里帰り

• 読み: さとがえり
• ローマ字: satogaeri
• 漢字の分解: 里 (hometown/village) + 帰り (returning) → returning to one's hometown
• 発音: /sa.to.ga.e.ri/

意味

Going back to one's hometown — especially during holidays, or a pregnant woman returning to her parents' home to give birth.

A warm, nostalgic term for returning to the place where you grew up. While commonly associated with Obon and New Year holidays, 里帰り also has a specific meaning in the context of pregnancy: a woman returning to her parents' home for the final weeks before and after childbirth, where her mother can help. In casual modern usage, it can also be used humorously for returning to any beloved place, like a favourite restaurant.

例文

1. お正月は里帰りして地元の友達に会いたいな。
2. 里帰りするたびに地元の景色が変わってて寂しい。
3. 妻が出産前に里帰りするから一人暮らしになる。

使い方ガイド

場面: holidays, family conversations, pregnancy

トーン: nostalgic, warm

正しい言い方

• お盆に里帰りする予定ある？ (Are you planning to go home for Obon?)
• 里帰り出産で来月から実家にいるよ (I'll be at my parents' house from next month for a hometown birth)

避ける言い方

• 故郷がない人に「里帰りしないの？」としつこく聞かない (Don't repeatedly ask someone who doesn't have a hometown 'aren't you going home?')

よくある間違い

• Not knowing the pregnancy-related meaning of 里帰り出産 (satogaeri shussan, giving birth at one's parents' home)
• Using 里帰り for short visits — it implies a meaningful return to one's roots, not a quick trip

起源と歴史

From 里 (sato, hometown/birthplace) + 帰り (kaeri, returning). The concept has deep cultural roots in Japan where hometown ties remain important even after moving to cities. The pregnancy-related usage reflects the traditional role of the maternal family in childbirth support.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional concept, still central to Japanese holiday culture

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. A core part of Obon and New Year traditions, especially for people who moved from rural areas to cities.