Naruse River

A river that flows through the center of Miyagi Prefecture. It is a first-class river. It is 89 km long and has a drainage area of ​​1,130 square km. It originates at the northern foot of Mt. Funagata on the border with Yamagata Prefecture, flows south around the north of the Omatsuzawa Hills, crosses the Matsushima Hills, and empties into Ishinomaki Bay in Higashimatsushima City. In ancient times, the riverside was an important transportation route connecting Taga Castle and Dewa Province, and during the Sendai Domain era, there was boat transport from the mouth of the river to Yokaichiba in Kami Town, and grain mills and storehouses were located in river ports such as Sanbongi and Kami Town in Osaki City. Efforts to protect this major rice-producing region have continued, such as building a dike between the old course of the Eai River, which runs parallel to the river in the middle reaches, to artificially merge the two rivers only during floods, and digging the Shinyoshida River parallel to the Naruse River in the lower reaches to drain the Shinai Marsh. A canal connects the river's mouth in Nobiru with the mouth of the Kitakami River and Matsushima Bay.

[Kiyotaka Sakaida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宮城県の中央部を流れる川。一級河川。延長89キロメートル。流域面積1130平方キロメートル。山形県境の船形山(ふながたやま)北麓(ほくろく)に発し、大松沢丘陵の北を回って南流し、松島丘陵を横断して東松島(ひがしまつしま)市で石巻湾(いしのまきわん)に注ぐ。河川沿いは、古くは多賀城と出羽(でわ)国とを結ぶ重要な交通路であり、仙台藩時代には河口から加美(かみ)町四日市場(よっかいちば)まで舟運があり、大崎(おおさき)市三本木や加美町などの河港には本穀所や蔵などが置かれた。中流部で並行して流れる江合川(えあいがわ)の旧流路との間には、洪水時にのみ人工的に合流させる導流堤がつくられ、下流部では品井沼の排水用に鳴瀬川に並行して新吉田川を掘削するなど、有数の米作地帯を守る努力が続けられてきた。河口の野蒜(のびる)は運河によって北上(きたかみ)川の河口や松島湾と結ばれる。

［境田清隆］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例