What is the difference between 川 and 河 in Japanese? Fun fact!

My son has been learning 漢字かんじ (Kanji).

He watched the movie “Spirited Away”  (千せん(sen)とto千尋ちひろ(Chi-hiro)のno神隠かみかく(kami-kaku)しshi) in Japanese many times.

One day, he was looking up the characters’ names on a Japanese website.

The description of おo腐くされre様さま（o-kusa-re-sama）was given as “河かわ(kawa)のno神かみ(kami)-“River God.”

Meanwhile,“琥珀川こはくがわ（Ko-haku-gawa ）also appears.

He asked me,

Hi Mum,

Both the Kanji “川かわ” and “河かわ”  (Kawa) mean river, right?

Yes

What’s the difference?

Well…
I learnt them when I was in elememtary school.
It means the same thing, but… we don’t use “河” by itself…
 
You know what?
I can’t explain that properly…😅
Let’s found out!

The meaning of “河” and ”川” (kawa)

In Japanese elementary schools, students learn the kanji 川 in the first grade and the Kanji 河 in the fifth grade.

I looked up the meaning in a Kanji Dictionary. 

The meaning of 河                                                                              

🔸The name of a river in China.
🔸The Yellow River.
🔸A river.
🔸A big river.
🔸The Milky Way.

reference : Kanji dictionary

The meaning of 川                                                                              

🔸River.
🔸A landform with flowing water.

reference : Kanji dictionary

What’ s the difference?　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

According to “Encyclopedia Nipponica”, “河” was originally a proper noun for the Yellow River in China, but later became a common noun.

“川” is a pictograph that represents the state of flowing water.

There is no strict distinction between 河かわ and 川.かわ

　“河“  and ”川“ for Japanese

In Japan, the Kanji character for “河”  is almost always used only in compound words, such as “大河たいが(tai-ga)” – big river or “河口かこう(ka-kou) – river mouth”.

When “河かわ“ is used alone, it is apparently used for special literary effects, such as “深ふか(fuka)いi河かわ“ – deep river.

On the other hand, the writing of river names in Japan seems to have been standardised to “川” regardless of the size.

China, the home of Kanji, has vast rivers. The scale is quite different from Japanese rivers.

Like the Yellow River(黄河こうがkouga by Japanese) ,

and the Yangtze River（長江ちょうこうchōkou by Japanese),

it far exceeds the concept of a “river.”

Usually, 江jiāng is bigger than 河 héin China.

So, It is easy to understand why they created separate characters for “河hé” and “江jiāng” in addition to “川chuān” in China.

There were no such extraordinary rivers on the Japanese island.

That’s why Japanese people could call all rivers, big and small, “kawa” and relate to them equally.

And when writing about rivers, they could also use the single character “川” (river).

How about “河の神“ from the movie of “Spirited Away”？

So, back to my son’s question!
First, let’s look back at the scene from the movie.

The scene where “腐くされ神(kusa-re-gami)“ appears                   

ぅうuU～んn…おoかkaしshiいiねne。
(Something’s fishy.)

 

腐くされre神がみ (kusa-re-gami)なnaんnかkaのno 気配けはい(ke-hai)じゃjyaなnaかっkatたtaんnだdaがga……
(Didn’t seem like a Stink God, to me…)

 

来き(ki)ちchiまっmatたtaもmoのnoはwa 仕し方かた(shi-kata)がgaなnaいi。おo迎むか(muka)えeしshiなna！
(Well, now that it’s here, better go greet it!)

 

こkoうuなっnatたtaらra 出来でき(de-ki)るruだdaけkeはhaやyaくku引ひきki取とってtte(hi-ki-to-tte)もmoらraうuしshiかkaなnaいiよyo！
(Just try to get rid of it, as fast as you can.)

….
….

…

こkoこkoにni,トゲtogeみmiたtaいiのnoがga刺さ(sa)さsaってtteるruのno！

He’s got a thorn stuck in him.

 

トtoゲgeーー？？

A thorn!?

トゲtoge？トゲtoge,だdaってtte？……ううuuーんn……

Thorn!? She said thorn!

 

千せん(sen)とtoリンrin、そのsonoおo方かた(kata)はwa”おo 腐くされ神がみ(kusa-re-gami)でdeはwaなnaいiぞzo！

Sen and Lin! That’s no Stink God in there!

 

…
…

セseーンn！よyoくkuやyaったttaねne、大おお(ō)もmoうuけkeだdaよyo！

Sen! You did great! You made us a bundle.

 

あaりゃrya〜名な(na)のnoあaるru河かわ(kawa)のno主ぬし(nushi)だdaよyo～。

That River God’s famous.

☝️*The “河かわのno神かみ“ that my son wondered about is also an example of the literary intent.

The kanji character “河かわkawa”  was used to represent the great River God who encompassed all rivers in this movie. 

Scenes in which 琥珀川 (Kohakugawa)’s name appears                    

ハクhaku、聞き(ki)いiてte。おo母かぁ(kā)さsaんnかkaらra聞き(ki)いiたtaんnでde自分じぶん(ji-bun)でdeはwa覚おぼ(obo)えeてteなnaかkaったttaんnだdaけkeどdo、私わたし(watashi)、小ちい(chii)さsaいiとtoきki、川かわ(kawa)にni落お(o)ちchiたtaこkoとtoがgaあaるruのno。

Haku, listen. I don’t remember it, but my mom told me…Once, when I was little, I fell into a river.

 

そのsono川かわ(kawa)はwaもmoうuマmaンnショshoンnにniなnaってtte、埋う(u)めmeらraれreちゃchaったttaんnだdaって。tte

She said they’d drained it and built things on top.

 

でもdemo、今いま(ima)思おも(omo)いi出だ(da)しshiたtaのno。
But I’ve just remembered.

 

そsoのno川かわ(kawa)のno名な(na)はwa……そのsono川かわ(kawa)はwaねne、琥珀川こはくがわ(kohakugawa)。
The river was called…Its name was the Kohaku river.

 

あaなnaたtaのno本当ほんとう(hontou)のno名な(na)はwa、琥珀川こはくがわ(kohakugawa)…… 

Your real name is Kohaku river.

 

千尋ちひろ(Chihiro)、あaりriがgaとtoうu。私わたし(watashi)のno本当ほんとう(hontou)のno名な(na)はwa、ニniギgiハhaヤyaM/rt>ミmi コkoハhaクkuヌnuシshiだda。
Chihiro, thank you, my real name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi.

☝️On the other hand, “琥珀川こはくがわ” （Kohakugawa） is used as the name of a river in Japan, so the kanji for “川” is used.

Summary

In Japanese,

🔸河 : a big river　

It is almost always used only in compound words, such as “大河たいが(tai-ga)” – big river or “河口かこう(ka-kou) – river mouth”.

When “河かわ“ is used alone, it is apparently used for special literary effects, such as “深ふか(fuka)いi河かわ“ – deep river.

🔸川：general word for ‘river’

The writing of river names in Japan seems to have been standardised to “川” regardless of the size.