Historical term for a checkpoint or barrier station along old roads, used for inspection and control of travelers. Often appears in compound words like 関所 (せきしょ).
See also: 関所
In the Edo period, barriers were set up along the highways.
「関所」の関は、通行を調べる場所を指す。
The 関 in 関所 refers to a place where passage was inspected.
relation; connection; relevance
engine; mechanism · organization; institution; agency; body · system; facility; apparatus
concern; interest
participation; involvement
entrance; front door; entryway
function (mathematics) · function (programming)
joint (anatomy)
customs duty; tariff
correlation; interrelation
customs; customs house
barrier; obstacle; hurdle; difficult point
hip joint; coxa
concern; be related to; pertain to
barrier; checkpoint; gateway · hurdle; obstacle; trial
electrode
customs clearance
concern; having to do with
chief advisor to the Emperor; regent
connection; relation; linkage
regents and advisers
maritime customs duties
one's hometown
relative pronoun
relative adverb
functor
allusion; indirect reference; related explanation
lock and key; vital point
harmony and courtesy in a marriage
critical moment; crucial point; crossroads
The kanji 関 originally depicted a gate or barrier. The reading かん is the on'yomi, used in historical and compound contexts.