無沙汰 (busata)

年間ねんかんのご 無沙汰ぶさたでした。

Two years have passed since I last met you.

長ながいこと 御無沙汰ごぶさたいたしました。

I have been out of touch with you for a long time.

あんまりご 無沙汰ぶさたしてしまって、どうも 敷居しきいが 高たかくなってしまいました。

I have neglected you so long that I feel a bit shy in visiting you.

理由は利久に実子がなく、病弱のため「武者道少御無沙汰」の状態にあったからだという（村井重頼覚書）。

It is said that the reason was that Toshihisa had no child of his own, and that because he had a sickly constitution, he was in the situation that "it is rather a long time since he served as a musha (warrior) last" (Memoranda of Shigeyori MURAI).

長らくご無沙汰いたしました. 〈手紙で〉 Excuse me for my long silence.長らく定説とされてきた。

This was the long-accepted theory.