Japan is a land of mountains and water. 70% of the country is mountainous, surrounded by ocean on all sides, with countless rivers. From Mount Fuji to the Japanese Alps, from Lake Biwa to the Seto Inland Sea — every geographic feature is encoded in kanji.
This article teaches you 20 mountain and water kanji to navigate Japan's natural landscapes.
Core Kanji Table
Mountain Terrain
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 山 | サン (san)・ザン (zan) | やま (yama) | mountain | 山脈 (さんみゃく, mountain range), 富士山 (ふじさん, Mt. Fuji) | Japan's most basic terrain kanji |
| 峰 | ホウ (hō) | みね (mine) | peak | 峰 (みね, peak), 連峰 (れんぽう, mountain chain) | The summit of a mountain |
| 岳 | ガク (gaku) | たけ (take) | high mountain | 山岳 (さんがく, mountain), 穂高岳 (ほたかだけ, Mt. Hotaka) | Grander than 山 |
| 丘 | キュウ (kyū) | おか (oka) | hill | 丘陵 (きゅうりょう, hilly terrain), 砂丘 (さきゅう, sand dune) | Lower than a mountain |
| 谷 | コク (koku) | たに (tani) | valley | 渓谷 (けいこく, gorge), 谷川 (たにがわ, mountain stream) | The 谷 in Shibuya (渋谷) |
| 崖 | ガイ (gai) | がけ (gake) | cliff | 崖 (がけ, cliff), 断崖 (だんがい, precipice) | Steep, dangerous terrain |
| 洞 | ドウ (dō) | ほら (hora) | cave | 洞窟 (どうくつ, cave), 洞穴 (どうけつ, cavern) | 鍾乳洞 = limestone cave |
| 岬 | — | みさき (misaki) | cape | 岬 (みさき, cape), 足摺岬 (あしずりみさき, Cape Ashizuri) | Land jutting into the sea |
Water Features
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 川 | セン (sen) | かわ (kawa) | river | 河川 (かせん, rivers), 川沿い (かわぞい, riverside) | Also written as 河 |
| 湖 | コ (ko) | みずうみ (mizuumi) | lake | 湖畔 (こはん, lakeside), 琵琶湖 (びわこ, Lake Biwa) | Japan's largest lake = Lake Biwa |
| 海 | カイ (kai) | うみ (umi) | sea | 海岸 (かいがん, coast), 日本海 (にほんかい, Sea of Japan) | Island nation surrounded by sea |
| 池 | チ (chi) | いけ (ike) | pond | 池 (いけ, pond), 電池 (でんち, battery) | The 池 in 電池 (battery) too |
| 泉 | セン (sen) | いずみ (izumi) | spring | 温泉 (おんせん, hot spring), 泉 (いずみ, spring) | Japan: the hot spring nation |
| 滝 | — | たき (taki) | waterfall | 滝 (たき, waterfall), 滝壺 (たきつぼ, waterfall basin) | Uniquely Japanese kanji form |
| 沼 | ショウ (shō) | ぬま (numa) | swamp | 沼地 (ぬまち, marshland), 沼 (ぬま, swamp) | Key wetland ecology term |
| 浜 | ヒン (hin) | はま (hama) | beach | 浜辺 (はまべ, beach), 横浜 (よこはま, Yokohama) | The 浜 in Yokohama |
Terrain Elements
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 岸 | ガン (gan) | きし (kishi) | shore | 海岸 (かいがん, coast), 岸辺 (きしべ, waterside) | Where water meets land |
| 渓 | ケイ (kei) | — | ravine | 渓谷 (けいこく, gorge), 渓流 (けいりゅう, mountain stream) | Water flowing through mountains |
| 島 | トウ (tō) | しま (shima) | island | 島国 (しまぐに, island nation), 半島 (はんとう, peninsula) | Japan = 島国 |
| 湾 | ワン (wan) | — | bay | 湾 (わん, bay), 東京湾 (とうきょうわん, Tokyo Bay) | The 湾 in Taiwan (台湾) |
Radical Patterns: Mountain and Water
Mountain and water kanji have intuitive radicals:
| Radical | Name | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 山 | yama-hen | mountain | 峰, 岳, 崖, 岸, 岬, 島 |
| 氵 | sanzui | water | 池, 泉, 海, 湖, 沼, 湾, 渓 |
| 川 | kawa | river | 川 (it IS the radical) |
See 山 on the left or top? It's about mountains. See 氵 (three water drops)? It's about water.
Mountain & Water Kanji in Japanese Place Names
Japanese place names are packed with landscape kanji — knowing them lets you "read" any map:
| Place Name | Breakdown | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 富士山 (ふじさん) | Fuji + mountain | Japan's highest peak (3,776m) |
| 琵琶湖 (びわこ) | Biwa + lake | Japan's largest lake |
| 渋谷 (しぶや) | bitter + valley | "Bitter valley" |
| 横浜 (よこはま) | horizontal + beach | "Sideways beach" |
| 箱根 (はこね) | box + root | Famous hot spring resort |
| 鳥取砂丘 (とっとりさきゅう) | Tottori + sand dune | Japan's largest sand dunes |
Cultural Note: The Japanese and Mountains
Japanese people have a deep spiritual connection with mountains:
- Mount Fuji — Considered sacred, designated UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in 2013
- Mountain worship — Japan has a tradition of 山伏 (やまぶし), ascetic monks who train in the mountains
- Hiking culture — The 百名山 (ひゃくめいざん, 100 Famous Mountains) is every hiker's bucket list
- Hot springs — Volcanic terrain provides over 3,000 温泉 (おんせん) locations across the country
Practice
Q1. What does 渓谷 mean? What two kanji make it up?
Show answer
Gorge/ravine. 渓 (mountain stream) + 谷 (valley) = a valley carved by water flowing through mountains.
Q2. What does the 谷 in 渋谷 mean?
Show answer
Valley. 渋谷 = Shibuya, literally "bitter valley" — the area was originally a low-lying valley.
Q3. How do you read 泉 in 温泉?
Show answer
On'yomi: セン (sen), kun'yomi: いずみ (izumi). 温泉 (おんせん) uses the on'yomi reading.
Q4. What do kanji with the 氵 radical usually relate to?
Show answer
Water. 氵 (sanzui) = the water radical variant. Examples: 池, 泉, 海, 湖, 沼, 湾, 渓.
Q5. What does 滝 mean? What's special about this kanji?
Show answer
Waterfall. This is a uniquely Japanese kanji form (Chinese uses 瀧 or simply 瀑布). Famous waterfalls in Japan include 華厳の滝 (けごんのたき, Kegon Falls).
Summary
- Mountain kanji share the 山 radical: 峰, 岳, 崖, 岸, 岬, 島
- Water kanji share the 氵 radical: 池, 泉, 海, 湖, 沼, 湾
- Japanese place names are built from landscape kanji — learn the kanji, read the map
- Mountain worship and hot springs are central to Japanese culture
- Next up: From earth to sky — learn plant kanji like 木, 花, 草