non-Japanese

adjective

non-Jap·​a·​nese ˌnän-ˌja-pə-ˈnēz How to pronounce non-Japanese (audio)
-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
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.
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 Additionally, the subsidiary aims to enhance revenue streams by introducing a broader variety of non-Japanese IP into the Japanese market. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Sep. 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 Nonverbal communication can get non-Japanese speakers a long way, but be aware that not all gestures translate. Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2025 It is composed of minor league players from Japan and is managed by Alex Ramirez, a Venezuelan native who was the first non-Japanese player with 2,000 hits in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of non-Japanese was in 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Non-Japanese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-Japanese. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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