若わか衆しゅ

noun

young person; youth

Dated term for a young person, often a young man. In modern Japanese, 若者 (わかもの) is the usual word.

• 昔むかしの村むらでは、若わか衆しゅが祭まつりの準じゅん備びを担になっていた。

  In old villages, the young men were responsible for preparing the festival.

noun

pre-coming-of-age boy (Edo period)

Archaic term for a boy who had not yet undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, specifically in the Edo period.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい、若わか衆しゅは元げん服ぷく前まえの少しょう年ねんを指さした。

  In the Edo period, 若衆 referred to a boy before his coming-of-age ceremony.

noun

young male prostitute (historical); young kabuki actor-prostitute; younger partner in male homosexual relationship (historical)

Archaic term for a young male prostitute, often associated with kabuki actors, or the younger partner in a historical male homosexual relationship. The older partner was called 念者 (ねんじゃ).

• 江え戸どの歌か舞ぶ伎きでは、若わか衆しゅが舞ぶ台たいに立たつこともあった。

  In Edo-period kabuki, young male actors sometimes performed on stage.

• 歴れき史し書しょには、念ねん者じゃと若わか衆しゅの関かん係けいが記しるされている。

  Historical texts record relationships between older men (念者) and younger male partners (若衆).