capital

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 京 relates to a capital city and has the on readings きょう and けい and the kun reading みやこ.
• Basic usage: 上京, read じょうきょう, generally means going to Tokyo in present-day usage.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The Korean learning gloss
  • The inherited Korean learning label uses a word for a capital that is also the name Seoul.
  • That label is not a basis for translating the destination in Japanese 上京 as Seoul in Korea.
• Going somewhere and permanent residence
  • 進学のために上京する describes going to Tokyo for further education.
  • 上京 can also refer to a temporary trip to Tokyo, so it is not restricted to permanent relocation.