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.
Shokuhin sampuru are famously helpful to non-Japanese-speaking visitors to Japan. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025 Getting the Gestures Wrong Nonverbal communication can get non-Japanese speakers a long way, but be aware that not all gestures translate. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026 Therefore our customers are a mix of Japanese-speaking customers and non-Japanese speakers who are interested in Japanese culture. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for non-Japanese

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for non-Japanese

See All Rhymes for non-Japanese

Browse Nearby Words

nonissue
non-Japanese
non-Jewish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Non-Japanese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-Japanese. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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