帰省

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 帰省, read as きせい. It denotes returning to one’s hometown or family home for a holiday or family visit and also functions as a する verb.
• Basic usage: Returning to one’s hometown appears in 故郷へ帰省する, while referring to a year-end trip home appears in 年末の帰省.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from 旅行
  • The central purpose is returning to one’s hometown or family home, rather than travel or sightseeing in general.