目方
めかた · mekata · JLPT N1 · noun
weight
⚖️ 目方 = eye + direction: judge by looking which way the scale tips
目 (me) means eye and 方 (kata) means direction or way. Weighing is about how the scale tips, which is the 'way' your eyes read it. Mekata = the way the scale tips.
方 — pictograph of a plow or two boats joined side by side
方 originated as a pictograph, traditionally interpreted as a plow handle or two boats lashed together. From the idea of paired boats it extended to mean 'side by side,' then 'square,' 'direction,' and 'region.' It was later borrowed for the abstract sense of 'method' or 'way.'