night-soil bucket; honey bucket
A bucket used for carrying human waste as fertilizer, historically common in Japan. The term is now mostly historical or regional.
See also: 肥桶
In the past, farmers could be seen carrying night-soil buckets to the fields.
Common spelling using 肥 (manure/fertilizer) and kana たご, which is a variant of 担桶 (carrying bucket).
Full kanji spelling; 担桶 is a rare compound for a carrying bucket. This form is less common and may be difficult to read.
Compound of 肥 (こえ, 'manure, fertilizer') and たご, a variant of 担桶 (たご, 'carrying bucket'). The exact origin of たご is uncertain, but it likely refers to a bucket carried on a pole.