河川敷(かせんしき)

かせんしき
noun
riverside area; floodplain; riverbank land
writtenspokennaturegeography
1. riverside area; floodplain; riverbank land
The area between the river itself and the raised embankments on either side. In urban Japan, these flat open spaces along rivers are widely used for sports fields, jogging paths, parks, and barbecue areas. Legally, riverbed land is public property managed by the national or local government.
河川敷(かせんしき)でバーベキューをする。
To have a barbecue on the riverside.
毎朝(まいあさ)河川敷(かせんしき)をジョギングしている。
I jog along the riverside every morning.
大雨(おおあめ)で河川敷(かせんしき)のグラウンドが水没(すいぼつ)してしまった。
The sports field on the floodplain was submerged due to heavy rain.

Compound of 河川(かせん) ('rivers; waterways') and 敷(しき) ('ground; site'). Also read かせんじき by some speakers, though かせんしき is standard. In Japanese cities, 河川敷(かせんしき) areas are a defining feature of urban landscapes — they provide some of the only large flat open spaces in densely built-up areas and are heavily used for recreation.

Usage

  • 河川敷(かせんしき) specifically refers to the flat land between the embankments (堤防(ていぼう)), not the water channel itself.
  • Because this land is designated as floodplain, no permanent buildings may be constructed on it — hence its use for sports fields, parks, and temporary activities.
  • During typhoons and heavy rains, 河川敷(かせんしき) areas are designed to flood as a safety measure.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 川岸(かわぎし): riverbank — the edge of the river, rather than the whole flat area between embankments
  • 堤防(ていぼう): embankment; levee — the raised barriers on either side that define the boundary of the 河川敷(かせんしき)
  • 中洲(なかす): sandbar; river island — a raised area in the middle of a river, not the floodplain between embankments

Related Words

Compare: 川岸(かわぎし) (riverbank)
Compare: 堤防(ていぼう) (embankment)
Compare: 川辺(かわべ) (riverside)
Compare: 河原(かわら) (riverbed)
general
Added 2026.4.18 4:28 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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