1.
imprisonment without forced labor
A form of criminal punishment in the Japanese legal system where the convicted person is confined to prison but not required to perform labor. Lighter than imprisonment with labor but heavier than a fine.
禁錮3年の判決が下された。
A sentence of three years' imprisonment was handed down.
禁錮以上の刑に処せられると公務員になれない。
Anyone sentenced to imprisonment or above cannot become a civil servant.
被告人は業務上過失致死で禁錮2年、執行猶予4年の判決を受けた。
The defendant received a sentence of two years' imprisonment, suspended for four years, for professional negligence resulting in death.
Composed of 禁 (prohibit, confine) + 錮 (imprison). Also written 禁固. In Japanese criminal law, the traditional distinction is: 懲役 (imprisonment with labor) vs. 禁錮 (imprisonment without labor). 禁錮 was typically applied to negligent crimes rather than intentional ones. Note: Japan's 2022 Penal Code reform merged 懲役 and 禁錮 into a new unified category called 拘禁刑 (effective 2025). Common collocations: 禁錮〜年 (~ years' imprisonment), 禁錮刑 (imprisonment sentence). Not to be confused with the homophone 金庫 (safe, vault).