also: おばすてやま
mountain where old people were abandoned (legend)
Refers to the legendary practice of abandoning the elderly on a mountain, often associated with the story of Obasute-yama. Used in historical or literary contexts.
The legend of the mountain where old people were abandoned is known as a Japanese folktale.
dead-end position for an older employee
Metaphorical use in business: a position or department where an older, less productive employee is sidelined, similar to being 'put out to pasture'.
He was pushed into a dead-end position at the company.
women's college (obs. slang, derog.)
Obsolete derogatory slang from the Meiji and Taisho periods for a women's college, implying it was a place to send women away. No longer in use.
See also: 女子大学
In the Meiji period, women's colleges were sometimes called 'ubasuteyama'.
Alternate reading おばすてやま; less common but recorded.