also: とざい
noun
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
律令制では、徒罪は死罪・流罪に次ぐ重い刑だった。
Under the ritsuryō system, imprisonment was a severe punishment, second only to death and exile.
徒罪に処せられた者は、一定期間の労役を課された。
Those sentenced to imprisonment were required to perform hard labor for a set period.
The character 徒 alone can refer to penal labor or imprisonment in historical contexts, but 徒罪 specifically denotes the crime or punishment category.
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.