Abukuma River

This river flows north through Nakadori, Fukushima Prefecture, and empties into the Pacific Ocean at Arahama, Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture. It is a first-class river. It is 239 km long and has a drainage area of ​​5,400 square km. It originates near Mt. Sanbonyari in the Nasu volcanic group on the border between Fukushima and Tochigi Prefectures, flows between the Abukuma Highlands and the Ou Mountains, passes through the Koriyama and Fukushima basins, enters Miyagi Prefecture, and flows north. In the past, it was written as Okuma, Okuma, and Gomaguri. "Kuma" means a bend, and considering that the river had a large bend until the early Meiji period, the theory that it evolved from the Omagari River seems plausible. In early modern times, there was water transport, and the Sendai Domain began shipping between Arahama in the lower reaches and Numa no Ue (Marumori Town, Igu County, Miyagi Prefecture) during the Kan'ei era (1624-1644), with shipping between Numa no Ue and Fukushima beginning around 1665 (Kanbun 5). There was also convenient shipping between Oniuda (Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture) and Kawarada (Nakajima Village, Nishi Shirakawa County, Fukushima Prefecture). A shipping route was opened between Oniuda and Saimata (Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture) in the early Meiji period. The main purpose of shipping in early modern times was to transport rice for the shogunate's castle. Between the Abukuma Gorge (Horai Gorge) in the middle reaches and the floor of the Fukushima Basin, there is a drop of over 100 meters, and a gorge is carved into the granite bedrock. During the feudal period, this was a rapids section that was impossible to navigate, but now there is a power station. Parts of the main stream are used as a source of irrigation water and water supply. Salmon swim up the river as far as Fukushima City. The Abukuma River is also often used as a pillow word for poetry, such as the poem "Mist rises in Abukuma, and even if the clouds do not clear, I will not wait for you" (Azuma Uta) in the Kokinshu. The Abukuma River is often used as a reference to "meeting," and there are many old poems that include buried trees, which are often found in the riverbed.

[Yasuda Hatsuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福島県中通(なかどお)りを北流し、宮城県亘理町(わたりちょう)荒浜(あらはま)で太平洋に注ぐ川。一級河川。延長239キロメートル、流域面積5400平方キロメートル。福島・栃木県境の那須(なす)火山群の三本槍岳(さんぼんやりだけ)付近に源を発し、阿武隈高地と奥羽山脈の間を流れ、郡山(こおりやま)、福島両盆地を経て宮城県に入り、北流する。古くは大熊、逢隈、合曲などと表記した。「隈」は屈曲を意味し、明治初期まで大きく曲流していたことを考え合わせると、大曲川から転化したとする説が妥当とみられる。近世には舟運があり、下流部の荒浜―沼上(ぬまのうえ)（宮城県伊具(いぐ)郡丸森町）間は寛永(かんえい)年間（1624～1644）に仙台藩が通船を開始、沼上―福島間の開始は1665年（寛文5）ごろである。鬼生田(おにうだ)（福島県郡山市）―川原田（同県西白河(にししらかわ)郡中島村）間にも舟運の便があった。鬼生田―才俣(さいまた)（同県二本松(にほんまつ)市）間は明治初年に船路が開かれた。近世の舟運は幕府の城米輸送がおもな目的であった。中流の阿武隈峡（蓬莱峡(ほうらいきょう)）付近と福島盆地床との間は100メートル余りの落差があり、花崗(かこう)岩からなる岩盤に峡谷を刻む。藩政期には通船不能の急流部であったが、現在では発電所が設けられている。本流の一部では灌漑(かんがい)用水源や上水道水源に利用される。福島市付近までサケが上っている。また歌枕(うたまくら)としても『古今集』の「阿武隈に霧たちくもり明けぬとも君をばやらじ待てばすべなし」（東歌(あずまうた)）など多く詠まれており、阿武隈川を「会う」にかけることが多く、また川底から埋(うも)れ木が発見されることから埋れ木を詠み込んだ古歌も多い。

［安田初雄］

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