遠方
えんぽう · enpou · JLPT N1 · noun
way
🧭 遠 (far) + 方 (direction, side) = a far-off direction, a long way away
The same 遠 appears in 遠足 (ensoku), a field trip, literally a far walk. Both words share the sense of distance.
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.'