Refers to a person who engages in rigorous spiritual training, often involving mountain pilgrimages, fasting, and other austerities. Commonly associated with Shugendō practitioners.
Yamabushi have long been known as ascetics.
He is a pilgrim on the Shikoku pilgrimage.
Alpine leek
Standard kanji spelling; the reading ぎょうじゃ is unambiguous.
From Middle Chinese 行者 (xíngzhě, literally 'one who goes/walks'), originally a Buddhist term for a practitioner on the path.