方 has several proposed origins, but a widely cited one is the shape of a plough with handles jutting out to the sides. Plough a field straight and you get neat square furrows — from which grew the senses "square, direction, upright, method."

Mandarin: fāng, level 1st tone. 方向 (fāngxiàng, direction), 地方 (dìfāng, place / locality), 方便 (fāngbiàn, convenient), 方法 (fāngfǎ, method), 东方 (dōngfāng, the East). In mathematics it also means "square / power" — 平方 (píngfāng, squared).

Japanese: on-reading ホウ (hō), kun かた (kata). 方向 (hōkō, direction), 方法 (hōhō, method), 夕方 (yūgata, evening), あの方 (ano kata, that person). In Japanese かた also serves as a polite way to refer to people — この方 (kono kata, this person) is a courteous form.

Korean hanja-sound "bang": 方向 (banghyang, direction), 四方 (sabang, all directions), 方法 (bangbeop, method), 地方 (jibang, region). Korean "banggeum" (方今), meaning "just now," also uses this character.

Memory aid: the square of a straight-ploughed furrow — direction and corner in a single character.