| Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu River | |
| Name Other: | 後志利別川 |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hokkaidō |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Hiyama |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | Kudō District, Setana |
| Subdivision Type5: | Municipalities |
| Subdivision Name5: | Imakane, Setana |
| Length: | 80km (50miles) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 27.55m3/s |
| Source1: | Mount Oshamanbe |
| Source1 Location: | Imakane, Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 42.5858°N 140.1894°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 972.6m (3,190.9feet) |
| Mouth: | Sea of Japan |
| Mouth Location: | Setana, Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 42.425°N 139.8425°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0m (00feet) |
| Basin Size: | 720km2 |
The is a Class A river in Hokkaidō, Japan. It flows through Hiyama District, and empties into the Sea of Japan.[1]
It is the only Class A river in Southern Hokkaidō, and thus is considered to be extremely important for agriculture and flood control.[2]
The river has been voted the "Cleanest River in Japan" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) 10 times between 1987 and 2006.[3]
The Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu river originates from the ridge between Mount Taihei and Mount Oshamambe-dake. Its catchment area is 720km2 and its stream length is 80km (50miles). The river flows through Imakane, Setana. and Kitahiyama, Hokkaido.
The basin is located at the northern limit of the temperate climate and is relatively warm due to the influence of the Tsushima Current moving northward across the Sea of Japan.
The name Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu was formed by adding the word Shiribeshi to distinguish the river from the Toshibetsu River in Tokachi Subprefecture. Shiribeshi was the name of a province which existed between 1869 and 1882. The name Toshibetsu is thought to originate from the Ainu words toshu betsu, meaning 'meandering river', or to ushi betsu, meaning 'river with many marshes'.