The Shimanto River (四万十川, Shimanto-gawa) is a river in western Kōchi 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 any dams, it is sometimes referred to as "the last clear stream of Japan". Fishing and production of nori is a thriving industry along the river.[citation needed] Due to lack of damming of the river, it has been named one of the "Three Free-Flowing Rivers in Japan", along with the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture and the Kakita River in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The river also has 47 chinkabashi (沈下橋, sinking bridges), including those of tributaries.[2] Chinkabashi are low-water crossings constructed without parapets in order not to be washed away by floods. The prefecture decided to preserve them as cultural heritage.
