Shimōsa Plateau
The source of the Kuriyama River is on the central Shimōsa Plateau in Narita or Sawara, Katori. Kurimoto, a former village in Katori, means "source of the Kuri." This area of northern Chiba Prefecture originally consisted of grassland and marshes, and was developed for agricultural use over time. The Kuriyama is connected to the Tone River by the Ryōsō Canal (), completed in 1967, which provides water for paddy irrigation. The Kuriyama River segment of the canal is called the , and is long. The drainage area of the Kuriyama crosses eight towns and cities across a wide part of northeastern Chiba Prefecture. They include Narita, Katori, Sōsa, Asahi, Tako, Shibayama, Sanmu, and Yokoshibahikari. The Kuriyama crosses the Kujūkuri Plain and pours into the Pacific Ocean at the midpoint of Kujūkuri Beach in Yokoshibahikari.