1. Kushirogawa (Hokkaido)

Photographer’s comments: I shot this from a canoe, drifting downstream through the vast Kushiro Shitsugen (Wetlands) National Park. The undammed Kushirogawa is a mecca for canoeists. The ancient forests seem to draw you in, and the air is heavy with the sensual aroma of untamed nature.

River data: From its source at Lake Kussharo, the river snakes through the wide Kushiro wetlands to the Pacific. The river’s course provides a habitat for a wide array of species, including the brown bear, Yezo deer, Japanese crane, and Siberian salamander. Length: 154km; Grade-one river.