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Ichibō Senri (一望千里 – Boundless Expanse)

  • Ichibō Senri

    一望千里


    Today I went to an onsen and took an open-air bath offering a view of the Pacific Ocean that fills your field of vision.
    今日は温泉に行き、視界いっぱいに広がる太平洋を眺めながら、露天風呂に入りました。

    This scenic view can be described as ichibō senri (一望千里).
    この景色は「一望千里」であるといえます。

    Since ichi (一) means “one” and (望) means “to look into the distance,” ichibō (一望) means “to look out over a wide landscape with a single view.”
    「一」は “one”、「望」は “to look into the distanc” を意味し、「一望」は「広い景色を一目で見渡すこと」や「見渡す限り」のような意味になります。

    In addition, sen (千) means “thousand,” and ri (里) is the old Japanese unit of distance, which is about 4 km. The literal meaning of senri (千里) is “four thousand kilometers,” but it can also be used as a metaphor for a very long distance.
    また、「千」は “a thousand”、「里」は日本における昔の距離の単位で、1里は約4kmであるため、「千里」の文字どおりの意味は “four thousands meter” となりますが、「とても遠い距離」のたとえとしても使われます。

    That is to say, ichibō senri means a good view of the landscape where you can see very wide and far distances with a single view.
    すなわち「一望千里」とは、一目でとても遠くまで見渡すことができる、見晴らしの良い景色ということになります。

    It was night, but the sea breeze was pleasant, and the full moon was so beautiful that I felt happy!
    温泉に入ったのは夜でしたが、潮風が心地よく、満月がとても綺麗で、良い気分になりました。

    Original sentence