noun
A small rural settlement, often with a traditional or agricultural character.
山のふもとに小さな里がある。
There is a small village at the foot of the mountain.
noun
Refers to the countryside in contrast to the city; often carries a nostalgic or rustic nuance.
都会を離れて里で暮らしたい。
I want to leave the city and live in the countryside.
noun
Only when written 里
Used for one's hometown or the home of one's parents; also extends to one's upbringing or background. Sense 4 (origins/upbringing) is a figurative extension, often seen in phrases like お里が知れる.
お盆には里へ帰るつもりです。
I plan to go back to my hometown for Obon.
彼の話し方でお里が知れる。
His way of speaking reveals his upbringing.
田舎 is a more common and broader term for countryside or rural areas, often with a slightly negative nuance of being provincial. 里 is more poetic and often implies a specific village or one's hometown.
故郷 is the standard word for one's hometown or birthplace, while 里 can also mean hometown but is more literary and can refer to a village or the countryside in general.
Native Japanese word. The kanji 里 originally depicted a field and a dwelling, representing a village or rural area. The reading さと is of native origin.