北上

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 北上（ほくじょう） combines 北, north, with 上 as part of a directional expression.
• Basic usage: It describes northward movement by people, moving air, and similar subjects.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Direction versus elevation
  • Here 上 contributes to northward movement rather than an increase in height. A plain paraphrase is 北へ進む.
• Movement toward the south
  • The opposite direction is expressed with 南下. Both a traveler's movement and the movement of warm air can be described in directional terms.