Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River 後志利別川
Looking downstream from the Majo Bridge
Native name	Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu-gawa (Japanese)
Location
Country	Japan
State	Hokkaidō
Region	Hiyama
District	Kudō District, Setana
Municipalities	Imakane, Setana
Physical characteristics

Source	Mount Oshamanbe
• location	Imakane, Hokkaidō, Japan
• coordinates	42°35′9″N 140°11′22″E / 42.58583°N 140.18944°E / 42.58583; 140.18944
• elevation	972.6 m (3,191 ft)

Mouth	Sea of Japan
• location	Setana, Hokkaidō, Japan
• coordinates	42°25′30″N 139°50′33″E / 42.42500°N 139.84250°E / 42.42500; 139.84250
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	80 km (50 mi)
Basin size	720 km² (280 sq mi)

Discharge
• average	27.55 m³/s (973 cu ft/s)

Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River (後志利別川, Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu-gawa) is a Class A river in Hokkaidō, Japan. It flows through Hiyama District, and empties into the Sea of Japan.^[1]

It is the only Class A river in Southern Hokkaidō, and thus is considered to be extremely important for agriculture and flood control.^[2]

The river has been voted the "Cleanest River in Japan" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) 10 times between 1987 and 2006.^[3]^[2]

Geography

The Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu river originates from the ridge between Mount Taihei and Mount Oshamambe-dake. Its catchment area is 720 square kilometres (280 sq mi) and its stream length is 80 kilometres (50 mi). The river flows through Imakane, Setana. and Kitahiyama, Hokkaido.^[3]^[2]

Climate

The basin is located at the northern limit of the temperate climate and is relatively warm due to the influence of the Tsushima Current moving northward across the Sea of Japan.^[3]

Origin of name

The name Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu was formed by adding the word Shiribeshi to distinguish the river from the Toshibetsu River in Tokachi Subprefecture. Shiribeshi was the name of a province which existed between 1869 and 1882. The name Toshibetsu is thought to originate from the Ainu words toshu betsu, meaning 'meandering river', or to ushi betsu, meaning 'river with many marshes'.^[2]

References

^ 北海道開発局, 国土交通省. "後志利別川". 北海道開発局 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-10-16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Shiribeshitoshibetsu River - Outline of Flood Control Projects" (PDF).
^ ^a ^b ^c "後志利別川 / 檜山を旅しよう - 檜山振興局産業振興部商工労働観光課". www.hiyama.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp. Retrieved 2021-10-16.

River systems and rivers of Japan

Rivers of Hokkaido

Sea of Japan	Ishikari River Chitose River Toyohira River Makomanai River Anano River Yūbari River Koetoi River Rumoi River Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River Shiribetsu River Teshio River Zenibako River
Sea of Okhotsk	Abashiri River Shibetsu River Shokotsu River Tokoro River Yūbetsu River
Pacific Ocean	Akan River Kushiro River Mitsuishi River Mu River Niikappu River Saru River Shizunai River Tokachi River
Rivers of Hokkaido on Commons

Rivers of Honshu

Tōhoku region	Abukuma River Arakawa River Iwaki River Kitakami River Komagome River Koyoshi River Mabechi River Mogami River Natori River Ōhata River Oirase River Omono River Yoneshiro River
Kantō region	Arakawa River Edo River Fuji River Kanda River Kuji River Naka River Sagami River Sumida River Tama River Tone River Tsurumi River
Chūbu region	Agano River Shinano River Seki River Hime River Kurobe River Jōganji River Jinzū River Shō River Oyabe River Tedori River Kuzuryū River Fuji River Abe River Ōi River Sakawa River Tenryū River Toyo River Yahagi River Shōnai River Kiso Three Rivers Kiso River Nagara River Ibi River Kushida River Miya River Kita River Minami River
Kansai region	Choshi River Ibo River Kako River Kinokawa River Kumano River Kuzuryu River Maruyama River Muko River Yamato River Yodo River Yasu River Katsura River Kamo River Kizu River Dōton River Yura River
Chūgoku region	Asahi River Ashida River Gōnokawa River Hino River Hii River Ōta River Oze River Saba River Sendai River Takahashi River Takatsu River Tenjin River Yoshii River

Rivers of Shikoku

Aibiki River
Shimanto River
Shinmachi River
- Suketō River
- Tamiya River
- Sako River
- Sumiyoshijima River
Yoshino River
- Dōzan River

Rivers of Kyushu

Kyushu	Arie River Chikugo River Kikuchi River Kuma River Mimi River Ōno River Ōyodo River
Yaeyama Islands	Kokuba River Nakama River Urauchi River

Rivers of Japan Category
Rivers of Japan on Commons