Refers to small branches, twigs, or kindling used for fuel or fencing. Often appears in compounds like 柴垣 (brushwood fence) or 柴犬 (Shiba Inu, named for the brushwood where the breed hunted).
The old man went to the mountain to gather brushwood.
We gathered brushwood in the garden and made a bonfire.
We bundle brushwood and use it instead of firewood.
In winter, they burned brushwood in the yard to keep warm.
They fenced around the field with brushwood.
Trade counter for standardized bundles (firewood, dried goods).
For bundles that fit in the grip — spinach, firewood, rice sheaves.
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news sources.
The kanji 柴 combines 木 (tree) and 此 (this/here), originally referring to small trees or brushwood. The reading しば is native Japanese and has been used since Old Japanese for small branches and kindling.