身柄

• Reading: みがら
• Romaji: migara
• Kanji breakdown: 身 (mi) — body, person | 柄 (gara) — build, handle, character
• Pronunciation: /mi.ɡa.ɾa/

Meaning

A person in legal custody; one's physical person as an object of custody or jurisdiction; a person's identity or whereabouts.

Primarily a legal and law-enforcement term. 身柄を拘束する means 'to take into custody', 身柄を引き渡す means 'to hand over a suspect', and 身柄を確保する means 'to secure a person'. It depersonalises the individual, treating the human body as the subject of legal authority — hence its frequent use in criminal justice and diplomatic contexts such as extradition proceedings.

Examples

1. 容疑者の身柄は昨夜警察に確保され、取調べが始まった。 The suspect was taken into custody by the police last night and questioning has begun.
2. 逃亡した受刑者の身柄を確保するため、全国に指名手配が出された。 A nationwide wanted notice was issued to secure the escaped prisoner.
3. 外国に逃亡した被告の身柄引き渡し交渉が両国間で続いている。 Negotiations between the two countries over the extradition of the defendant who fled abroad are ongoing.

Usage Guide

Context: law enforcement, criminal justice, extradition

Tone: official

Origin & History

Compound of 身 (mi) meaning 'body, person, oneself' and 柄 (gara) meaning 'handle, body, build'. The combination originally meant 'one's bodily form or character', evolving in legal usage to mean the physical person subject to custody.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Present

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal