The Meaning of Gaijin

The first word I learnt in Japanese once arriving in Japan was "Gaijin" (Japanese Kanji: 外人).

It simply means "foreigner" or "outsider". When examining the two Kanji closely the first Kanji being 外 which is pronounced "gai" means foreign or outside and the second Kanji 人 pronounced "jin" means person. Literal translation: Foreign Person.

The word Gaijin is a shortened form of the polite "Gaikokujin" (Japanese Kanji: 外国人). When broken down the first two Kanji 外国 pronounced "gaikoku" means foreign country and again as with Gaijin 人 means person. Literal translation: Foreign-country person.

Many people including myself find the word Gaijin to be offensive when used by Japanese people in certain circumstances. Once living in Japan for a while you'll understand what I mean.

Once you have settled in you'll find its used quite often amongst your fellow travellers to address yourself and other foreigners. It becomes a running joke, but I would never use the word when in the company of Japanese people. (It would appear odd to address yourself or others as "foreign").

Its most commonly heard when walking the streets, you'll hear it whispered to draw others attention to your presence. The word can also be used to classify anyone non-Japanese, for example Chinese & Korean. Although this is less common.

Japan is very exclusive, they almost look down on other Asian cultures. They have a strong believe in keeping their bloodlines strong. Even Japanese people born or brought up outside of Japan may gain the title. The word Gaijin is still used by the Japanese when travelling in foreign countries when talking about the residents.

For more information:

• Consult: Wikipedia.
• Search: Google.