Gonokawa River

The longest river in the Chugoku region. It is 194 km long and has a drainage area of ​​3,870 square km. It is also called "Gogawa" or "Gonogawa" and is written as "Egawa". It is also called "Chugoku Taro". It originates in the Asayama mountain range on the border between Hiroshima and Shimane prefectures, flows east and north through northern Hiroshima prefecture, and merges with the Kannose, Saijo, and Basen rivers near Miyoshi city. It then becomes a leading river, crosses the Chugoku mountain range, and flows north through central Shimane prefecture toward Mt. Sanbe, forming gorges and river terraces. It turns west at Kasubuchi in Misato town and empties into the Sea of ​​Japan at Gotsu city. The river upstream from Miyoshi city is called the Enogawa. Also known as the "Nounashi River" because it does not form an alluvial plain downstream, there are many records of major floods. However, with an abundant volume of water and a gentle slope, water transport has flourished since ancient times, and the river has served as a cultural, religious and economic route connecting San'in and San'yo. In the early modern period, the management of the Iwami silver mine and the advancement of tatara ironworking in the weathered granite areas of the river basin led to the development of river ports and the Toshin settlements of Gotsu, Kawamoto and Hamahara on the Shimane side, and Miyoshi and Sakugi on the Hiroshima side. The boats going up the river were loaded with rice, salt, tea and roofing tiles, while the boats going down the river were loaded with paper mulberry, timber, firewood and charcoal, Japanese paper and pig iron, as well as people. In 1930 (Showa 5), ​​the JR Sanko Line was opened along the Gono River between Gotsu (then called Iwami Gotsu) and Kawado, but shipping there declined and became impossible with the construction of the Hamahara Dam (the Sanko Line was discontinued in 2018). There are gorges such as the Dangyokei and Senjokei valleys, as well as many waterfalls, and sweetfish fishing is also popular.

[Akifumi Nomoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国地方第一の長流。延長194キロメートル、流域面積3870平方キロメートル。「ごうがわ」「ごうのがわ」ともいい、江川とも記す。中国太郎ともよばれる。広島・島根県境の阿佐山(あさやま)山塊に源を発し、広島県北部を東流し北流して三次(みよし)市付近で神瀬(かんのせ)、西城(さいじょう)、馬洗(ばせん)の3川と合流ののち、先行性河川となって中国山地を横断し、峡谷と河岸段丘を形成しながら島根県中央部を三瓶山(さんべさん)に向けて北流。美郷(みさと)町粕淵(かすぶち)で河流を西に転じ江津(ごうつ)市で日本海に注ぐ。三次市より上流を可愛川(えのがわ)という。下流に沖積平野をつくらず「能無(のうなし)川」ともいわれ、また、大水害の記録が多い。とはいえ、水量が豊かで勾配(こうばい)は緩く、古来水運が盛んで山陰と山陽を結ぶ文化、宗教、経済の通過路となる。近世には、石見(いわみ)銀山経営と流域花崗岩(かこうがん)風化地域でのたたら製鉄の進展により、島根側で江津、川本、浜原、広島側で三次、作木(さくぎ)などの河港や渡津(としん)集落が発展した。上り舟には米、塩、茶、瓦(かわら)類、下り舟にはコウゾ、木材、薪炭、和紙、銑鉄(せんてつ)を積み、人も乗せた。1930年（昭和5）江の川に沿ってJR三江(さんこう)線が江津（当時の名称は石見江津）―川戸間に開通してからは舟運は衰退し、浜原ダムの築造で航行は不能となった（三江線は2018年に廃線）。断魚渓(だんぎょけい)、千丈渓(せんじょうけい)などの峡谷や多くの滝があり、アユ釣りも行われる。

［野本晃史］

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