blind man; blind person
Historical term for a blind man, often associated with the guild of blind performers and masseurs in pre-modern Japan.
In the Edo period, blind men (zatō) worked as biwa-playing minstrels or masseurs.
blind masseur; masseur (usually blind)
Specifically refers to a blind person working as a masseur, a common occupation for the blind in historical Japan.
I have a blind masseur massage my shoulders.
humpback whale
harvestman; daddy longlegs
Standard kanji spelling for this historical term.
座頭 was a title and rank within the historical guild organization of blind men, especially performers and masseurs; it subsequently became a general term for a blind man.