The is a part of Katsura River in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The river begins in the mountains near Kameoka, a town northwest of Kyoto City. It snakes into the

Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. Notable ...

section of western Kyoto before changing its name to Katsura River. The Hozu River is considered scenic, and is known primarily for its association with ''Hozugawa Kudari'', literally "down the Hozu river", a sightseeing

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

boat that goes downstream from Kameoka to Arashiyama. Hozugawa Kudari is especially popular in the fall, when the

Japanese Maple ''Acer palmatum'', commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: ''irohamomiji'', , or ''momiji'', (栴), is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russi ...

leaves change colors, and in the Spring, when the

sakura A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...

, or Japanese cherry tree, blooms. The trip usually takes about two hours. In August, 2006, a rock fell from the mountains that line the river and hit a woman on the head, seriously injuring her. Overall, however, Hozugawa Kudari is considered safe.

Gallery

Image:Hozuboat1.jpg, Boat on Hozu River Image:Jrballe_hozu_river_2007_001.JPG, Hozu River from the Romantic Train

References

External links

Hozugawa River Boat Ride
(Hozugawa Yusen Sightseeing Boat Association) (Hozu gorge) Rivers of Kyoto Prefecture Rivers of Japan {{Japan-river-stub