Japanese meaning of 一望無際

Reading:
いちぼうむさい (ichibou musai)

English Translation:

Limitless view; vast expanse

Meaning & Cultural Context

Meaning:


An unbounded vista with no visible edge—sea, steppe, sky—conveying vastness and awe.

Cultural Context:


Used in travel writing, photography captions, and speeches to evoke scale and openness.

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• Noun phrase with “の景色” or “の大地” to describe a vast, unbroken view stretching endlessly (“一望無際の草原”).
• Common in travel writing and scenic descriptions.

Trap for English Speakers

Could be taken as “looking in all directions,” but it specifically means “view without end.”

Example

Basic Example

山頂から一望無際の景色が広がっていた。

From the mountaintop, an endless view spread out before us.


Applied Example

山頂から広がる一望無際の景色に、思わず漫画の主人公みたいに叫んだ。

From the mountaintop, the limitless view made me shout like a manga protagonist.