garden watchman; garden keeper
Historical role: a person who guarded or maintained a garden, often in a daimyo's residence or similar estate.
guard of the inner garden
Specifically a guard assigned to the inner garden, often associated with the shogunate's intelligence network (御庭番).
See also: 御庭番
In the Edo period, daimyo residences had garden watchmen who maintained and guarded the gardens.
The oniwaban served as the shogun's direct covert agents, guarding the inner garden.
spy for the Edo shogunate; oniwaban
Compound of 庭 (garden) and 番 (watch, guard). The term dates from the Edo period.