Hometown or birthplace — the place where someone was born or raised (somewhat formal).
彼の郷里は北海道の小さな町だ。
His hometown is a small town in Hokkaido.
年に一度は必ず郷里に帰省するようにしている。
I make it a point to return to my hometown at least once a year.
郷里の友人と再会して昔話に花が咲いた。
I reunited with friends from my hometown and we reminisced about old times.