noun
foreign god; barbarian deity
Historical term for a deity from outside Japan, often used in contexts contrasting native Shinto gods with foreign (especially Buddhist or Christian) deities. Can carry a derogatory or dismissive tone.
幕末の攘夷論者は、キリスト教の神を蕃神と呼んで排斥した。
Late Edo period xenophobes called the Christian God a 'barbarian deity' and rejected it.
Compound of 蕃 (ban, 'barbarian/foreign') and 神 (shin, 'god'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely arose in contexts of Japanese nativism or anti-foreign sentiment.