noun
minor imprisonment; imprisonment without hard labor
Obsolete legal term from the former Japanese Penal Code, referring to a lighter form of imprisonment without compulsory labor. Contrasts with 重禁錮 (major imprisonment).
See also: 重禁錮 (じゅうきんこ)
旧刑法では、軽禁錮は重禁錮より軽い刑だった。
Under the old Penal Code, minor imprisonment was a lighter punishment than major imprisonment.
Compound of 軽 (light, minor) and 禁錮 (imprisonment), reflecting its status as a lesser form of imprisonment in the historical Japanese legal system.