also: ひがしやま · とうざん
eastern mountains; mountains to the east
Only with reading とうさん / とうざん
General term for mountains located in the east. Read as とうさん or とうざん in this sense; ひがしやま is usually reserved for the Kyoto district.
The eastern mountains of this region are gentle and perfect for hiking.
Tōsandō (historical region)
Only with reading とうさん
Historical abbreviation for 東山道 (Tōsandō), an old administrative region between the Tōkaidō and Hokurikudō. Read only as とうさん.
See also: 東山道
Tōsandō was one of the ancient administrative regions, also abbreviated as Tōsan.
Higashiyama (Kyoto district)
Only with reading ひがしやま
Refers specifically to the Higashiyama area in Kyoto, known for its temples and historic scenery. Read only as ひがしやま.
In Kyoto's Higashiyama district, famous temples like Kiyomizu-dera and Ginkaku-ji are clustered.
東山 refers to mountains in the east, while 西山 refers to mountains in the west, making them directional opposites.
Standard kanji spelling for the place name Higashiyama; also used for the general meaning 'eastern mountains' with readings とうさん or とうざん.
On-reading used for the general meaning 'eastern mountains' and the historical Tōsandō region.
Alternate on-reading for 'eastern mountains'; less common than とうさん.
Compound of 東 (east) and 山 (mountain). The reading ひがしやま is the native Japanese kun-reading, while とうさん and とうざん are Sino-Japanese on-readings. The specific place name Higashiyama in Kyoto derives from its location east of the city center.