hired thief taker (Edo period); private detective; private secret policeman
Historical term for a person hired to catch criminals, often associated with the Edo period. The role combined elements of private detective and informant.
In the Edo period, meakashi were hired to catch criminals.
I saw a scene in a period drama where a meakashi appeared.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
Variant spelling with okurigana かし.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely encountered.
Compound of 目 (me, 'eye') and 明かし (akashi, 'to reveal'), literally 'eye-revealer', referring to someone who uncovers or identifies criminals.