noun
dark days; period of misfortune and obscurity
Refers to a time in one's life when one was unrecognized, unlucky, or suffering hardship, often with a nuance of being overlooked by the world.
彼は若い頃、長い不遇時代を過ごした。
He spent a long period of obscurity and misfortune in his youth.
不遇時代の経
The experience of his dark days became the foundation for his later success.