1.
feudal lord; domain lord; daimyō of a han
The lord who governed a han (feudal domain) during the Edo period of Japan. Each han was a semi-autonomous territory granted by the shogun.
藩主が城に戻った。
The feudal lord returned to the castle.
この藩の藩主は学問を奨励した。
The lord of this domain promoted scholarship.
幕末には多くの藩主が藩政改革に取り組んだ。
At the end of the Edo period, many feudal lords undertook reforms of their domain's governance.
A term from the Edo period (1603–1868) referring to the ruler of a 藩 (feudal domain). The 藩主 held authority over governance, taxation, and military forces within the domain, but owed loyalty to the 将軍 (shogun) in Edo.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 藩主の命令 — the lord's order
- 初代藩主 — the first lord (founder of the domain)
- 最後の藩主 — the last lord (before abolition of domains)
- 藩主が代わる — the lord changes (succession)
RELATED TERMS:
- 大名 — feudal lord (broader term used across all periods of Japanese feudalism)
- 城主 — castle lord