TheShimanto River(Tứ vạn thập xuyên,Shimanto-gawa)is a river in westernKōchi Prefecture,Japan.[1]196 km in length, it has a watershed of 2,270 km2.
Since the river is remote from major cities and does not have anydams,it is sometimes referred to as "the last clear stream of Japan".Fishingand production ofnoriis a thriving industry along the river.[citation needed]It has been named one of the "Three Free-Flowing Rivers in Japan", along with theNagara RiverinGifu Prefectureand theKakita RiverinShizuoka Prefecture.
The river also has 47chinkabashi(Thẩm hạ kiều,sinking bridges),including those of tributaries.[2]Chinkabashi arelow-water crossingsconstructed withoutparapetsin order not to be washed away by floods. The prefecture decided to preserve them as acultural heritage.
