noun
bamboo growing along a riverbank
Refers to bamboo naturally growing by a river, not a specific species.
川竹が風に揺れている。
The bamboo along the river is swaying in the wind.
noun
Japanese timber bamboo; madake
Phyllostachys bambusoides; a large bamboo species used for construction and crafts.
川竹は建築材として使われる。
Madake is used as a construction material.
noun
Pleioblastus simonii; a smaller bamboo species, also called 女竹 (めだけ).
川竹は細くてしなやかな竹だ。
Simon bamboo is a thin and flexible bamboo.
noun
prostitute; life of a prostitute
Archaic slang; derived from the image of bamboo by the river, used in the Edo period pleasure quarters.
川竹という言葉は、江戸時代の遊女を指す隠語だった。
The word 川竹 was a slang term for prostitutes in the Edo period.
Compound of 川 (river) and 竹 (bamboo). The archaic sense 'prostitute' is a metaphorical extension from the image of bamboo by the river, used in Edo-period slang.