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Context:

記者{きしゃ}: こんにちは。えっと、今日{きょう}はですね、日本{にほん}について、日本{にほん}の良{い}い所{ところ}について、(はい)、お聞{き}きしてるんですけど。

翻訳{ほんやく}: Hi there, today I'm asking people what's great about Japan.

The English official version says that it means "what is great about Japan" instead of "great Japanese places". I really thought the reporter was asking for a place in Japan, but instead the interviewee answered and he said that fresh fish was 日本{にほん}の良{い}い所{ところ}.

Of course, by the context, it is pretty obvious the meaning is "points". But if the context was different, could it be about a place or is 良{い}い所{ところ} an expression specifically related to good points or what is good about something?

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3 Answers 3

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I would say it not ambiguous. In this context, 良い所 definitely means "good point" and I never think of the other possibility. To talk about places, the interviewer would have used something other than 所, such as 場所, 風景, 街, 地域, スポット or 観光地. Well, "point" in English can also refer to a location (eg, rendezvous point, Cape point), but do you feel "Japan has some good points" said without context is ambiguous? Simple words such as 所, こと and もの have many meanings, and you have to get used to its usages.

That said, 良い所 can refer to a physical place in other contexts. For example, 京都は良い所ですね simply means "Kyoto is a good place, huh?".

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That's true. ところ can refer to a "point" or "aspect" of a certain thing or person. In fact, one dictionary writes this:

2㋒ 部分。箇所。点。

「悪い―を直す」「粋な―のある人だ」

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Of course, by the context, it is pretty obvious the meaning is "points". But if the context was different, could it be about a place or is 良い所 an expression specifically related to good points or what is good about something?

良い所 itself has both meanings.

See Meaning of ところ in アメリカのいいところ and in this case there's not much difference* between kanji and hiragana (いいところ and 良い所.)
Both have the same meanings.

* To be honest, 良い所 sounds more like a place than a point a bit, but still both are possible.


Edit:
As to "日本の良い所," it means a good point of Japan, hardly means a place.
If you want a phrase 良い所 used and about a place in Japan, "日本(~するのに)良い所" would be appropriate.

Example:
「日本で観光するのに良い所知りませんか?」
"Do you know any good place for sightseeing in Japan?"

My first answer is for independent 良い所 or 所.
You say "「所」in 「日本の良い所」" in the title, so I think that answer is enough, but just in case I added this appendix.

p.s.
Sorry for editing over and over.
I misread the title.

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