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.
After his father's death, he became the domain's lord at a young age.
During the Edo period, the feudal lords of each domain stayed in Edo under the sankin-kōtai system.
この城はもともと地元の藩主の居城だった。
This castle was originally the residence of the local feudal lord.
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.