noun
countryside; rural area; hometown
Refers to one's native place or the countryside in general. Often used in literary or nostalgic contexts, and in compounds like 郷土 (きょうど) or 故郷 (ふるさと).
彼は故郷の郷を離れて都会で働いている。
He left his hometown and works in the city.
このあたりはのどかな郷の風景が広がっている。
This area is filled with peaceful rural scenery.
noun
50-home township (historical unit)
Historical administrative unit consisting of about 50 households, made up of 2-3 neighbourhoods. Part of the 郷里制 (ごうりせい) system. Rare in modern usage; mainly encountered in historical contexts.
See also: 郷里制
古代の郷里制では、郷は五十戸から成っていた。
In the ancient township system, a 郷 consisted of fifty households.
故郷 is the common word for 'hometown' or 'native place', while 郷 alone is more literary or used in compounds.
田舎 is the everyday word for 'countryside' or 'rural area', whereas 郷 carries a more nostalgic or formal tone.
The kanji 郷 originally referred to a village or rural district. The reading ごう is the on'yomi. The historical administrative sense derives from ancient Chinese and Japanese systems.