Historical term for the lord of a feudal domain (han) during the Edo period. Refers specifically to the ruler of a han, distinct from the broader term 大名 (daimyo), which can include lords without a domain.
During the Edo period, the feudal lords of each domain stayed in Edo under the sankin-kōtai system.
This castle was originally the residence of the local feudal lord.
After his father's death, he became the domain's lord at a young age.
The eldest son was to succeed as the domain's lord.
His family had served the domain's lord for generations.
領主 just means the lord of a territory in general, while 藩主 is the historically specific title for the lord of an Edo-period han.
藩主 is the precise administrative title for the lord of a domain, whereas 殿様 is the more familiar, story-book word for the same person.
藩主 refers to the ruler of a han (domain) during the Edo period, whereas 城主 focuses on ownership of the castle itself, which may or may not coincide with domain rule.
藩主 is the lord who rules a han, whereas 藩士 is a retainer or samurai who serves under that lord.
Used when referring to people in a counted, formal sense; for a feudal lord, this is the natural available counter from the inventory.
former feudal lord
Standard kanji spelling. High priority in news and frequency lists.
Irregular kanji usage; 蕃 is a variant character for 藩. Rarely encountered.
Compound of 藩 (han, 'feudal domain') and 主 (shu, 'lord, master'). The term became common in the Edo period to denote the ruler of a han.