imprisonment (1-3 years; third most severe ritsuryō punishment)
Historical term for a specific penal sentence under the ritsuryō system. The punishment involved imprisonment with labor for one to three years, ranking below death and exile.
See also: 五刑
Under the ritsuryō system, 徒 was one of the five punishments, involving imprisonment with labor.
imprisonment (1-3 years); third most severe ritsuryō punishment
Kanji form used in historical contexts for the ritsuryō punishment.
A legal term inherited from the Chinese system of five punishments, where 徒 denoted penal servitude. It became one of the statutory punishments under Japan’s 律令 codes.