direction, person, alternative
方 centers on pointing or facing a particular way: a direction, a side, or a method. The 'person' sense is a polite way to refer to someone by their direction or side, and 'alternative' extends the idea of choosing one direction over another.
方 originally depicted a plow or a square tool, and later came to represent direction or side. The modern form is simplified and abstract, but the connection to orientation remains.
The shape looks like a signpost with a dot on top pointing the way. Imagine a directional sign with a clear arrow: 方 shows you which way to go.
For ホウ, picture a compass pointing home: home -> ホウ, and the signpost shows the direction home.
direction; way; side; area (in a particular direction)
direction; way
you
method; way; manner; process; procedure; means; measure
one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one direction; the other direction; one side; the other side; one party; the other party
way; method; means; resource; course
district; region; area; locality
direction; orientation; bearing; way
both; both sides; both parties
way of using (something); way to use; how to use; usage; use
way (of doing); manner; method; means
you
policy; course; plan (of action); principle
friend; ally; supporter
way of thinking; point of view; opinion; approach (e.g. to a problem); attitude
form; method; system; formula
here and there; this way and that way; everywhere; all over
people; (all) persons; everyone; ladies and gentlemen
early evening (usu. from 3pm to 6pm); dusk
direction; district; area
(one's) whereabouts
way of saying (something); way of putting it; wording; phrasing; language; expression
eastern direction
viewpoint; point of view; way of looking (at something); view; angle
who
way of life; how to live
rear; back; behind
both parties; both sides
one side; one party; the other side; the other party
dialect; provincialism
ahead; forward; (in) front
beyond; across; the other side; the distance
prescription (of medicine); formula
way of writing; manner of writing
pronunciation; reading (e.g. of a kanji)
master; boss; chief; foreman; supervisor
I; we; our part
way of talking; speaking style
bearing; heading; point of the compass
equation; formula
the north; northward; northern direction
upper part; upper region; region above
prescription
one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one direction; the other direction; one side; the other side; one party; the other party
the four cardinal directions; north, east, south and west; all directions
early morning; early hours; early in the morning
way; destination; reason
distant place; faraway location; far away
local authority; local government; locality; local self-governing body; municipality
lower region; lower part; region below
square metre; square meter
the south; southward; southern direction
direction; way
traditional Chinese medicine
square (e.g. metre)
plan; measure; means; scheme; policy
square
rectangle; oblong
someone working behind-the-scenes; scene shifter
large part; greater part; majority
other party; opposite party; opposing team; one's opponent; one's adversary
western direction
dawn; daybreak
attitude; approach; move
other party; other side
Chinese herbal medicine
mother's side of family
father's side of family
all sides; the four cardinal directions and the four ordinal directions
square kilometer; square kilometre
weight
you (plural)
that gentleman; that lady; he; she
payment method
one-sided; unilateral; arbitrary
one-way traffic
three sides
there's no (other) way
there's no (other) way
someone
anyone
how to use; method for using; way of using
way of taking (e.g. photographs); manner of taking; how to take
right side
local public body; local government
local government employee; local civil servant
decentralization of power; decentralisation of power
local tax; council tax
local (governmental) autonomy
local administration
local assembly
payment method
had better ...
(person with) no sense of direction; poor sense of locality
methodology
payment method
cubic meter
missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
way of solving (a problem); solution