wife's family; wife's parents' home
Refers to the family or home of one's wife, especially from the husband's perspective. Often used in contexts of marriage, visits, or support from the wife's side.
He went to greet his wife's family at New Year's.
After giving birth, his wife stayed at her parents' home for a while.
Compound of 里 (sato, 'village, hometown') and 方 (kata, 'direction, side'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it naturally came to mean the wife's family side.