1.
ascent; going up; climbing
The act or state of going upward.
この道は上りがきつい。
The climb on this road is steep.
上り坂で自転車を漕ぐのは大変だ。
It's hard to pedal a bicycle uphill.
上り坂 = uphill slope
この上りは距離が長くて疲れる。
This uphill stretch is long and tiring.
2.
up-train; inbound train
A train heading toward a major city (especially Tokyo).
上りの電車は混んでいる。
The inbound train is crowded.
上りと下りでは所要時間が違う。
The time needed differs between going up and coming down.
上りの新幹線は朝が混む。
The inbound Shinkansen is crowded in the morning.
上り is the noun form derived from the verb 上る (to climb, to go up).
TRAIN TERMINOLOGY:
In Japanese railway, 上り and 下り indicate direction relative to major cities:
- 上り: toward Tokyo (or the major terminus)
- 下り: away from Tokyo (or the major terminus)
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 上り坂 (uphill slope)
- 上り線 (inbound line/track)
- 上り列車 (up-train)
ANTONYM:
下り (descent; down-train)