岸 - The SHORE Is Higher and Drier Than the Water

Readings & Meanings:

ガン

きし

(sea)shore

Common Usage:

岸

向こう岸

海岸

河岸（かし）

護岸工事

Examples:

岸をつたって歩いた。

向こう岸には船で渡るしかない。

海岸で貝殻を拾った。

河岸の護岸工事をしている。

Translations:

I walked, following the shore.

You have to cross in a boat to the other shore.

I picked up shells from the beach.

They are making a levee protection at the riverbank.

Radical:

山 is the radical.

厂 (cliff) surrounds the phonetic, 干. As 干 means a stick thrust against an enemy, this signifies that the shore is the ground that sticks to the water.

山 serves to show that it's high ground (higher, at least, than the riverbed or ocean floor.

Bonus:



References:

http://www.kanjinetworks.com/indices/radindex.html
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/7.htm