{{Short description|River in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan}} {{Infobox river | map = {{Maplink|zoom=12|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|frame-height=250 |raw=[ { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoline", "properties": { "stroke": "#66F", "stroke-width": 2 }, "query": "SELECT ?id ?geo ?idLabel (?idLabel as ?title) WHERE { ?id wdt:P403 wd:{{wikidata|label|raw|page={{PAGENAME}}}} . SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language 'en'. } }" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoline", "properties": { "stroke": "#555", "stroke-width": 2 }, "query": "SELECT ?id ?geo ?idLabel (?idLabel as ?title) WHERE { ?id wdt:P885 wd:{{wikidata|label|raw|page={{PAGENAME}}}} . SERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language 'en'. } }" }, { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoline", "properties": { "title": "{{wikidata|label|page={{PAGENAME}}}}", "stroke": "#05F", "stroke-width": 4 }, "ids": "{{wikidata|label|raw|page={{PAGENAME}}}}" } ] }} | pushpin_map = Japan }} thumb|250 px|The Namerigawa in Yuigahama The {{nihongo|'''Nameri River'''|滑川|Nameri-gawa}} is a river that goes from the Asaina Pass in northern Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, to the beach in Yuigahama, for a total length of about 8 km.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> 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 {{nihongo|Zaimokuza Beach|材木座海岸}}.<ref name="KOT33">Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo (2008:33)</ref> The name comes from the way it flows, apparently "licking" ("nameru" in Japanese) the stones at its bottom.<ref name="Kusumoto"/>
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.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> From the Asaina Pass to Jōmyō-ji it's about a meter wide and is called {{nihongo|Kurumigawa|胡桃川}}.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> After the temple's gate it takes the name Namerigawa, becomes wider and follows the course of the Kanazawa Road.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> Near the Omidōbashi Bridge it changes name again becoming the {{nihongo|Zazengawa|座禅川}} in honor of Buddhist monk Mongaku, who used to live nearby.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> From Tōshōjibashi to Komachi it's called {{nihongo|Ebisudōgawa|夷堂川}}.<ref name="Kusumoto"/> 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 {{nihongo|Sumiurigawa|墨売川}} and finally {{nihongo|Enmagawa|閻魔川}}.<ref name="Kusumoto">Kusumoto (2000:176-177)</ref> The name Namerigawa however is today the only one truly necessary<ref>[http://www.kcn-net.org/e_kama_history/komachi_yukinoshita/area1_2.htm Komachi/Yukinoshita/Nishimikado] article by the Kamakura Citizen Network, accessed on September 16, 2008</ref>
The stele on the bridge in Komachi, next to Hongaku-ji's gate, says.<ref>Original Japanese text available [http://www.kcn-net.org/sisekihi/ebisu.htm here] {{in lang|ja}}</ref>
<blockquote> This is one of {{nihongo|Kamakura's Ten Bridges|鎌倉十橋}}. It is said that once here stood the {{nihongo|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. <br /> Erected in March 1932 by the Kamakurachō Seinendan </blockquote>
== Aoto Fujitsuna's coins == thumb|250 px|Aoto Fujitsuna fording the Namerigawa The Taiheiki mentions the Namerigawa in a story well known to all in Kamakura.<ref>Mutsu (1995:64)</ref> The stele on the spot near Tōshō-ji where events are supposed to have taken place describes the story as follows:<ref>Original Japanese text available [http://www.kcn-net.org/sisekihi/aoto1.htm here] {{in lang|ja}}</ref>
<blockquote> According to the Taiheiki, Aoto Fujitsuna was judge in Kamakura at the time of Regents Hōjō Tokimune and Hōjō Sadatoki. One evening, having lost 10 {{nihongo|''mon''|文}} in the Namerigawa, he bought a torch for fifty mon, entered in the water and started looking for the lost coins, finally finding them. Heard the story, people made fun of him saying that he ended up spending far more than he had lost. Fujitsuna replied that ten ''mon'' were not many, but losing them forever would have been a great loss. He had personally lost fifty ''mon'', but he had done that for the benefit of all. <br /> Erected in March 1938 by the Kamakurachō Shōnendan </blockquote>
== The Namerigawa in Kabuki == Judge Aoto Fujitsuna, together with the Namerigawa, became well known as a Kabuki character after becoming the subject of a popular series of story books published in 1812.<ref name="Leiter">Leiter (1999:2)</ref><ref name ="kabuki">[http://kabuki21.com/gonin_otoko.php Shiranami Gonin Otoko] accessed on September 16, 2008</ref> The series later became the basis for several Kabuki plays.<ref name="Leiter"/> For example, the Kabuki play "Shiranami Gonon Otoko", also known as "Benten Kozō", mentions both Aoto Fujitsuna and the Namerigawa.<ref name ="kabuki"/>
In the play, a criminal called Daemon sees head of police Aoto Fujitsuna on the Dōbashi bridge on the Namerigawa.<ref name ="kabuki"/> Aoto, who is known as a man of virtue, explains that his men found an incense case while searching the Namerigawa for lost goods, and intends to return it to its rightful owners.<ref name ="kabuki"/>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{Commons category}} * {{cite book | last = Kusumoto | first = Katsuji | title = Kamakura Naruhodo Jiten | publisher = Jitsugyō no Nihonsha | date = July 2002 | location = Tokyo | language = Japanese | isbn = 978-4-408-00779-3 }} * {{cite book | last = Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo | first = | title = Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku | publisher = Kamakura Shunshūsha | year = 2008 | location = Kamakura | language = Japanese | isbn = 978-4-7740-0386-3 }} * {{cite book | last = Mutsu | first = Iso | author-link = Iso Mutsu | title = Kamakura. Fact and Legend | publisher = Tuttle Publishing | date = June 1995 | location = Tokyo | isbn = 0-8048-1968-8 }} * {{cite book | last = Leiter | first = Samuel L. | title = The Art of Kabuki | publisher = Dover Publications | year = 1999 | location = | isbn = 978-0-486-40872-9 }}
{{Coord|35|18|32.84|N|139|32|44.82|E|region:JP_type:landmark_scale:1500|display=title}} {{Rivers of Japan}}
Category:Kamakura Category:Rivers of Kanagawa Prefecture Category:Rivers of Japan