noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
going from the capital to the provinces
Historical term for traveling from the capital (Kyoto) to the countryside. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical contexts.
平安時代、貴族が下向する際には多くの従者を連れた。
In the Heian period, when nobles went from the capital to the provinces, they took many attendants.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
returning after praying at a temple or shrine
Historical term for returning from a temple or shrine visit. Sometimes written as 還向.
参拝を終えて、僧侶たちは寺から下向した。
After finishing their prayers, the monks returned from the temple.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
coming down from a high place to a low place
Historical term for descending from a high place (e.g., a mountain or elevated area) to a lower one. Rare and archaic.
山伏は修行を終え、山から下向した。
The mountain ascetic finished his training and came down from the mountain.