Difference between 場所 and 所


> ２６日は、１９日と別の **場所** で２回目の噴火がありました。  
>  On the 26th there was a second eruption in a place different from the 19th.  
>  しかし、２６日に噴火が起こった **所** は、頂上から西側に５００ｍぐらいの **所** でした。  
>  However, the place where the eruption occurred on the 26th was around 500m
> to the west of the summit.

For along time now I've been happily reading both 場所 and 所 as 'place' without
thinking about the difference. Are they interchangeable or is there a deeper
reason for using different words in the above text?




The difference between 場所 and 所 can be quite subtle when talking about an
actual place. 場所 is a bit more formal than 所, but many people do not
distinguish them very much and will use both to vary the language a bit.

> 遺跡が発見された場所 = place where the ruins were found
>
> 会議の時間と場所を決める = set the time and place for the meeting
>
> 国が所有している場所 = government-owned land
>
> 駅から５分くらいの所に住んでいる = live five minutes from the station
>
> 彼氏の背中のかゆい所をかく = scratch the boyfriend's itchy spot in the back

One difference between 場所 and 所 is that 場所 always refers to a place in the
literal sense, but 所/ところ can also be used for more abstract things. In modern
Japanese, it is usual to write it in hiragana when using it in the abstract
sense.

> 今やっているところです = (I am) doing it now
>
> 今日のところは許してやる = I will forgive you for today
>
> 勉強が終わったところです = I just finished my homework
>
> それは政府の関知するところではない = that is none of the government's business




The difference between 場所 and 所 can be quite subtle when talking about an
actual place. 場所 is a bit more formal than 所, but many people do not
distinguish them very much and will use both to vary the language a bit.

> 遺跡が発見された場所 = place where the ruins were found
>
> 会議の時間と場所を決める = set the time and place for the meeting
>
> 国が所有している場所 = government-owned land
>
> 駅から５分くらいの所に住んでいる = live five minutes from the station
>
> 彼氏の背中のかゆい所をかく = scratch the boyfriend's itchy spot in the back

One difference between 場所 and 所 is that 場所 always refers to a place in the
literal sense, but 所/ところ can also be used for more abstract things. In modern
Japanese, it is usual to write it in hiragana when using it in the abstract
sense.

> 今やっているところです = (I am) doing it now
>
> 今日のところは許してやる = I will forgive you for today
>
> 勉強が終わったところです = I just finished my homework
>
> それは政府の関知するところではない = that is none of the government's business

