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斎主 (さいしゅ, saishu) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

斎さい主しゅ

Meanings

1

master of religious ceremonies; chief priest at a Shinto ritual

Refers to the person who presides over a Shinto ceremony or festival, leading the rites and offerings.

神じん社じゃの例れい祭さいでは、斎さい主しゅが祝詞のりとを奏そう上じょうする。
At the shrine's annual festival, the master of ceremonies intones the norito prayer.

Kanji

斎purification, Buddhist food, room
主lord, chief, master

Related words

神かん主ぬし
神主 is a general term for a Shinto priest, while 斎主 specifically refers to the chief officiant of a particular ceremony.
宮ぐう司じ
宮司 is the head priest of a shrine, a permanent position; 斎主 is a role taken for a specific ritual, not necessarily the shrine's head.

Etymology

The kanji 斎 means 'purification' or 'abstinence', and 主 means 'master' or 'lord'. The compound refers to the person who leads purification rites. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is firmly associated with Shinto ritual practice.