Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
年季奉公 (ねんきぼうこう, nenkiboukou) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Report an issue with this page
おこな
わ
れ
て
い
た
。
During the Edo period, a system called indentured servitude was widely practiced.
He completed his ten-year indenture and became a free man.
Kanji 奉 observance, offer, present 公 public, prince, official Related words 丁稚でっち 奉ぼう 公こう Refers specifically to a young apprentice (often a shop boy) living and working under a master, typically in a merchant household. 年季奉公 is broader and emphasizes the fixed-term contract.
年ねん 季き Means 'fixed term of years' or 'apprenticeship period'. 年季奉公 is the full term for the servitude system itself.
Written forms 年ねん 季き 奉ぼう 公こう
Standard kanji spelling; 年季 refers to a fixed term of years.
年ねん 期き 奉ぼう 公こう
Variant spelling using 期 (period) instead of 季 (season); less common but attested.
Etymology Compound of 年季 (nenki, 'fixed term of years') and 奉公 (hōkō, 'service to a master'). The term reflects the contractual nature of labor in pre-modern Japan.
