Rare Chinese loanword for a wharf or dock; mostly encountered in historical or regional contexts, or in Chinese-influenced areas such as Yokohama Chinatown.
from Chinese mǎtou
An old wharf remains near Yokohama Chinatown.
Rare kanji spelling borrowed from Chinese; the word is almost always written in katakana.
Standard katakana spelling for this Chinese loanword.
Borrowed from Chinese 碼頭 (mǎtou), meaning wharf or dock. The reading マートー reflects the Chinese pronunciation.