penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor
A historical and legal term for a sentence of imprisonment that includes compulsory labor. In modern Japanese law, this term has been replaced by 懲役 (ちょうえき), but it may still appear in historical or comparative legal contexts.
Under the old penal code, 徒刑 was a punishment involving hard labor.
Descriptions of penal servitude often appear in this historical novel.
The term 徒刑 is composed of 徒 (labor, toil) and 刑 (punishment), reflecting its meaning of punishment through forced labor. It was used in historical Japanese legal codes and is now obsolete in modern law.