also: おばすてやま
noun
mountain where old people were abandoned (legend)
Refers to the legendary practice of abandoning the elderly on a mountain, often associated with the story of Obasute-yama. Used in historical or literary contexts.
姥捨て山の伝説は、日本の昔話として知られている。
The legend of the mountain where old people were abandoned is known as a Japanese folktale.
noun
dead-end position for an older employee
Metaphorical use in business: a position or department where an older, less productive employee is sidelined, similar to being 'put out to pasture'.
彼は会社で姥捨て山に追いやられた。
He was pushed into a dead-end position at the company.
noun
women's college (obs. slang, derog.)
Obsolete derogatory slang from the Meiji and Taisho periods for a women's college, implying it was a place to send women away. No longer in use.
See also: 女子大学
明治時代には、女子大学を姥捨て山と呼ぶことがあった。
In the Meiji period, women's colleges were sometimes called 'ubasuteyama'.