inlet; cove; small bay
A small, sheltered coastal indentation; often used in geographical names and literary descriptions.
その小さな浦には漁船が数隻停泊していた。
A few fishing boats were anchored in that small inlet.
Refers to the coastal area or beach, often with a slightly poetic or traditional feel; common in place names and classical poetry.
浦の景色は夕日に染まって美しかった。
The seashore scenery was beautiful, dyed in the evening sun.
浜 specifically means a sandy beach, whereas 浦 covers the seashore area more broadly, including rocky or less defined stretches.
磯 denotes a rocky shore or reef, while 浦 is a coastal inlet or beach with a softer, more literary connotation.
裏 (うら) sounds identical to 浦 but means the back or reverse side of something, with no connection to the coast.
all over the country; throughout the land; far and wide
coastal indentations; inlets and bays
seaside dweller; coastal resident
sandbar in an inlet; sandbank
breakers on the shore; waves breaking on the beach
The kanji 浦 combines 氵 (water) and 甫 (a phonetic component suggesting 'edge' or 'bank'), originally meaning a waterside or inlet. The reading うら is native Japanese and has been used since Old Japanese to refer to coastal inlets and seashores.
sea breeze; wind from the sea
Arisaema urashima; cobra lily