free pass; unrestricted access
Historical term for having a pass or free access, originally to a theater or entertainment district. Now mostly used in set phrases or historical contexts.
In the Edo period, those with a free pass could enter the playhouse freely.
The word 木戸御免 is hardly used nowadays.
Compound of 木戸 (kido, 'wicket' or 'entrance gate') and 御免 (gomen, 'permission' or 'pardon'), literally 'gate permission'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it referred to a pass granting free entry.