管かん長ちょう

か

ん

ちょ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

chief abbot; superintendent priest

Title for the head of a Buddhist sect or denomination in Japan. Formal, institutional term.

長long, leader, superior

住じゅう職しょく
住職 is the head priest of a single temple, while 管長 is the head of an entire Buddhist sect or denomination.
門もん主しゅ
門主 is another term for the head of a Buddhist sect, often used in specific traditions like Jōdo Shinshū, while 管長 is a more general administrative title.

Compound of 管 (kan, 'jurisdiction, control') and 長 (chō, 'head, chief').