1.
riverbank; riverside; river shore
The land along the edge of a river. A geographical and descriptive term used in both everyday and technical contexts.
河岸に桜が咲いている。
Cherry blossoms are blooming along the riverbank.
河岸を散歩するのが日課だ。
Walking along the riverbank is my daily routine.
大雨で河岸が浸食されて道路が崩れた。
The riverbank was eroded by heavy rain and the road collapsed.
Compound of 河 ('river') and 岸 ('shore; bank'). The standard Sino-Japanese term for a riverbank, used in geography, urban planning, and everyday description.
USAGE:
- Read as かがん in the standard Sino-Japanese reading. There is also a native reading かし, which historically referred to a riverside fish market or wholesale market (as in 日本橋魚河岸, the old Tsukiji fish market's predecessor).
- 河岸 is the neutral, descriptive term. For the expression 河岸を変える ('to change the scene; to move to a different bar or restaurant'), the reading is かし.
- Used in news reports about flooding, erosion, and infrastructure along rivers.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 河岸の浸食: riverbank erosion
- 河岸段丘: river terrace (geographical term)
- 河岸を歩く: to walk along the riverbank
- 河岸に沿って: along the riverbank
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 川岸: riverbank — the native Japanese reading with the same meaning, slightly more conversational
- 岸: shore; bank — the general term for any shoreline (river, lake, or sea)
- 川辺: riverside — a gentler, more scenic word evoking a pleasant riverside area
- 堤防: levee; embankment — the man-made structure built to prevent flooding, not the natural bank