foreign priest; Western priest
Historical term, often derogatory, used for Christian missionaries or foreign clergy in pre-modern Japan. Rare in modern Japanese.
In the Edo period, the arrival of foreign priests was strictly restricted.
Historical term for a foreign (especially Western) priest, often with a derogatory nuance. Rare in modern usage.
Variant kanji form using 蕃 (barbarian). Equally rare and historical.
Compound of 蛮 (barbarian, foreign) and 僧 (priest, monk). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it reflects pre-modern Japanese attitudes toward Western clergy.