1A small village or hamlet; a rural settlement.
山里は春になると桜が一面に咲く。
In the mountain village the cherry trees bloom all over in spring.
この里には古い民家が今も残っている。
Old traditional houses still remain in this hamlet.
小さな里を訪ねて地元の祭りに参加した。
I visited a small village and took part in the local festival.
2The countryside; rural areas outside towns and cities.
週末は都会を離れて里でのんびり過ごしたい。
On weekends I want to leave the city and relax in the countryside.
里の空気は都会に比べてずっと新鮮だ。
The air in the countryside is much fresher than in the city.
子どもたちは里の広い野原で元気に遊んでいた。
The children were playing energetically in the wide fields of the countryside.
3One's home (parents' house) or hometown; the place where one was raised.
年末はいつも里へ帰って家族と過ごす。
I always return to my hometown at the end of the year to spend time with my family.
彼は里の両親の介護をしている。
He is taking care of his parents back home.
里のことを思うと懐かしい気持ちになる。
Thinking about my hometown makes me feel nostalgic.
4One's origins, upbringing, or past (background).
彼の里は質素な家庭で、幼いころから勤勉に育った。
He comes from a modest background and was raised to be industrious from childhood.
その話から彼女の里がどんなものだったかがうかがえる。
From that story you can get a sense of what her upbringing was like.