Nameri River (Kanagawa)
in Kamakura-shi, JapanCategory: Attraction
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Japan, Kanagawa-ken, Kamakura-shi 国道134号線 Print route »
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The Nameri River (滑川, Nameri-gawa) is a river that goes from the Asaina Pass in northern Kamakura, Kanagawa to the beach in Yuigahama, for a total length of about 8 km. Although Yuigahama is in fact the name of the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki to Zaimokuza's Iijima cape, the name is usually used just for its half west of the Namerigawa river's estuary, while the eastern half is called Zaimokuza Beach (材木座海岸). The name comes from the way it flows, kind of "licking" ("nameru" in Japanese) the stones at its bottom.Only during the summer, during the bathing season, the river's estuary is crossed by a wooden bridge (in the photo).
Although very short, the river is called by locals with six different names according to the neighborhood it crosses. From the Asaina Pass to Jōmyō-ji it's about a meter wide and is called Kurumigawa (胡桃川). After the temple's gate it takes the name Namerigawa, becomes wider and follows the course of the Kanazawa Road. Near the Omidōbashi Bridge it changes name again becoming the Zazengawa (座禅川) in honor of Buddhist monk Mongaku, who used to live nearby. From Tōshōjibashi to Komachi it's called Ebisudōgawa (夷堂川). In the last few hundred meters of his course, from Ichi no Torii (Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū's first torii gate) to the sea it assumes two names, first Sumiurigawa (墨売川) and finally Enmagawa (閻魔川). The name Namerigawa however is today the only one truly necessary
The stele on the bridge in Komachi, next to Hongaku-ji's gate, says.
This is one of Kamakura's Ten Bridges (鎌倉十橋). It is said that once here stood the Ebisudō (夷堂). This river is now called Namerigawa, but it used to have several names that changed according to the place. In its upper course it used to be called Kurumigawa, near Jomyo-ji's gate it was called Namerigawa, near the remains of Mongaku's residence it was called Zazengawa, here it was called Ebisudōgawa, near Enmyō-ji it was called Sumiurigawa and near the remains of the Enmadō it was called Enmadōgawa.
Erected in March 1932 by the Kamakurachō Seinendan
