岸壁(がんぺき)

がんぺき
noun
quay wall; wharf; pier
geographytransportation
1. quay wall; wharf; pier
A solid vertical wall along a waterfront where ships can dock, built from stone or concrete.
船(ふね)が岸壁(がんぺき)に着(つ)いた。
The ship arrived at the wharf.
岸壁(がんぺき)で釣(つ)りをしている人(ひと)がいた。
There were people fishing at the quay.
大型(おおがた)客船(きゃくせん)が停泊(ていはく)できるよう、岸壁(がんぺき)の整備(せいび)が進(すす)められている。
The quay is being upgraded so that large cruise ships can dock there.

A compound of 岸(がん) (shore, bank) and 壁(ぺき) (wall). Refers specifically to the solid wall structure at a port, not just any waterfront.

Usage

Commonly encountered in news about ports, shipping, and maritime topics. Also appears in fishing contexts, since quay walls are popular spots for recreational fishing in Japan. The famous postwar song 岸壁(がんぺき)の母(はは) ("The Mother at the Wharf") tells of a woman waiting for her son to return from war.

Common collocations

  • 岸壁(がんぺき)に接岸(せつがん)する — to come alongside the quay
  • 岸壁(がんぺき)沿(ぞ)い — along the quay
  • 岸壁(がんぺき)釣(づ)り — quay fishing

Related words

Related Words

Related: 埠頭(ふとう) (wharf, pier)
Related: 港(みなと) (port, harbor)
Related: 桟橋(さんばし) (pier, jetty)
general
Added 2026.3.26 20:47 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
19500/19675_ganpeki