1.
place of refuge; last resort for people in trouble
An organization or person that people in difficulty turn to when they have nowhere else to go. Originally a temple that took in women fleeing their husbands in the Edo period; the modern use is almost always figurative.
Historically a temple where a woman could take shelter to obtain a divorce, since a husband could not pursue her inside. In modern Japanese the word almost always refers figuratively to a shelter, hotline, union, or trusted person of last resort.
Common collocations
- 駆け込み寺になる: to become a place of refuge
- 駆け込み寺のような存在: something that serves as a refuge
- 最後の駆け込み寺: the very last resort
Similar words
- 避難所: evacuation shelter — a physical place during a disaster, not a figurative refuge
- 逃げ場: escape route; way out — an escape from a situation rather than someone who helps you