noun
Historical term for a travel permit or passport, used especially in the Edo period and early modern Japan. Not used for modern passports.
江戸時代、海外へ渡航するには渡航免状が必要だった。
In the Edo period, a travel permit was required to go abroad.
Modern standard term for passport. 渡航免状 is a historical term no longer used in contemporary contexts.
Compound of 渡航 (tokō, 'overseas voyage') and 免状 (menjō, 'license' or 'certificate'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it reflects the practice of issuing official travel documents in pre-modern Japan.