noun
servant; employee (historical)
Refers to a live-in servant or apprentice in a merchant or samurai household during the Edo period and earlier. Not used for modern employees.
江戸時代、商家の奉公人は朝早くから夜遅くまで働いた。
In the Edo period, servants in merchant houses worked from early morning until late at night.
Compound of 奉公 (service, apprenticeship) and 人 (person). The term reflects the historical practice of live-in service or apprenticeship in pre-modern Japan.