head clerk; chief clerk
Refers to a senior clerk or manager in a traditional Japanese shop, inn, or merchant house. Often the person in charge of accounts and customer relations.
The head clerk of the long-established inn politely welcomed the guests.
Standard kanji spelling.
Compound of 番 (ban, 'watch' or 'number') and 頭 (tō, 'head'), literally meaning 'head of the watch' or 'chief of the roster', referring to the person in charge of overseeing operations.