Translation guide
A high point of land that juts out into a body of water. In Japanese, the most common word is 岬 (misaki), but other terms exist for specific types or literary contexts.
The most common way to refer to a promontory in everyday Japanese, suitable for most contexts including travel, geography, and casual conversation.
There is a lighthouse at the tip of that promontory.
The view from the cape is wonderful.
Often used in proper nouns (e.g., 長崎 Nagasaki) or older place names. Can mean a small cape or point. Less common as a standalone word.
Nagasaki is a beautiful port town.
Used in more formal, literary, or geographical contexts to describe a large, imposing promontory or headland.
Many Japanese place names include 崎, such as 長崎 (Nagasaki) or 宮崎 (Miyazaki). These often refer to historical capes or points, but in modern usage they are simply city or prefecture names.
詩人は海角に立って夕日を眺めた。
The poet stood on the promontory and gazed at the sunset.