noun
homesickness; longing for home
A somewhat literary or formal expression for a deep yearning for one's hometown or homeland.
異国で暮らしていると、望郷の念にかられることがある。
Living in a foreign country, I sometimes feel a deep longing for home.
郷愁 is a more common and slightly less formal word for nostalgia or homesickness, while 望郷の念 is a more literary, explicit phrase meaning 'thoughts of longing for home'.
ホームシック is a casual loanword for homesickness, often used in everyday conversation, whereas 望郷の念 is a formal, literary expression.
Compound of 望郷 (ぼうきょう, 'longing for home') and 念 (ねん, 'thought, feeling'). 望郷 itself is a Sino-Japanese word composed of 望 (hope, desire) and 郷 (hometown).