23. Shimantogawa (Ehime, Kōchi)

Photographer’s comments: Most Japanese rivers have been subjected to dramatic changes over the past fifty years. The location of the Shimantogawa in rural Shikoku has saved it from development and the river retains a strong sense of the past. This near-miraculous survivor remains redolent with a sense of life.

River data: From its source in Mt. Irazuyama, the Shimantogawa flows gently through the mountains from the town of Nakamura till it reaches the Pacific. Famous as one of the last major undammed rivers in Japan. Length: 196km; Grade-one river.