bamboo growing along a riverbank
Refers to bamboo naturally growing by a river, not a specific species.
The bamboo along the river is swaying in the wind.
Phyllostachys bambusoides; a large bamboo species used for construction and crafts.
Madake is used as a construction material.
Pleioblastus simonii; a smaller bamboo species, also called 女竹 (めだけ).
Simon bamboo is a thin and flexible bamboo.
prostitute; life of a prostitute
Archaic slang; derived from the image of bamboo by the river, used in the Edo period pleasure quarters.
The word 川竹 was a slang term for prostitutes in the Edo period.
Common name for Pleioblastus simonii; 川竹 is a less common synonym.
Standard kanji spelling for river bamboo and the bamboo species.
Alternate kanji spelling using 河 for river; less common than 川竹.
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.