middle-degree banishment; banishment to a somewhat distant province
Historical term from the ritsuryō legal system. Refers to the middle of three levels of banishment, involving exile to a province at a moderate distance from the capital.
See also: 三流 (さんる)
Under the ritsuryō system, chūru was a lighter form of banishment than enru (distant exile).
Those sentenced to chūru were sent to a province at a moderate distance from the capital.