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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 市 | noun | city | この市は大きい | This city is big. |
| 平野 | geography term | plain | この平野では米が作られています。 | Rice is grown in this plain. |
| 平野には農地が広がっています。 | noun | Farmland spreads across the plain. | Farmland spreads across the plain. | Farmland spreads across the plain. |
| 引っ越し | noun | moving | 来月、引っ越しをします。 | I will move next month. |
| 後ろ | noun | behind | 家の後ろ | behind the house |
| 所 | noun | place | ここは静かな所です。 | This is a quiet place. |
| 指定 | noun | designation; appointment | この場所は公園に指定された。 | This place was designated as a park. |
| 整備 | noun | maintenance | 道路の整備が進んでいます。 | Road maintenance is progressing. |
| 方向 | noun | direction | 北の方向へ進んでください。 | Please go in the northern direction. |
| 方角 | noun | direction | 北の方角を見てください。 | Please look toward the north. |
| 方面 | noun | direction; area | 駅の方面へ行きます。 | I’m going toward the station area. |
| 景色 | noun | scenery | 山からの景色は最高です。 | The scenery from the mountain is excellent. |
| 本土 | noun | mainland | この島から本土へ船で行けます。 | You can go from this island to the mainland by boat. |
| 村 | noun | village | その村は山の中にあります。 | That village is in the mountains. |
| 東 | geography term | east | 東に大きな湖があります。 | There is a large lake to the east. |
| 林 | noun | woods | 林の中に小道があります。 | There is a path in the woods. |
| 森 | noun | forest | その森は朝とても静かです。 | That forest is very quiet in the morning. |
| 横 | noun | side | 道の横 | beside the road |
| 橋 | noun | bridge | 橋を渡ります。 | I will cross the bridge. |
| 池 | noun | pond | 公園の池に鳥がいます。 | There are birds in the park pond. |
| 河 | geography term | river | 河の水がきれいだ。 | The river water is clean. |
| 河川 | geography term | river | この河川は春によく増水します。 | This river often swells in spring. |
| 沼 | noun | swamp, marsh | 沼の近くに鳥がいます。 | There are birds near the swamp. |
| 沿岸 | noun | coast | 沿岸に町がある | There is a town on the coast. |
| 泉 | noun | spring | この村はきれいな泉で知られています。 | This village is known for its clear spring. |
