Shō River

The Shō River (庄川) has its source in Mount Eboshi (烏帽子岳 Eboshigatake) in the Shōkawa-chō area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. After flowing for 115 km through the northern part of Gifu Prefecture and the western part of Toyama Prefecture, it empties into Toyama Bay.

River communities
The river passes through or forms the boundary of the communities listed below. The area through which the river flows in Gifu is referred to as Shirakawa-gō, while the area in Toyama is referred to as Gokayama. Both areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their gasshō-zukuri houses.


 * Gifu Prefecture:
 * Takayama, Shirakawa (Ōno District)


 * Toyama Prefecture:
 * Nanto, Tonami, Takaoka, Imizu

Tributary

 * Toga River
 * Kotori River

Dams
The river is extensively developed for water storage, flood control and hydroelectric power generation. There are 16 major dams in the basin, seven of them are on tributaries. The major dams collectively have an installed power generation capacity of 926 MW. Six other small hydroelectric plants total 30.6 MW in installed capacity. The 22 hydroelectric power stations in the Shō River basin have an installed capacity of 956.6 MW. The 16 major dams are listed below in order from downstream to upstream.

Toyama Toyama/Gifu: Gifu:
 * Wadagawa Dam – 21 m tall gravity dam, 7.4 MW (on the tributary Wadagawa River in Tonami)
 * Shogawa Goguchi Dam – 18.5 m tall gravity dam, 23.4 MW
 * Komaki Dam – 79.2 m tall gravity dam, 90.2 MW
 * Toga Dam – 31 m tall gravity dam, 17.6 MW (on the tributary Togagawa River)
 * Soyama Dam – 73.2 m tall gravity dam, 128.1 MW
 * Senzoku Dam – 33.5 m tall gravity dam, 32.7 MW (on the tributary Togagawa River)
 * Togagawa Dam – 37 m tall gravity dam, 16.1 MW (on the tributary Togagawa River)
 * Ohara Dam – 52 m tall gravity dam, 97.6 MW
 * Akao Dam – 29.2 m tall gravity dam, 34 MW
 * Narude Dam – 53.2 m tall gravity dam, 97 MW
 * Sakaigawa Dam – 115 m tall gravity dam, 27 MW (on the tributary Sakaigawa River)
 * Tsubawara Dam – 68.2 m tall gravity dam, 107 MW
 * Hatogaya Dam – 63.2 m tall gravity dam, 43 MW
 * Oshirakawa Dam – 95 m tall rock-fill dam, 66.3 MW (on the tributary Oshirakawa River)
 * Miboro Dam – 131 m tall rock-fill dam, 256 MW
 * Okurodani Dam – 34 m tall rock-fill dam, 21.2 MW (on the tributary Okurodani River)