Refers to a physically elevated location or a high altitude. Often used in contexts like fear of heights (高所恐怖症) or working at heights.
Antonyms: 低所
He has a fear of heights and can't go up tall buildings.
At construction sites, caution is needed for work at heights.
broad perspective; big-picture view
Used in the set phrase 大所高所 (たいしょこうしょ) to mean a broad, objective viewpoint. Rarely used alone in modern Japanese.
See also: 大所高所
It's important to look at things from a broad perspective.
He's skilled at working at heights.
He tries to look at the problem from a broad perspective.
A worker fell from a height and was injured.
He likes climbing up to high places.
高地 is a geographic term for highland terrain, whereas 高所 can describe any high spot, including man-made structures.
高所 means simply 'a high place' in general, while 高層 specifically describes multi-story buildings or upper atmospheric layers.
Compound of 高 (high) and 所 (place). The figurative sense 'broad view' derives from the idea of looking down from a high vantage point.