10. Tamagawa (Yamanashi, Kanagawa, Tokyo)

Photographer’s comments: I walk my dog along the banks of the Tamagawa twice a day. With the peaks of the Tanzawa Mountains and Mt. Fuji visible in the distance, nature is still alive and well in the wide basin of the great urban river. I come here on a daily basis to invigorate myself in the fresh air, looking up above me as I walk and marveling at the wide expanse of sky overhead.

River data: From its source in Mt. Kasatori in Okuchichibu, the river merges with mountain streams in the Taba Valley before flowing into the Okutama Lake in municipal Tokyo. After merging with numerous tributaries, it finally empties into Tokyo Bay. This is a major river, flowing through the nation’s capital, but glimpses of unspoilt nature still remain along the banks of the river, making it an urban oasis in the middle of the city. Length: 138 km long; Grade-one river.