1.
riverbed; floodplain; riverside open area
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.
河川敷でバーベキューをする。
To have a barbecue on the riverside.
毎朝河川敷をジョギングしている。
I jog along the riverside every morning.
大雨で河川敷のグラウンドが水没してしまった。
The sports field on the floodplain was submerged due to heavy rain.
Compound of 河川 ('rivers; waterways') and 敷 ('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 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 specifically refers to the flat land between the embankments (堤防), 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 areas are designed to flood as a safety measure.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 河川敷のグラウンド: riverside sports field
- 河川敷を散歩する: to take a walk along the riverside
- 河川敷公園: riverside park
- 河川敷でバーベキュー: barbecue on the floodplain
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 川岸: riverbank — the edge of the river, rather than the whole flat area between embankments
- 堤防: embankment; levee — the raised barriers on either side that define the boundary of the 河川敷
- 中洲: sandbar; river island — a raised area in the middle of a river, not the floodplain between embankments