Tone River

Tone River
Tone River at Narita and Kawachi (2015)
Native name利根川 (Japanese)
Location
CountryJapan
Physical characteristics
SourceMount Ōminakami
  locationMinakami, Gunma
  coordinates37°03′16″N 139°06′05″E / 37.05444°N 139.10139°E / 37.05444; 139.10139
  elevation1,831 m (6,007 ft)
MouthPacific Ocean
  location
Chōshi, Chiba
  coordinates
35°44′45″N 140°51′07″E / 35.74583°N 140.85194°E / 35.74583; 140.85194
  elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length322 km (200 mi)
Basin size16,840 km2 (6,500 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average256 m3/s (9,000 cu ft/s)

The Tone River (利根川, Tone-gawa) is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is 322 kilometers (200 mi) in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano River) and has a drainage area of 16,840 square kilometers (6,500 sq mi) (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (坂東太郎); Bandō is an obsolete alias of the Kantō Region, and Tarō is a popular given name for an oldest son. It is regarded as one of the "Three Greatest Rivers" of Japan, the others being the Shinano River in northeastern Honshu and the Ishikari River in Hokkaido.