non-Japanese
adjective
non-Jap·a·nese
ˌnän-ˌja-pə-ˈnēz 
-ˈnēs
: not of, relating to, or characteristic of Japan or its people : not Japanese
non-Japanese automakers
Americans of non-Japanese descent
Examples of non-Japanese in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2023, Wall Street research firm Bernstein Research reported that Crunchyroll (40 percent) and Netflix (42 percent) controlled 82 percent of the overseas (non-Japanese) anime streaming market.
—
Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 2 Feb. 2026
Shokuhin sampuru are famously helpful to non-Japanese-speaking visitors to Japan.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Tokyo has continued to support Taipei with concrete action, including an August 2025 agreement to share information about non-Japanese nationals evacuating from Taiwan in the event of a military conflict.
—Shihoko Goto, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2025
But then every year, for example, with the countdown events in the years, the crowd that gathered in Shibuya, the percentage of non-Japanese citizens gathered there, the international crowd became more and more and more until maybe half of the people were international.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2025
Among the non-Japanese manufacturers, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, and BYD made the biggest impressions.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025
Constraints were gradually softened, and the number of non-Japanese professional wrestlers has been rising.
—Jessamyn R. Abel, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2025
There are, however, diners who are still skeptical over enjoying sake with non-Japanese cuisine— even more so with Thai cuisine.
—Cheryl Tiu, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
As Bobby’s business partner, Chane’s non-Japanese Asian heritage adds some nuance to the authenticity conflict with Yoshido, who refuses to become Robata Chane’s new supplier of binchōtan charcoal, as well as some good Chane-is-dumb jokes.
—Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 2 Feb. 2026
Shokuhin sampuru are famously helpful to non-Japanese-speaking visitors to Japan.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Tokyo has continued to support Taipei with concrete action, including an August 2025 agreement to share information about non-Japanese nationals evacuating from Taiwan in the event of a military conflict.
—Shihoko Goto, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2025
But then every year, for example, with the countdown events in the years, the crowd that gathered in Shibuya, the percentage of non-Japanese citizens gathered there, the international crowd became more and more and more until maybe half of the people were international.
—Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 2 Nov. 2025
Among the non-Japanese manufacturers, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, and BYD made the biggest impressions.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025
Constraints were gradually softened, and the number of non-Japanese professional wrestlers has been rising.
—Jessamyn R. Abel, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2025
There are, however, diners who are still skeptical over enjoying sake with non-Japanese cuisine— even more so with Thai cuisine.
—Cheryl Tiu, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
As Bobby’s business partner, Chane’s non-Japanese Asian heritage adds some nuance to the authenticity conflict with Yoshido, who refuses to become Robata Chane’s new supplier of binchōtan charcoal, as well as some good Chane-is-dumb jokes.
—Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Non-Japanese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-Japanese. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
