five lowly castes of the ritsuryō system
Historical term referring to the five categories of low-status people under the ancient Japanese ritsuryō legal codes. Rarely used outside historical or academic contexts.
See also: 律令制
Under the ritsuryō system, social classes called the five lowly castes were established.
The term is composed of 五色 (five colors/types) and 賤 (lowly/humble), directly describing the five categories of low-status people in the ritsuryō codes. The exact historical derivation of each category is complex and tied to ancient legal texts.