15. Yuragawa (Fukui, Shiga, Kyoto)

Photographer’s comments: There is an eerie, mysterious air to the mornings here, as the clouds of mist and fog weave patterns that seem to shift by the second. In the flat contours of the plains, the vapor from evaporating river water forms easily into fog.

River data: From its source in Mt. Sangoku on the border between three prefectures, the Yuragawa flows to the Sea of Japan, joining with numerous tributaries on the way. The river is famous for its mist- and fog-bound scenery. Length: 146km; Grade-one river.