Hanako (Beggar) - Kashi

In other words, for the people living in cities and rural areas, beggars were sacred travelers who came from outside their living space and should be welcomed with half hope and half fear. [Mano Toshikazu]
[China]
In China, beggars were generally called "Ki-tsukai" (beggars), and because in Buddhism the act of begging for alms was commonly referred to as "kyoka," they were also called "Xiao-ka-zi" (a person who begs for alms), "Xiao-hua-zi" (a person who begs for alms), or "Hana-zi" (a person who begs for alms). In terms of the idea of ​​nobility and lowliness, prostitutes, actors, minor officials, and soldiers were considered to be of lowly status, but beggars did not fall into that category socially, and were by no means respected.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Hanako (beggar)" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…つまり都市や農村に住む民衆にとってこじきとは，生活圏の外から訪れてくる，なかばの期待となかばの恐れとをもって迎えるべき神聖な旅人でもあったのである。【真野 俊和】
［中国］
　中国ではこじきは一般に〈乞丐（きつかい）〉と呼ばれ，また仏教で俗に施物を乞うことを〈教化〉といったことから，転じて〈叫化子〉あるいは〈叫花子〉〈花子〉とも称された。貴賤の観念からすると，〈娼，優，隷，卒〉すなわち娼妓，俳優，小役人，兵卒が賤流とされたのに対して，こじきは社会的にその範疇にはいらないが，決して敬われる存在ではなかった。…

※「花子（乞食）」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報