Geography isn’t just a school subject-it’s what you grab when you’re telling someone which street your hotel is on, or describing the view from the top of the mountain. This list hands you around 168 practical Japanese geography words, from countries and oceans to everyday location vocabulary you’ll actually need in real conversations.
Whether you’re planning a trip, reading a map, or just want to stop pointing and start talking, these words will help. No fluff, just useful vocabulary for Japanese learners at any stage.
Pack your curiosity and your best map-reading eyes, because we’re heading into place names, landforms, and all the words you need to talk about the world in Japanese. Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable Japanese Geography vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Japanese Geography flashcards.
Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Japanese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve got these geography words down? Give the quick quiz a spin and see how many you can recall-no pressure, just a friendly check.
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| Word | Type | Meaning | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 地点 | geography term | spot; point on a map | 地図で地点を確認する。 | Check the point on the map. |
| 地理 | noun | geography | 私は学校で地理を勉強しています。 | I study geography at school. |
| 坂 | noun | slope | 急な坂を上る | to climb a steep slope |
| 城 | noun | castle | その城は有名です。 | That castle is famous. |
| 域 | noun | region; area | この域を出ない。 | It does not go beyond this range. |
| 場所 | noun | place | 場所を教えてください。 | Please tell me the place. |
| 境 | noun | boundary; border | 国境の境に立つ。 | Stand at the border between countries. |
| 大通り | noun | main street | 大通りをまっすぐ行ってください。 | Please go straight down the main street. |
| 大陸 | noun | continent | アジアは大きな大陸です。 | Asia is a large continent. |
| 寺 | noun | Buddhist temple | 寺を見学しました。 | We visited a Buddhist temple. |
| 寺院 | noun | temple | この寺院は有名です。 | This temple is famous. |
| 小川 | noun | stream | 小川の音が聞こえます。 | I can hear the sound of a stream. |
| 山 | noun | mountain | あの山は冬に白くなります。 | That mountain turns white in winter. |
| 山脈 | geography term | mountain range | 山脈が町の西に広がっています。 | A mountain range stretches to the west of the town. |
| 山頂 | noun | summit | 山頂からの景色はすばらしいです。 | The view from the summit is wonderful. |
| 山頂はまだ雪でおおわれています。 | noun | The summit is still covered with snow. | The summit is still covered with snow. | The summit is still covered with snow. |
| 岩 | noun | rock, boulder | 大きな岩があります。 | There is a big rock. |
| 岬 | geography term | cape | 岬から海を一望できます。 | You can get a full view of the sea from the cape. |
| 岸 | noun | shore; bank | 川岸を散歩しました。 | I took a walk along the river bank. |
| 峡谷 | noun | canyon | 峡谷を歩きました。 | We walked through the canyon. |
| 峰 | noun | peak | 山の峰が見えます。 | I can see the mountain peak. |
| 島 | noun | island | この島は自然が豊かです。 | This island is rich in nature. |
| 崖 | noun | cliff | 崖の上に立たないでください。 | Please do not stand on the cliff. |
| 川 | noun | river | その川は町の中心を流れています。 | That river flows through the center of town. |
| 州 | geography term | state; province | この州は海に面しています。 | This state faces the sea. |
