foreign god; barbarian deity
Historical term for a deity from outside Japan, often used in contexts contrasting native Shinto gods with foreign (especially Buddhist or Christian) deities. Can carry a derogatory or dismissive tone.
Late Edo period xenophobes called the Christian God a 'barbarian deity' and rejected it.
Standard kanji form for 'foreign god', using 蕃 (barbarian/foreign).
Variant using 蛮 (barbarian/savage); carries a slightly more derogatory nuance.
Compound of 蕃 (ban, 'barbarian/foreign') and 神 (shin, 'god'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely arose in contexts of Japanese nativism or anti-foreign sentiment.