Kuriyama River

Kuriyama River
Kuriyama River in Katori, Chiba Prefecture
Native name	栗山川
Country	Japan
Physical characteristics
Main source	Shimōsa Plateau in Narita or Sawara, Katori, Chiba Prefecture 30 m (98 ft)
River mouth	Pacific Ocean at Yokoshibahikari, Chiba Prefecture 0 m (0 ft) 35°36′30.48″N 140°32′04.04″E / 35.6084667°N 140.5344556°E / 35.6084667; 140.5344556Coordinates: 35°36′30.48″N 140°32′04.04″E / 35.6084667°N 140.5344556°E / 35.6084667; 140.5344556
Length	38.8 km (24.1 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	292.3 km2 (112.9 sq mi)

The Kuriyama River (栗山川, Kuriyama-gawa) is a river in northeast Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is 38.8 kilometers (24.1 mi) in length and has a drainage area of 292.3 square kilometers (112.9 sq mi), the second largest in Chiba Prefecture. Under the Rivers Act of 1906 the Kuriyama is designated as a Class 2 River. The Kuriyama is known as the southernmost river in Japan with a salmon run. The Yamakuragawa Fishing Port (栗山川漁港, Kuriyamagawa Gyokō) is located at the mouth of the river in Yokoshibahikari.

By tradition, in the 7th century the former town of Kurihara, now part of Katori, saw an influx of immigrants from the Korean Peninsula. The area around the river was called 句麗山 (Kuriyama), a name and kanji character usage of likely origin from the Korean language. The river was later written with its current combination of two kanji characters. The first, means "chestnut", and the second, , means "mountain".

The source of the Kuriyama River is on the central Shimōsa Plateau in Narita or Sawara, Katori. Kurimoto, a former village in Katori, means "source of the Kuri." This area of northern Chiba Prefecture originally consisted of grassland and marshes, and was developed for agricultural use over time. The Kuriyama is connected to the Tone River by the Ryōsō Canal (80 kilometres (50 mi)), completed in 1967, which provides water for paddy irrigation. The Kuriyama River segment of the canal is called the Kuriyamagawa Canal (栗山川疎水路, Kuriyamagawa Kosuiro), and is 11.7 kilometres (7.3 mi) long. The drainage area of the Kuriyama crosses eight towns and cities across a wide part of northeastern Chiba Prefecture. They include Narita, Katori, Sōsa, Asahi, Tako, Shibayama, Sanmu, and Yokoshibahikari. The Kuriyama crosses the Kujūkuri Plain and pours into the Pacific Ocean at the midpoint of Kujūkuri Beach in Yokoshibahikari.