noun
- a foreigner in Japan, especially a Westerner
Usage: Japanese loanword; sometimes considered mildly derogatory
Examples
- As a gaijin living in Tokyo, she often felt like an outsider.
- The restaurant owner was surprised to see a gaijin speaking fluent Japanese.
- Many gaijin struggle with the complex social customs in Japan.
- He had been called gaijin so often that he barely noticed it anymore.
- The term gaijin literally means ‘outside person’ in Japanese.
- Some Japanese people prefer using ‘gaikokujin’ instead of gaijin to be more polite.