also: かんきゃく
noun
spectators; audience; visitors
Obsolete term for people watching a performance or event; replaced by 観客 (かんきゃく) in modern Japanese.
江戸時代の芝居小屋には多くの看客が詰めかけた。
In the Edo period, many spectators flocked to the playhouse.
古い文献
In old documents, examples of reading 看客 as かんかく can be found.
The modern standard word for 'audience' or 'spectators'; 看客 is its obsolete predecessor.
Compound of 看 (to watch) and 客 (guest/visitor). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it was used in pre-modern Japanese before being replaced by 観客.