Japanese symbol for “riverbank”
川岸
かわぎし
Romaji: kawagishi
riverbank; riverside
In Japanese, riverbank is 川岸, read かわぎし (kawagishi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n riverbank; riverside
Written forms: 川岸、河岸. Readings: かわぎし、かがん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “riverbank”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 浜 | はま hama | riverbank; riverside |
| 川端 | かわばた kawabata | riverside; riverbank |
| 川辺 | かわべ kawabe | riverside; riverbank; edge of a river |
| 江頭 | こうとう koutou | riverbank (esp. the Yangtze River) |
| 河岸 | かし kashi | riverbank; riverside |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 小川 | おがわ ogawa | stream; brook; creek |
| 河川 | かせん kasen | rivers |
| 川上 | かわかみ kawakami | upper reaches of a river; upstream |
| 谷川 | たにがわ tanigawa | mountain stream |
| 川柳 | せんりゅう senryuu | senryū; comic haiku; humorous seventeen-mora poem |
| 海岸 | かいがん kaigan | seashore; coast; seaside |
| 沿岸 | えんがん engan | coast; shore |
| 湾岸 | わんがん wangan | gulf coast; bay coast |
See also: Chinese symbol for “riverbank”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.