The Nōbi Plain (濃尾平野, Nōbi Heiya) is a large plain in Japan that stretches from the Mino area of southwest Gifu Prefecture to the Owari area of northwest Aichi Prefecture and extreme northern Mie Prefecture, covering an area of approximately 1,800 square kilometres (695 sq mi). It is an alluvial plain created by the Kiso Three Rivers (the Ibi, Kiso and Nagara rivers) and has very fertile soil. It is bordered on the west by the Ibuki and Yōrō mountain ranges, and to the east by the Owari Hills. Its northern border is marked by the Ryōhaku Mountains and the south by Ise Bay.
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👉 Nōbi Plain in the context of Taiheiyō Belt
The Taiheiyō Belt (Japanese: 太平洋ベルト, Hepburn: Taiheiyō Beruto; lit. "Pacific Belt"), also known as the Tōkaidō corridor, is the megalopolis in Japan extending from Ibaraki Prefecture in the northeast to Fukuoka Prefecture in the southwest, running for almost 1,200 km (750 mi). Its estimated population as of 2011 was about 80 million.
The urbanization zone runs mainly along the Pacific coast (hence the name) of Japan from Kantō region to Osaka, and the Inland Sea (on both sides) to Fukuoka, and is concentrated along the Tōkaidō–Sanyō rail corridor. A view of Japan at night clearly shows a rather dense and continuous strip of light (demarcating urban zones) that delineates the region. The high population is particularly due to the large plains – the Kantō Plain, Kinai Plain, and Nōbi Plain – which facilitate building in otherwise mountainous Japan.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Nōbi Plain
- 👉 Nōbi Plain in the context of Taiheiyō Belt
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Gifu Prefecture
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Kakamigahara
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Chūkyō metropolitan area
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Kiso Three Rivers
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Ibi River
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Kiso River
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Nagara River
- Nōbi Plain in the context of Ibuki Mountains
Nōbi Plain in the context of Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県, Gifu-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [ɡʲi.ɸɯ, ɡʲi.ɸɯ̥ꜜ.keɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 2,040,000 (as of April 1, 2025) and has a geographic area of 10,621 square kilometres (4,101 sq mi). Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, Fukui Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture to the west, Mie Prefecture to the southwest, Aichi Prefecture to the south, and Nagano Prefecture to the east.
Gifu is the capital and largest city of Gifu Prefecture, with other major cities including Ōgaki, Kakamigahara, and Tajimi.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Kakamigahara
Kakamigahara (各務原市, Kakamigahara-shi) is a city located in southern Gifu Prefecture in Japan. As of 1 January 2019, the city had an estimated population of 148,225, and a population density of 1700 persons per km, in 59,736 households. The total area of the city was 87.81 km (33.90 sq mi).
Situated in the northern part of the Nōbi Plain, what is now Kakamigahara originally thrived as a post station on the Nakasendō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto, being called "Unuma-juku" at the time. In more recent history, the city developed due to the JASDF Gifu base. In addition, Kakamigahara grew as an industrial city and a commuter suburb of Gifu City and Nagoya.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Chūkyō metropolitan area
Chūkyō (中京圏, Chūkyō-ken), or the Chūkyō region (中京地方, Chūkyō-chihō), is a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya (the "Chūkyō", i.e., the "capital in the middle") in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urbanized part of the Tōkai region. The population is 9,439,000 in 3,704 square kilometers of built-up land area.Nevertheless, like most of Japan's major metro areas, the core of it lies on a fertile alluvial plain, in this case, the Nōbi Plain.
It is among the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the world, and is the third most populous metropolitan area in Japan (after Greater Tokyo and Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto), containing roughly 7% of Japan's population. Historically, this region has taken a back seat to the other two power centers, both politically and economically; however, the agglomeration of Nagoya is the world's 22nd-largest metro area economy, in terms of gross metropolitan product at purchasing power parity in 2014, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. The GDP of Greater Nagoya, Nagoya Metropolitan Employment Area, was US$256.3 billion in 2010.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Kiso Three Rivers
35°17′N 136°39′E / 35.28°N 136.65°E
The Kiso Three Rivers (木曽三川, Kiso Sansen) are the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi Three Rivers (濃尾三川 Nōbi Sansen).
Nōbi Plain in the context of Ibi River
The Ibi River (揖斐川, Ibi-gawa) is a tributary of the Kiso River located in Gifu and Mie Prefectures in Japan. Along with the Nagara and Kiso rivers, the Ibi is the third of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. It is one of Japan's first-class rivers. The former Tōkaidō post station of Kuwana-juku was located on the western banks of this river during the Edo period.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Kiso River
The Kiso River (木曽川, Kiso-gawa) is a river in the Chubu region of Japan roughly 229 km (142 mi) long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya. It is the main river among the Kiso Three Rivers (along with the Ibi and Nagara rivers) and forms a major part of the Nōbi Plain. The valley around the upper portion of the river forms the Kiso Valley.
Parts of the Kiso River are sometimes referred to as the Japan Rhine because of its similarities to the Rhine in Europe.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Nagara River
The Nagara River (長良川, Nagara-gawa) has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Along with the Kiso River and Ibi River, the Nagara River is one of the Kiso Three Rivers of the Nōbi Plain. Previously, the river was named Sunomata River (墨俣川 Sunomata-gawa). With a length of 166 km (103 mi), it drains an area of 1,985 square kilometres (766 sq mi) in the Chūbu region and empties into Ise Bay. The government of Japan classifies it as a Class 1 river.
Nōbi Plain in the context of Ibuki Mountains
The Ibuki Mountains (伊吹山地, Ibuki Sanchi) are a mountain range straddling the border between Gifu and Shiga prefectures in Japan. After lowering and nearly disappearing in Shiga Prefecture, the range continues as the Suzuka Mountains. During the winter, the winds from the Ibuki Mountains are a cause of much of the snowfall on the Nōbi Plain covering Gifu and Aichi prefectures. The Ane River originates in the Ibuki Mountains.
The range is named after Mount Ibuki, the highest peak in the range at an elevation of 1377 meters above sea-level. Mount Kinka, Mount Dodo, Mount Kanmuri, and Mount Dainichi are some other notable peaks in the range.