So I was recently wonder how many different ways there is to say japanese people and what should be used in certain situations or if it really matters at all. Here is a few I’ve heard so far and the meanings I gathered from them. Also I’d like to hear of others if there is any or If I got any meanings incorrect. Thanks
日本人 （japanese)
日本の人 (person of japan)
日本の方 (japanese people)
和人/倭人 (japanese descent/archaic term)
日系 (of japanese descent/non japanese of japanese descent)
邦人 (japanese national (esp. one living overseas)/ Fellow countryman)
日本国民 (japanese citizens)
わじん (written both 和人 and 倭人) exists and means Japanese person, but it’s labeled as archaic.
There are some that shed light on the vagueness of the English word “Japanese” more so than anything else. In English, that word can also mean someone of Japanese descent, or someone who is a Japanese citizen but doesn’t live in Japan.
Among other things, 方 (かた) can be used as a more polite (honorific) word for person. So I don’t believe there’s any substantial difference in meaning between it and 日本の人 aside from politeness (though I’d welcome feedback on this from anyone more experienced if there’s some subtle nuance here that I haven’t yet learned ).
I’ve been watching the Batman serials from 1943, which are quite racist honestly. Main villain is Japanese, in 1943, so… yeah.
But, they referred to Japanese people as Nipponese, which was new to me.
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