A is a woman who serves as a waitress at a ryokan or Japanese inn.

Originally written as (meaning "in the house" in Japanese), which meant the anteroom in a mansion of a kuge

Kuge

The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...

(noble man) or gomonzeki (the princess of Mikado

Mikado

Mikado may refer to:* Mikado, alternative term for Emperor of Japan* The Mikado, a 1885 comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan- Foods :* Mikado, the European brand name for Pocky, a Japanese chocolate-covered breadstick...

). Nowadays it refers to work in a butler

Butler

A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...

's pantry, homemaking sector, or the managing division and its office staff.
At Kyuchu (the Imperial Court

Imperial Court

An Imperial Court is the noble court of an empire .For example:*The noble court of an Emperor of China, Emperor of Japan, Emperor of Ethiopia, Emperor of Austria, Emperor of India, Emperor of Persia, etc....

), such women were also named osue.

In ancient times, nakai meant a lady's maid ranking between kami-jochu (maid of honor) and gejo (the lowest rank of maid). Now it means women who serve visitors in restaurants or inns.
They are usually residential staff and work long hours.