mountain guardian; forest ranger
Refers to a person who protects or watches over a mountain or forest, often in a traditional or official capacity.
My grandfather worked as a mountain guardian when he was young.
In this area, mountain guardians prevent illegal logging in the forest.
Standard kanji spelling for a mountain guardian or forest ranger.
Variant spelling with okurigana; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') and 守り (mori, 'guardian, protector'), from the verb 守る (mamoru, 'to protect').