渡と航こう免めん状じょう

と

こ

う

め

ん

じょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

passport (historical)

historical term

Historical term for a travel permit or passport, used especially in the Edo period and early modern Japan. Not used for modern passports.

江え戸ど時じ代だい、海かい外がいへ渡と航こう

する

に

は

渡と

航こう

免めん

状じょう

が

必ひつ

要よう

だっ

た

。

In the Edo period, a travel permit was required to go abroad.

Kanji

渡transit, ford, ferry
航navigate, sail, cruise
免excuse, dismissal
状status quo, conditions, circumstances

Related words

パスポート
Modern standard term for passport. 渡航免状 is a historical term no longer used in contemporary contexts.

Built from

渡と航こう+免めん状じょう

Etymology

Compound of 渡航 (tokō, 'overseas voyage') and 免状 (menjō, 'license' or 'certificate'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it reflects the practice of issuing official travel documents in pre-modern Japan.