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This paper analyzes the impact of human intervention in Japanese river basins, looking specifically at the case of Japan's Kizu river basin. During the postwar period of economic growth and urban transition in Japan, demands for flood control, energy and water supply resulted in a spree of dam building, including in the Kizu river basin. Although nature conservation eff orts gained prominence after the economic growth tailed off during the 1990s, ongoing engineering projects have kept basin environments in a state of perpetual shock. This article is based on the author's empirical field research in the Kizu river basin and a review of existing literature sources. It concludes that despite heightened concern about the environment and the protection of certain species like giant salamanders, the general trend of basin governance still favors a “disaster prevention first” approach, resulting in continued modification of basin landscapes. The evidence from this study indicates that the Kizu has not been able to reverse the decline in the diversity of its natural environment, even during the “post-growth” period.