At a certain point on Shirakawa near Kokaibashi is a plaque marking the flood of June 26,1953, which killed 563 people and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes. An elderly friend of mine said that the rain that day was not particularly heavy, but the low bridges at the time created debris jams which caused the river to overflow.
Since then, the banks and bridges have been raised and the river widened. Yesterday was a commemoration for those lost. - William