How to say "inaccessible" in Japanese

• 険しいけわしいJLPT N2approx.Common
  i-adjectiveCovers the literal sense of inaccessible terrain: mountains, cliffs, or paths that are precipitous and rugged. This is the usual choice when the inaccessibility comes from the physical landscape itself.
  彼かれらは険けわしい北面ほくめんを登のぼった。↗

  They climbed the rugged north face.
• とっつきにくい
  i-adjectiveUsually written in kana alone, this describes things that are hard to approach or get into, such as a person, book, or subject that seems forbidding at first contact. It is less common and less literal than 険しい.
• 近づきがたいちかづきがたい
  i-adjectiveMeans difficult to approach or access, often for people who seem unapproachable or distant. It is a less common word, so for everyday use a plainer phrase may serve better.

Use 「険しい」 for physically rugged, steep terrain that is hard to reach; use 「とっつきにくい」 or 「近づきがたい」 for figurative inaccessibility, such as people or topics that are hard to approach.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 険しいけわしいprecipitous
• とっつきにくいdifficult to approach
• 近づきがたいちかづきがたいunapproachable