Okayama Prefecture is considered Japan's inaka (countryside). When I first came to teach at a university here, my students, who were all from the local small towns, would introduce themselves as being from inaka, and then laugh as if this was the funniest thing in the world. To me, the word "countryside" has a nice image: rolling hills, green grass, and cows. But I get the feeling that inaka in Japanese is more like saying you're from "the sticks." It just doesn't sound as good. "The sticks" sounds kinda scratchy.
Equally confusing, however, is that the definition of inaka in Japanese can include highways, tall buildings and lots of traffic. The image is not the same as small-town living in the United States, for example.
So, do you live in inaka if a high-rise was built in the middle of your rice field? Here are some guidelines to know if you are truly living in Japan's countryside: