this side; the near side; in front
Refers to the side or area closer to the speaker or a reference point; often used when giving directions or describing relative positions.
Please stand on this side.
Looking at the map, the station is on the near side.
Standard kanji spelling.
Kana-mixed variant; 方 is often written in kana in casual contexts.
Compound of 手前 (てまえ, 'this side, before one's eyes') + の (possessive particle) + 方 (ほう, 'direction, side').