Japanese person

Japanese persons (日本人, nihon'-jin or nippon-jin) are those who typically speak Japanese language and have black hair and brown eyes. They usually consider themselves nationals of Japan rather than ethnic Japanese. Most are born in Japan, live, age, and die in Japan.

The question who are Japanese persons is tricky. A number of ethnic Korean born and living in Japan regared themselves as Koreans not Japanese. It is partly because their citizenship is not Japan. Other minorities have ambivalent feelings. People in Okinawa may distinguish themselves from people in mainland Japan[?]. Ainu, a very few native race living in Hokkaido may keep their identity just like the way native Americans in U.S. do.

Jap is a slang with strong prejudiced connotation. Japanese have a strong sense of isolationism and social cohesion, refering to foreigners as "gai-jin" (outside person).

---

See also: Japanese-American