拘留

• Reading: こうりゅう
• Romaji: kouryuu
• Kanji breakdown: 拘 (kou) — restrain; 留 (ryuu) — detain, keep
• Pronunciation: /ko.ː.ɾɯ.ː/

Meaning

Detention; custody; confinement. The legally authorised holding of a person, especially before trial or as a minor criminal penalty.

In Japanese criminal law, 拘留 (kouryuu) is a specific minor penal sanction involving confinement for 1 to 30 days, lighter than imprisonment (懲役, chōeki). It is distinct from 勾留 (kōryū) — a homophone — which refers to pre-trial detention of a suspect. Writers and speakers must take care to use the correct kanji. Both terms are used frequently in legal journalism.

Examples

1. 軽微な違反行為に対して拘留処分が下ることがある。 A sentence of detention may be handed down for minor violations.
2. 被疑者は警察署内の留置場に拘留されたまま、取り調べに応じていた。 The suspect remained in detention at the police station's holding cell while questioning continued.
3. 国際的な人権基準では、拘留の期間と条件は厳格に規定されるべきだとされている。 Under international human rights standards, the duration and conditions of detention should be strictly regulated.

Usage Guide

Context: law, criminal justice, human rights, journalism

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 拘 (kou, restrain, hold) and 留 (ryuu, stay, detain). Both characters convey physical restriction and retention. The term entered formal legal language during the Meiji legal codification based on European criminal law models.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated