故郷
furusato[ko̞kʲo̞ː]
The Japanese word for hometown is 故郷, pronounced furusato.
故郷 is used to refer to one's place of birth or residence. It often carries a nostalgic or sentimental feeling of a place one deeply misses or feels an emotional connection to.
Meaning: place of birth or residence (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 故郷 carries a nostalgic, poetic or sentimental connotation of a 'long-lost home,' 地元 is a more neutral, practical term for the area where one is from or currently lives. Use 地元 when talking about practical matters like local food, local friends or the area you grew up in without necessarily implying deep emotional longing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For daily conversation, 地元 is more commonly used to refer to one's hometown or local area. If you need a formal way to say hometown, you can use 出身地.
How do you pronounce it?
furusato
Did you know?
- The nuance of 故郷 is so strong that it is often associated with the countryside or rural landscapes, even if your actual hometown was a bustling metropolis.
- In Japanese pop songs, the word 故郷 is frequently used as a metaphor for one's lost innocence or a simpler time in life, rather than just a geographical location.
- The characters in 故郷 are actually the same as the ones used for 'old village' in Middle Chinese, which originally referred to a place one has left behind.
Examples in context
- 故郷が恋しいな。I miss my hometown.This sentence is useful for expressing a feeling of missing your 故郷.Tatoeba #12207083 by small_snow, translation #9495975 by DJ_Saidez
- 故郷はどうだった？How was your hometown?This sentence is useful for asking someone about their 故郷.Tatoeba #9275250 by bunbuku, translation #9275257 by DJ_Saidez
- ここが私の故郷です。This is my hometown.This sentence is useful for identifying a specific place as your 故郷.Tatoeba #12207082 by small_snow, translation #9177669 by CK
- わたしの出身地は東京です。My hometown is Tokyo.
- 現在、私はロンドンに住んでいますが、出身地は京都です。I currently live in London, but my hometown is Kyoto.
- あそこの風景は、うちの地元とそっくりだね。The scenery there looks just like my hometown.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Himari are talking about where they grew up.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵さんの故郷はどこですか？Himari-san no kokyou wa doko desu ka?Where is your hometown, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himari私の故郷は北海道です。Watashi no kokyou wa Hokkaido desu.My hometown is Hokkaido.
- 陽太 Yota北海道はとてもいいところですね。Hokkaido wa totemo ii tokoro desu ne.Hokkaido is a very nice place.
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても静かな町です。Hai, totemo shizuka na machi desu.Yes, it is a very quiet town.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hometown” translations and entries 故郷, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 故郷, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
