天(あま)の川(がわ)

あまのがわ
noun
Milky Way
natureculture
1. Milky Way
The galaxy containing our solar system, appearing as a faint band of light stretching across the night sky.
七夕(たなばた)の夜(よる)、天(あま)の川(がわ)を見(み)た。
On the night of Tanabata, I saw the Milky Way.
田舎(いなか)では天(あま)の川(がわ)がはっきり見(み)える。
In the countryside, you can see the Milky Way clearly.
天(あま)の川(がわ)には数千億(すうせんおく)の星(ほし)がある。
The Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars.
七夕(たなばた)の伝説(でんせつ)では、織姫(おりひめ)と彦星(ひこぼし)が天(あま)の川(がわ)を渡(わた)って年(とし)に一度(いちど)会(あ)う。
In the Tanabata legend, Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way to meet once a year.
街灯(がいとう)もない山奥(やまおく)の温泉(おんせん)で露天風呂(ろてんぶろ)に浸(つ)かりながら天(あま)の川(がわ)を眺(なが)めるのは、最高(さいこう)の贅沢(ぜいたく)だ。
Soaking in an outdoor hot spring deep in the mountains with no streetlights, gazing at the Milky Way — that's the ultimate luxury.

天(あま)の川(がわ) literally means 'River of Heaven,' the Japanese name for the Milky Way.

CULTURAL NOTE (the Tanabata legend):
In the famous legend, 織姫(おりひめ) (Vega) and 彦星(ひこぼし) (Altair) are lovers separated by the 天(あま)の川(がわ), allowed to meet only once a year on July 7th when magpies form a bridge across the celestial river.

Common expressions

Related words

Cultural note

  • Summer months in Japan
  • Away from city lights (光害(こうがい))

Related Words

Synonym: 銀河(ぎんが) (scientific (galaxy))
Related: 星空(ほしぞら) (starry sky)
Related: 星(ほし) (star)
Related: 銀河系(ぎんがけい) (Milky Way galaxy)
core
Added 2026.1.14 19:37 · Revised 2026.10.10 22:29
05000/05050_amanogawa