noun
seasonal payment; Bon festival payment; year-end payment
Historical term for settling accounts at set seasonal times, especially at the Bon festival or year-end. Now mostly encountered in historical or cultural contexts.
江戸時代には、節季払いで商家の帳簿が締められた。
In the Edo period, merchant account books were closed with seasonal payments.
盆の節季払いが済むと、ようやく一息つけた。
Once the Bon festival seasonal payments were settled, they could finally take a breather.
Year-end tax adjustment in modern payroll, not a direct equivalent but shares the year-end financial timing.
Compound of 節季 (seasonal turning point) and 払い (payment). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term reflects the practice of settling debts at major seasonal milestones.