Yoneshiro River

A river that flows west through northern Akita Prefecture and empties into the Sea of ​​Japan. It is a first-class river. It is one of the three major rivers in Akita Prefecture. It is 136 km long (110 km in Akita Prefecture), with a drainage area of ​​4,100 square kilometers. It collects water from the Anise River, Neishi River, and other rivers that originate in the Ou Mountains of Iwate Prefecture, and when it enters Akita Prefecture, it flows through the Hanawa, Odate, and Takanosu basins and the Noshiro Plain before flowing into the Sea of ​​Japan. It has 31 tributaries, the main ones being the Kosaka River in the mining area, the Nagaki River, Iwase River, and Hayaguchi River in the forest area, and the Ani River where the Ani Mine is located. The river crosses the Ou Mountains and the Dewa Mountains, with an average gradient of 1 in 670, and the river course is stepped around Niageba, Hayakuchi, Otaki, and Yuze, which caused considerable restrictions during the river traffic era. Boat transport has been used since the Edo period to transport minerals and Akita cedar from the river basin to Noshiro along the Sea of ​​Japan. River ports such as Niageba (Noshiro City), Takanosu (Kitaakita City), Odate, Ogida, and Juunisho (Odate City) developed from the river mouth, and large ships carrying 200 bales of rice passed as far as Ogida. The usual end of the journey was Juunisho, and when the wind was good, the river went up to Sawajiri (Kazuno City). During the Tenpo era (1830-1844), rice, soybeans, perilla meal, copper, sulfur, etc. were transported from upstream, and salt, Matsumae products (seafood and processed seafood products), sugar, ginned cotton, and daily necessities were unloaded upstream from Noshiro Port. After the Ouu Line was completed in 1905 (Meiji 38), shipping by boat declined.

[Reijiro Miyazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

秋田県北部を西流して日本海に注ぐ川。一級河川。秋田県三大河川の一つ。延長136キロメートル（秋田県側で110キロメートル）、流域面積4100平方キロメートル。岩手県の奥羽山脈に発する兄(せ)川、根石川などの水を集め、秋田県に入ると花輪、大館(おおだて)、鷹巣(たかのす)の各盆地と能代(のしろ)平野を貫流して日本海に流入する。支流は31に及び、おもな支流に、鉱山地帯の小坂川、森林地帯の長木川・岩瀬川・早口(はやぐち)川、阿仁(あに)鉱山のある阿仁川などがある。奥羽山脈、出羽山地を横断する先行河川で平均勾配(こうばい)は670分の1、荷上場(にあげば)、早口、大滝、湯瀬(ゆぜ)付近は流路が階段状をなすため、河川交通時代にはかなりの制約を受けた。流域の鉱産物や秋田杉を日本海沿いの能代まで運ぶため江戸時代から舟運が利用されてきた。河口から荷上場（能代市）、鷹巣（北秋田市）、大館(おおだて)・扇田(おうぎだ)・十二所(じゅうにしょ)（大館市）などの河港が発達し、扇田までは200俵積みの大船が通った。終航地は普通は十二所で、風のよいときは沢尻(さわしり)（鹿角(かづの)市）まで上った。天保(てんぽう)年間（1830～1844）には上流から米、大豆、荏粕(えかす)、銅、硫黄(いおう)などを運び、能代港からは塩、松前物（水産物・水産加工物）、砂糖、繰綿(くりわた)、日用品を上流に荷揚げした。1905年（明治38）奥羽線が全通してから舟運は衰えた。

［宮崎禮次郎］

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