control of Chubu Regional Bureau (中部地方整備局)
Kano-gawa 狩野川 - Shizuoka
Abe-kawa 安倍川 - Shizuoka
Ōi-gawa 大井川 - Shizuoka
Kiku-gawa 菊川 - Shizuoka
Tenryū-gawa 天竜川 - Nagano, Aichi, Shizuoka
Toyo-gawa 豊川 - Aichi
Yahagi-gawa 矢作川 - Nagano, Gifu, Aichi
Shōnai-gawa 庄内川 - Gifu, Aichi
Kiso-gawa 木曽川 - Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, Aichi, Mie
Suzuka-gawa 鈴鹿川 - Mie
Kumozu-gawa 雲出川 - Mie
Kushida-gawa 櫛田川 - Mie
Miya-gawa 宮川 - Mie
The first class rivers under the control of Kinki Regional Bureau (近畿地方整備局)
Kuzuryu-gawa 九頭竜川
Kita-gawa 北川 - Shiga, Fukui
Yura-gawa ja:由良川 - Hyogo, Kyoto
Yodo-gawa (淀川), Seta-gawa (瀬田川) or Uji-gawa (宇治川)
Yasu-gawa (野洲川)
Katsura-gawa (桂川), Hozu-gawa (保津川) or Ōi-gawa (大堰川)
Kamo-gawa (鴨川)
Kizu-gawa (木津川)
Dōton-bori (道頓堀)
Yamato-gawa (大和川) - Nara, Osaka
Maruyama-gawa (円山川) - Hyogo
Kako-gawa (加古川) - Hyogo
Ibo-gawa (揖保川) - Hyogo
Ki-no-kawa (紀ノ川, 紀の川) - Nara, Wakayama
Yamato-gawa (大和川) - Nara, Osaka
Kumano-gawa (熊野川) or Shingu-gawa (新宮川)- Nara, Mie, Wakayama
The second class river
Muko-gawa (武庫川)
First class rivers under control of Chugoku Regional Bureau (中国地方整備局)
Sendai River (千代川) - Tottori
Tenjin River (天神川) - Tottori
Hino River (日野川) - Tottori
Hii River (斐伊川) - Shimane, Tottori
Gō-no-kawa, or Gō-gawa (江の川, 江川) - Hiroshima, Shimane
Takatsu River (高津川) - Shimane
Yoshii River 吉井川 - Okayama
Asahi River 旭川 - Okayama
Takahashi River (高梁川) - Hiroshima, Okayama
Ashida River 芦田川 - Okayama, Hiroshima
Ōta-gawa (太田川) - Hiroshima
Ose River 小瀬川 - Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
Saba River 佐波川 - Yamaguchi
First class rivers under control of Shikoku Regional Bureau (四国地方整備局)
Yoshino-gawa (吉野川) - Kochi, Ehime, Tokushima, Kagawa
Naka-gawa 那賀川 - Tokushima
Doki-gawa 土器川 - Kagawa
Shigenobu-gawa 重信川 - Ehime
Hiji-kawa ja:肱川 - Ehime
Monobe-kawa 物部川 - Kochi 6
Niyodo-gawa 仁淀川 - Ehime, Kochi
Shimanto-gawa (四万十川) - Ehime, Kochi
First class rivers under control of Kyushu Regional Bureau (九州地方整備局)
Onga-gawa 遠賀川 - Fukuoka
Yamakuni-gawa 山国川 - Oita, Fukuoka
Chikugo-gawa (筑後川) - Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, Saga
Yabe-gawa 矢部川 - Fukuoka
Matsuura-gawa 松浦川 - Saga
Rokkaku-gawa 六角川 - Saga
Kase-gawa 嘉瀬川 - Saga
Honmyo-gawa 本明川 - Nagasaki
Kikuchi-gawa 菊池川 - Kumamoto
Shira-kawa 白川 - Kumamoto
Midori-gawa 緑川 - Kumamoto
Kuma-gawa (球磨川) - Kumamoto
Ōita-gawa 大分川 - Ōita
Oono-gawa 大野川 - Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Ōita
Banjo-gawa 番匠川 - Ōita
Gokase-gawa 五ヶ瀬川 - Kumamoto, Ōita, Miyazaki
Omaru-gawa 小丸川 - Miyazaki
Ōyodo-gawa 大淀川 - Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki
Sendai-gawa 川内川 - Miyazaki, Kagoshima
Kimotsuki-gawa 肝属川, 肝付川 - Kagoshima