Not just any kind of foreigner in Japan

Published by

Karl

October 19, 2025

I don’t believe everything that’s said or shown on YouTube. Because if I did, I’d be quite naive, of course.

But just this morning, I saw a Japanese stand-up comedian on YouTube explaining that the word gaijin, meaning foreigner, had been officially redefined by the Japanese government. According to him, only tourists are now called gaijin, while foreigners who live in Japan are called naijin — people from inside the country but who aren’t Japanese.

It was funny, and I took it with a grain of salt, as you do with comedy. Still, it got me curious enough to check whether there was any truth behind it.

Turns out, there isn’t. There’s no such official word as naijin for foreigners living in Japan. And the Japanese government hasn’t redefined gaijin at all. In fact, it doesn’t even use that word in formal contexts.

The official term is gaikokujin (外国人), which literally means “person from a foreign country.” You’ll see gaikokujin on government forms, in news reports, and anywhere official language is used.

So what’s the real difference between gaijin and gaikokujin?

Gaijin (外人) literally means “outside person.” It’s casual, and while it isn’t always offensive, it can sound blunt or exclusionary — like calling someone an outsider.

Gaikokujin, on the other hand, feels neutral and polite. It’s the word people use when they want to be respectful or formal.

Over time, many people in Japan have become more aware of how these words are received, especially by foreigners. Some avoid gaijin altogether, while others still use it casually without bad intent. Context, tone, and relationship matter far more than the word itself.

One response to “Not just any kind of foreigner in Japan”

Rolf

October 22, 2025

I saw that YouTube video about “naijin” and thought it was rather funny, while at the same time raising the question whether there should indeed be such a word, to distinguish us “insiders” from ordinary tourists.
Personally, while I hear the word “gaijin” being commonly used – and probably without any ill intent –, I’d rather people didn’t, as it doesn’t come across as very respectful, reminding me of a time in the past, when anyone arriving in Japan from foreign shores was indeed an “outsider”.

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