Tama River
Encyclopedia
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Yamanashi
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
, Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Prefectures on Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
.
Its total length is 138 km, about 85.75 miles (138 km), and the total of the river's basin area spans 1.240 km², more than 770 square miles (1,994.3 km²).
The river flows through Tokyo, on the dividing line between Tokyo and Kanagawa. In the city, its banks are lined with parks and sports fields, making the river a popular picnic spot.
Course
Its source is located in Mt. Kasadori in KoshuKoshu, Yamanashi
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on November 1, 2005, when the city of Enzan was merged with the town of Katsunuma, and the village of Yamato, both from Higashiyamanashi District, to form the new city of Kōshū....
in Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...
. From there, it flows eastward into mountainous western Tokyo, where the Ogōchi Dam forms Lake Okutama
Lake Okutama
is in Tokyo and Yamanashi Prefectures in Japan. Lying above the Ogōchi Dam, it is also known as the Ogōchi Reservoir. The lake occupies part of the town of Okutama in Nishitama District, Tokyo and the village of Tabayama in Kitatsuru District, Yamanashi...
. From there, it takes the name Tama, and flows eastwards through Chichibu Tama Kai National Park towards Ōme, Tokyo
Ome, Tokyo
is a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 139,932 and a density of 1,355.14 persons per km². The total area is 103.26 km².The characters 青梅 literally mean blue ume, or Japanese apricot....
.
From there flows southeast between Tama Hills
Tama Hills
is an area of hills stretching across southwest Tokyo and northeast Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kantō Plain on Honshū, Japan. Its total area is approximately 300 km2...
and Musashino Terrace
Musashino Terrace
The Musashino Terrace , also translated as Musashino Platform, is a large platform of land, known as a river terrace, in the Kantō region of Honshū, Japan....
. At Hamura
Hamura, Tokyo
is a city located in the western end of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 57,145 and a population density of 5,770 persons per km². The total area was 9.91 km². The J-Pop singing duet Cazacy calls Hamura home....
is the source of the historic Tamagawa Waterway built by the Tamagawa brothers in 1653 to supply water to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(present day Tokyo). Further downstream, the river forms the boundary between Tokyo and the city of Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. Its mouth on the heavily industrialised Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
is next to Haneda Airport.
Flooding
Tama River is very prone to flooding, and has wreaked havoc on surrounding areas throughout history. On occasions the river even changed its course after massive floods, sometimes dividing pre-existing settlements in two. As a result, there are several locations where the place names on opposing sides of the river are the same, such as Todoroki. The current course was set as a result of a 1590 flood.Levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s have been in place for hundreds of years, but floodwaters have breached them numerous times in history. Extensive engineering projects in the early 20th Century have dramatically reduced the amount of flood damage, although a 1974 typhoon caused floodwaters to burst a levee in Komae and washed away 19 houses.
The levees have not been breached since 1974. Projects to further upgrade the levees have been underway since 1990.
As with most major rivers in Japan, the levees are built some distance away from the river itself to accommodate the extra floodwater. The open expanse between the levees and the river in the middle is covered in grass and shrubbery, forming a much-needed belt of greenery and wide open space which is used as playing fields in many places.
Wildlife
Rapid post-war urbanisation of surrounding areas took its toll on Tama River, whose water quality in the urban areas plummeted from 1950's onwards rendering it uninhabitable for most species. Pollution control measures and the river's official designation as a wildlife protection zoneProtected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
have now led to the return of many species.
Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, cherry salmon, iwana (char
Salvelinus
Salvelinus is a genus of salmonid fish often called char or charr; some species are called "trout". Salvelinus is a member of the Salmoninae subfamily of the Salmonidae family. Charr may be identified by light cream pink or red spots over a darker body. Scales tend to be small, with 115-200 along...
