あかひげ [赤髭] modern usage?


So I started watching the movie あかひげ the other night and intrigued by the
title I looked it up in the dictionary where one of the definitions was:

> Westerner (derogatory)

Does it really contain this meaning?

How is this used (if it is indeed used?!?) in modern Japanese?

If it's not used what word can be used to express "Westerner (derogatory)" in
modern Japanese?




Born in Japan and raised in Japan for more than 30 years, I have never seen
"赤ひげ" used as a derogatory term of "westerner".

Before I write this, I did find an entry 赤髭 in a Japanese derogatory terms
glossary, and it does say it's "Westerner (derogatory)." However, more than
90% of the words in that list were totally unfamiliar to me. So I believe it's
safe to say there's no derogatory nuance in "赤ひげ" in modern Japanese. Maybe it
was a derogatory term in the Edo period.

Today, "赤ひげ" reminds Japanese (not younger than 30) of what you've just
watched in the movie; a humane doctor who sacrifices himself and willingly
helps weak people. It is a stereotype of "ideal doctor" in Japan, just like
"黒ひげ" or _Blackbeard_ is the [symbol of
pirates](http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/kurohige/). There is [Akahige
Prize](http://www.med.or.jp/people/akahige/) for doctors.

(However, its original novel,
[赤ひげ診療譚](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E3%81%B2%E3%81%92%E8%A8%BA%E7%99%82%E8%AD%9A),
published in 1958, is full of discriminatory terms and acts by today's
standards...)




Born in Japan and raised in Japan for more than 30 years, I have never seen
"赤ひげ" used as a derogatory term of "westerner".

Before I write this, I did find an entry 赤髭 in a Japanese derogatory terms
glossary, and it does say it's "Westerner (derogatory)." However, more than
90% of the words in that list were totally unfamiliar to me. So I believe it's
safe to say there's no derogatory nuance in "赤ひげ" in modern Japanese. Maybe it
was a derogatory term in the Edo period.

Today, "赤ひげ" reminds Japanese (not younger than 30) of what you've just
watched in the movie; a humane doctor who sacrifices himself and willingly
helps weak people. It is a stereotype of "ideal doctor" in Japan, just like
"黒ひげ" or _Blackbeard_ is the [symbol of
pirates](http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/kurohige/). There is [Akahige
Prize](http://www.med.or.jp/people/akahige/) for doctors.

(However, its original novel,
[赤ひげ診療譚](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E3%81%B2%E3%81%92%E8%A8%BA%E7%99%82%E8%AD%9A),
published in 1958, is full of discriminatory terms and acts by today's
standards...)

