Japanese Directions & Locations Kanji: Learn Direction Words in Japanese
Master Japanese direction and location kanji: 上 (ue/up), 下 (shita/down), 左 (hidari/left), 右 (migi/right), 北 (kita/north), 南 (minami/south), 東 (higashi/east), 西 (nishi/west), and more. Each kanji includes readings, romaji pronunciation, and example sentences for navigating Japan.
Japanese Direction Kanji at a Glance
Compass Points (方角)
The four compass directions, 北南東西 (kita-minami-higashi-nishi), are essential for addresses, train stations, and understanding Japanese geography. Tokyo has 東 (east) in its name: 東京 means "Eastern Capital."
Relative Directions
上下左右前後 (up, down, left, right, front, back) appear everywhere, from navigation signs to describing spatial relationships. These are among the most frequently used kanji in daily life.
JLPT Levels
Most direction kanji are JLPT N5-N4 level; they're fundamental vocabulary every Japanese learner needs. Location kanji like 場 (place), 駅 (station), and 道 (road) are also essential.
Common Japanese Direction & Location Kanji
These eighteen kanji cover compass directions, relative positions, and key location words used in everyday Japanese navigation.
| Meaning | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up / Above | 上 | うえ | ue | N5 |
| Down / Below | 下 | した | shita | N5 |
| Left | 左 | ひだり | hidari | N5 |
| Right | 右 | みぎ | migi | N5 |
| Front / Before | 前 | まえ | mae | N5 |
| Back / After | 後 | うしろ | ushiro | N5 |
| North | 北 | きた | kita | N4 |
| South | 南 | みなみ | minami | N4 |
| East | 東 | ひがし | higashi | N4 |
| West | 西 | にし | nishi | N4 |
| Middle / Center | 中 | なか | naka | N5 |
| Outside | 外 | そと | soto | N5 |
| Inside / Enter | 内 | うち | uchi | N4 |
| Between | 間 | あいだ | aida | N5 |
| Near | 近 | ちかい | chikai | N4 |
| Far | 遠 | とおい | tooi | N4 |
| Place | 場 | ば | ba | N4 |
| Road / Way | 道 | みち | michi | N4 |
All Japanese Direction & Location Kanji
Explore each direction kanji with its readings and an example sentence used in everyday Japanese.
Example:
本は机の上にあります。
Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu.
The book is on top of the desk.
Example:
猫はテーブルの下にいます。
Neko wa tēburu no shita ni imasu.
The cat is under the table.
Example:
左に曲がってください。
Hidari ni magatte kudasai.
Please turn left.
Example:
右側を歩いてください。
Migigawa o aruite kudasai.
Please walk on the right side.
Example:
駅の前にコンビニがあります。
Eki no mae ni konbini ga arimasu.
There is a convenience store in front of the station.
Example:
後ろを振り返らないでください。
Ushiro o furikaeranai de kudasai.
Please don't look back.
Example:
北口から出てください。
Kitaguchi kara dete kudasai.
Please exit from the north exit.
Example:
南の島へ旅行に行きたいです。
Minami no shima e ryokō ni ikitai desu.
I want to travel to a southern island.
Example:
東京は日本の東にあります。
Tōkyō wa Nihon no higashi ni arimasu.
Tokyo is in the east of Japan.
Example:
西の方に山が見えます。
Nishi no hō ni yama ga miemasu.
You can see mountains to the west.
Example:
箱の中に何がありますか。
Hako no naka ni nani ga arimasu ka.
What is inside the box?
Example:
外は寒いですから、コートを着てください。
Soto wa samui desu kara, kōto o kite kudasai.
It's cold outside, so please wear a coat.
Example:
三日以内に届きます。
Mikka inai ni todokimasu.
It will arrive within three days.
Example:
東京と大阪の間は新幹線で2時間半です。
Tōkyō to Ōsaka no aida wa shinkansen de ni-jikan-han desu.
Between Tokyo and Osaka is 2.5 hours by bullet train.
