居留地

• Reading: きょりゅうち
• Romaji: kyoryuchi
• Kanji breakdown: 居 (kyo) — reside, stay; 留 (ryu) — remain, stay; 地 (chi) — land, place
• Pronunciation: /kʲo.ɾjɯː.tɕi/

Meaning

Foreign settlement; concession; reservation. An area officially designated for foreign nationals to reside and conduct business.

A noun referring to the designated residential and commercial zones established for foreign nationals under the unequal treaties of the Meiji era, particularly in port cities like Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki. In colonial history, it also applies to foreign concessions in China and Korea. More broadly, it can refer to any officially designated zone for a specific group, including indigenous reservations.

Examples

1. 開港後の横浜には、外国人向けの居留地が設けられた。 After the opening of the port, a foreign settlement was established in Yokohama for foreign nationals.
2. 居留地での生活は、当時の日本人にとって異文化との接点となった。 Life in the foreign settlement became a point of contact with a different culture for Japanese people of the time.
3. 不平等条約の撤廃により、居留地制度は廃止された。 With the abolition of the unequal treaties, the foreign settlement system was abolished.

Usage Guide

Context: history, diplomacy, colonial history, urban history

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 居留 (kyoryū, residing/sojourning) — 居 (stay/reside) + 留 (stay/remain) — and 地 (chi, land/place). The term was formalised in Japanese diplomacy following the 1858 Ansei Treaties.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal