apprenticeship; live-in service
Historical term for a system where a young person lived and worked in a master's household to learn a trade or perform domestic duties, often for a fixed term. Not used for modern internships or part-time jobs.
In the Edo period, many young people went into apprenticeship at merchant houses.
年季奉公 refers to indentured service for a fixed term, often overlapping with 勤め奉公 but highlighting the contractual period.
Compound of 勤め (つとめ, 'service, work') and 奉公 (ほうこう, 'apprenticeship, service'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term reflects the Edo-period practice of live-in apprenticeship.