In this paper, the value of a river as an attractiv espace is mentioned at first .A river has water and various other natural elements. And a river is a valuable open space in an urban area. Also, it is pointed out that a river offers a good visibilit yd,ue to the fact that the space on a river is vacant. As for the relationship between river and town in Japan, a river originally provided a public space. The riverside was an area for various performances, where a great number of show tents stood. Japanese castle towns developed on riversides, where rivers were used for water transportation. However, in the modern age, the relationship between town and river became less intimate because of changes in flood control techniques, and the supersession of water transportation by land transportation. Recently, as amenity has become the focus of public attention, the restoration of the people-friendly character of a river has gained in importance. For the improvement of the spatial characteristics of a river, it is important to plan the improvement so as to suit the characteristics of a particular river. And it is also important to take human activitie son the riverside into consideration. We have to find out the method of river improvement suited to a particular kind of human activities. Rivers are important in examining the conditions of townscape and environment. One can enjoy a beautiful townscape from the bank of a river because of the good visibility it offers. The network of rivers is important as the corridor linking ecosystems, and as the object of review aimed at redesigning the circulation of water.
