へ

Form: place-noun + へ + motion verb. The particle is pronounced e, not he — the same particle-only reading trick as を (pronounced o).

Meaning: direction of a movement — the heading. Overlaps heavily with に but stresses the going rather than the arriving.

Key uses:
- Direction of motion: 駅へ行く head to the station. Almost interchangeable with 駅に行く — へ leans on the process of going, に leans on the arrival at the destination.
- Set phrases and formal contexts: 日本へようこそ welcome to Japan, 未来へ toward the future. These take へ; に would sound off.
- Letters, packages, addresses: 田中さんへ to Mr. Tanaka — the standard opening of a letter or the label on a gift.

vs. に: in everyday speech, に wins for destinations by a wide margin. へ shows up more in writing, in headings, and when the journey itself matters more than the endpoint. Both are correct — pick the one that reads naturally, and don't overthink it.

Pronunciation: the character is normally read he (as in the word 部屋 heya / room? no — 部屋 uses different kanji; へ appears literally in words like 屁 he / fart). As a particle it always reads e.