120
方
Direction, Way, Form
かた (kata), ほう (hou)
JLPT N4
Interesting Fact
Traditional Japanese beliefs describe the northeast as the Kimon (鬼門), or "Demon Gate." ⛩️👹 It was thought to be the direction from which evil spirits entered. To protect homes and cities, temples were sometimes built to the northeast, acting as spiritual guardians. Even today, some people still consider this direction when designing buildings or choosing room layouts.
Memory Trick
One Liner: "Give me 10,000(万) gold coins, and I'll point you in the right direction!" 👆
Readings
Onyomi: ホウ (hou)
Kunyomi: かた (kata), ほう (hou)
Example Words
方法
ほうほう (houhou)
Method
地方
ちほう (chihou)
Region
方角
ほうがく (hougaku)
Direction
あの方
あのかた (ano kata)
That person (polite)
Example Sentence
駅の 方へ 歩きます。
えきの ほうへ あるきます。
eki no hou e arukimasu
I will walk toward the station.