Cooling Off with My Border Collie in the Kinomata River・愛犬と一緒に、木の俣川の清流でクールダウン
The Kinomata River (木の俣川; Kinomata-gawa), its waters icy cold even in midsummer, flows south from the steep southern slope of Mt. Megadake (女鹿岳; Mega-dake) in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. For Dale-chan, it was a fun escape from the summer heat of our urban home in Yokohama, offering the perfect combination of cold mountain water and wide-open forest scenery.
This stretch of the river includes walking trails on both sides of the shoreline and is a popular destination for locals, especially young families and groups of students enjoying their summer break. On weekends, the riverbank fills with the sounds of children splashing, couples picnicking beneath the trees, and hikers making their way down from the surrounding foothills.
Near the Kyogan Suspension Pedestrian Bridge, which is located about 520 meters (1,700 feet) downstream from the Kinomata-Enchi Kyogan-Tsuribashi Parking Lot, the flow of the river slows noticeably. Here, a series of natural swimming holes have formed: calm, shoulder-deep pools for adults and broad shallows where parents play with toddlers in gentle, ankle-high currents. The water is clear enough to see every stone on the riverbed, softened by the shade of dense summer greenery.
Although the first step into the water was enough to make me gasp, the chill quickly becomes refreshing. I stood midstream with my camera, letting the cold run around my calves while I worked on a few landscape and pet portraits. Dale-chan waited patiently beside me with her ears perked, dripping wet, and periodically seemed to beg me to splash her with more water.
Moments like these are what make photographing Japan’s mountain rivers so rewarding: a blend of natural beauty, quiet forest air, and the simple joy of sharing the scene with my loyal companion.
Location: Nasushiobara, Tochigi Pref., Japan
Timestamp: 2025/09/02・13:56
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
105 mm ISO 1600 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Links to Google Maps and sources for a deeper dive: https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250902-kinomata
