Mogami River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mogami River (最上川 Mogamigawa) is a river in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. It is 224 km long and has a watershed of 7,040 km². It is regarded as one of the three most rapid rivers of Japan (along with the Fuji River and the Kuma River).
The river rises from southern Yamagata Prefecture and flows to the north, and turns into the west at Shinjō and falls into the Sea of Japan at Sakata. Water transportation once flourished on the river and carried local products such as safflowers and rice to the Kansai region.
The noted Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō travelled along the river and wrote a famous haiku:
- 五月雨をあつめて早し最上川
- Samidare o atsumete hayashi Mogamigawa
- The Mogami River, gathering rain of May and even more rapid
Mogamigawa is also the name of the anthem of Yamagata Prefecture written by Emperor Hirohito. The Japanese Navy had a cruiser named Mogami.