Example:
駅の近くにスーパーがあります。
Eki no chikaku ni sūpā ga arimasu.
There is a supermarket near the station.
Example:
学校は家から遠いです。
Gakkō wa ie kara tooi desu.
The school is far from my house.
Example:
集合場所はどこですか。
Shūgō basho wa doko desu ka.
Where is the meeting place?
Example:
この道をまっすぐ行ってください。
Kono michi o massugu itte kudasai.
Please go straight on this road.
Direction & Location Compound Words (Jukugo)
Japanese creates rich directional vocabulary by combining kanji. These compound words are essential for reading signs, understanding addresses, and navigating cities.
| Compound | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 東京 | とうきょう (tōkyō) | Tokyo: "Eastern Capital" (east + capital) |
| 北海道 | ほっかいどう (hokkaidō) | Hokkaido: "North Sea Road" (north + sea + road) |
| 上下 | じょうげ (jōge) | Up and down / vertical |
| 左右 | さゆう (sayū) | Left and right / both sides |
| 前後 | ぜんご (zengo) | Front and back / around (a time) |
| 東西 | とうざい (tōzai) | East and west |
| 南北 | なんぼく (nanboku) | North and south |
| 北口 | きたぐち (kitaguchi) | North exit (train station) |
| 南口 | みなみぐち (minamiguchi) | South exit (train station) |
| 中間 | ちゅうかん (chūkan) | Middle / midpoint (middle + between) |
| 近所 | きんじょ (kinjo) | Neighborhood (near + place) |
| 遠足 | えんそく (ensoku) | Field trip / excursion (far + feet) |
| 道路 | どうろ (dōro) | Road / highway (way + road) |
| 場所 | ばしょ (basho) | Place / location (place + place) |
| 地下 | ちか (chika) | Underground / basement (ground + below) |
| 以内 | いない (inai) | Within / less than (by means of + inside) |
Japanese Compass Directions Visual Guide
The four cardinal directions and four intercardinal directions form the complete Japanese compass (方位 houi).
Directions in Japanese Culture
Tokyo = "Eastern Capital" (東京)
Japan's capital gets its name from direction kanji: 東 (east) + 京 (capital) = 東京 (Tōkyō, "Eastern Capital"). The name was adopted in 1868 when the capital moved east from Kyoto (京都, "Capital City"). Many Japanese place names contain direction kanji: 北海道 (Hokkaidō, "North Sea Road"), 南極 (nankyoku, "South Pole").
Japanese Addresses & Navigation
Unlike Western addresses that use street names, Japanese addresses use district numbers and block numbers. Direction kanji help specify exits (出口 deguchi), entrances (入口 iriguchi), and station areas. At train stations, you'll see signs like 北口 (kitaguchi, "north exit") and 南口 (minamiguchi, "south exit") constantly.
Common Direction Expressions
右も左もわからない
Migi mo hidari mo wakaranai
"Don't know right from left": To be completely lost or clueless about something.
前を向いて歩こう
Mae o muite arukou
"Let's face forward and walk": Encouragement to look ahead and keep going.
東奔西走
Tōhon seisō
"Running east, running west": Being extremely busy rushing around everywhere.
上には上がある
Ue ni wa ue ga aru
"There's always someone above": No matter how good you are, someone is better.
Tips for Remembering Japanese Direction Kanji
Learn Pairs Together
Direction kanji come in natural pairs: 上下 (up/down), 左右 (left/right), 前後 (front/back), 東西 (east/west), 北南 (north/south). Learning them as pairs reinforces both at once and mimics how they're used in real Japanese.
Use Visual Mnemonics
上 has a line pointing UP above the base. 下 has a line pointing DOWN below the base. 左 and 右 are mirror-like characters: 左 (left) starts with the "left" stroke ナ, while 右 (right) starts with the "mouth" stroke 口.
Read Train Station Signs
Japanese train stations are full of direction kanji: 北口 (north exit), 南口 (south exit), 東口 (east exit), 西口 (west exit). Practicing reading these signs mentally trains your recognition of direction kanji in context.
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