Mogami River

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.

Matsuo Basho 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.