The Chubetsu River 忠別川 flows from the central Daisetsuzan Range down towards Asahikawa City, through the funky town of Higashikawa. With a gradient of 10mpk, you’d be forgiven to think there are a few huge drops here and there. But in reality, this section of the river is essentially just one massive rapid, cascading down beautiful bedrock. The water clarity is impressive too – despite the large dam upstream, it’s crystal clear. Wait for around 17 cumecs output from the dam, and you’re going to be having an amazing time on this rip-roaring river section. Excellent public transport access too!