Kamo River

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

It rises from Mount Sajiki 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 the residents and tourists. In summer, restaurants open balconies looking out to the river.

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

Demachiyanagi, in northern Kyoto where the Kamo River joins the Takano River, is a popular spot for barbecues in the summer.

[edit] History

It was the east limits 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: armed monks, dice, and 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 Canal (高瀬川 Takasegawa) 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 over the river is a famous legend laid in the latest Heian period. Sanjō Bridge was regarded as the west end of the Tōkaidō during the Edo period.

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