noun
labor camp; squalid workers' quarters
Historically refers to cramped, low-quality accommodation provided for laborers, especially in construction or mining, where workers were often exploited. The term evokes the image of an octopus trap (蛸部屋) from which it is hard to escape.
昔、建設現場の労働者たちはタコ部屋と呼ばれる劣悪な宿舎に押し込められていた。
In the past, construction workers were crammed into squalid lodgings called takobeya.
タコ部屋労働は、現代では違法な搾取の
Takobeya labor is now considered a form of illegal exploitation.
飯場 is a broader term for workers' lodgings, often in construction or forestry, but without the strong negative connotation of exploitation and confinement that タコ部屋 carries.
Compound of タコ (octopus) and 部屋 (room). The name comes from the resemblance to an octopus trap: once workers entered, they found it difficult to leave due to debt or coercion. The exact origin of the metaphor is uncertain, but it is well-established in labor history contexts.