also: わかしゅう
noun
Dated term for a young person, often a young man. In modern Japanese, 若者 (わかもの) is the usual word.
昔の村では、若衆が祭りの準備を担っていた。
In old villages, the young men were responsible for preparing the festival.
noun
Archaic term for a boy who had not yet undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, specifically in the Edo period.
江戸時代、若衆は元服前の少年を指した。
In the Edo period, 若衆 referred to a boy before his coming-of-age ceremony.
noun
young male prostitute (historical); young kabuki actor-prostitute; younger partner in male homosexual relationship (historical)
Archaic term for a young male prostitute, often associated with kabuki actors, or the younger partner in a historical male homosexual relationship. The older partner was called 念者 (ねんじゃ).
江戸の歌舞伎では、若衆が舞台に立つこともあった。
In Edo-period kabuki, young male actors sometimes performed on stage.
歴史書には、念者と若衆の関係が記されている。
Historical texts record relationships between older men (念者) and younger male partners (若衆).
Compound of 若 (young) and 衆 (group of people). The historical reading わかしゅう reflects older pronunciation, while わかしゅ is the modern form.