), ugui (big-scaled redfin) and ayu
Ayu
The or sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, is an amphidromous fish, the only species in the genus Plecoglossus and in family Plecoglossidae. It is a relative of the smelts and is placed in the order Osmeriformes...
all inhabit Tama River in sufficient numbers for limited commercial fishing to take place in upstream areas. Recent moves to fit weirs with fish ladder
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
s have resulted in a steep increase in the numbers of ayu
Ayu
The or sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis, is an amphidromous fish, the only species in the genus Plecoglossus and in family Plecoglossidae. It is a relative of the smelts and is placed in the order Osmeriformes...
migrating upstream. Other fish such as loach
Loach
Loach may refer to:* Loaches, fish families in the Cypriniformes:** Cobitidae, the "true" loaches – formerly all loaches were united in this family** Balitoridae, the hillstream loaches – the largest family, closely related to Cobitidae...
as well as the likes of crabs and turtles also inhabit the river.
Kingfishers, White Wagtail
White Wagtail
"Pied Wagtail" redirects here. For the related African bird, see African Pied Wagtail.The White Wagtail is a small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. This species breeds in much of Europe and Asia and parts of north Africa...
s, Spotbill
Spotbill
The Spot-billed Duck also known as the Spotbill, is a dabbling duck which breeds in tropical and eastern Asia. It has three subspecies: the Indian Spot-billed Duck , Eastern Spot-billed Duck , and Burmese Spot-billed Duck The Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) also known as the Spotbill, is a...
s, Japanese White-eye
Japanese White-eye
The Japanese White-eye , also known as the mejiro , is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written japonica, but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of east Asia, including Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan,...
s, and Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
s are among birds often seen at the river. Various types of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s have made a comeback after the 1969 designation of the river as a wildlife protection zone. The expanse of greenery between the levees and the river itself attract additional wildlife.
In the summer of 2002, Tama-chan
Tama-chan
is the name given to a male Bearded Seal which was first spotted on August 7, 2002 near Maruko Bridge on Tama River in Tokyo, Japan, and subsequently became a national celebrity in Japan.-Name:...
, a normally arctic male bearded seal
Bearded Seal
The bearded seal , also called the square flipper seal, is a medium-sized pinniped that is found in and near to the Arctic Ocean. It gets its generic name from two Greek words that refer to its heavy jaw...
first spotted in Tama River, became a major nationwide celebrity.
In recent years the Tama River has been settled by a larger number of non-native species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
including tropical fish like Piranhas
Piranhas
Piranhas is a historic city and municipality in the western of the State of Alagoas, in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Located on the bank of the São Francisco River, just at the border with the State of Sergipe, Piranhas was founded in 1891 and originally named Floriano Peixoto...
. It is assumed that this became possible because of higher water temperature of river due to global warming and waste water from sewage treatment plants. Those higher temperature now allow tropical pet fish being abandoned by their owners to survive the cold Japanese winters.
Recreation
Near the outskirts of Tokyo, the river is a popular kayaking spot, with the Japan National Slalom Kayak competitions being held on the Tama River where it passes through Mitake.The boulders on the riverbed around Mitake
Mitake rock climbing
The rock climbing in Mitake is centered around the riverbed of Tama RiverSome of Japan's famous boulder problems can be found in the Mitake area. On boulders such as and...
also form one of Tokyo's premier climbing (bouldering) spots. Some of Japan's famous boulder problems can be found here, on boulders such as 'Ninja rock' and 'Deadend'.
Further down, sports fields appear on both banks of the river, with many teams practicing or playing a range of sports here on a regular basis, including baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. (There is a rugby club named after the river, called Tamariba Club
Tamariba Club
Tamariba Club is a rugby union club in Tokyo, so-called because it is located near the Tama River . It has been in existence since 2000, and has also been the top club side in Japan for most of that time...
.) There are also many playgrounds, park spaces and golf driving ranges found on the side of the river as it passes through the city.
A bike path and running track travels the length of the river through urban Tokyo, extending to the river mouth in Tokyo bay.
Other names
- Ichinose-gawa (Ichinose River) - its upper stream
- Taba-gawa (Taba River) - its upper stream
- Rokugo-gawa (Rokugo River) - near its mouth
Social Problems
Japanese society has become from the end of 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, and many socially vulnerable lose one's house and was shunted off to the remote region. So there are dens of misery in dry river of Tama river.