also: とざい
imprisonment (1-3 years); third most severe ritsuryō punishment
Historical term from the ritsuryō legal system. Refers to a fixed-term imprisonment of one to three years, ranking below death and exile.
See also: 徒
Under the ritsuryō system, imprisonment was a severe punishment, second only to death and exile.
Those sentenced to imprisonment were required to perform hard labor for a set period.
Standard kanji form for this historical legal term.
Alternate reading; less common than ずざい.
From the ritsuryō legal system; 徒 (penal labor) + 罪 (crime/punishment). The reading ずざい is the standard on'yomi, while とざい is a less common variant.