江|えe[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nouninlet; bay

• Synonym浦うらNeutralA bay or stretch of seashore, common in place names like 「〇〇浦」; leans toward fishing-village coasts.
• Synonym入り江いりえNeutralAn inlet where the coast or a lakeshore cuts into the land, as in 「入り江の村」; when 「江」 is read え it now appears mostly in 「さん江」.
• Related潟かたWrittenWritten/formal prose for a lagoon or tidal flat, familiar from place names like 「新潟」; leans toward shallow flats.
• Related入り海いりうみNeutralRefers to the same thing as 「入り江」—where the sea or a lake reaches inland—and the two are interchangeable, but it is less common; 「江」 alone is mostly seen in 「さん江」.

「江（え）」 originally meant a small bay, but today it survives mostly in place names or as 「〇〇さん江」, standing in for 「へ」 on gift inscriptions. For everyday descriptions of the terrain say 「入り江」; seaside place names favor 「浦」, and lagoons are 「潟」.

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

1. 海うみや湖みずうみが陸地りくちに入り込はいりこんでいる所ところ