1.
imported; foreign-made
Goods or items that have been brought in from overseas. Carries a somewhat old-fashioned connotation of exotic or high-quality Western imports, reflecting historical attitudes toward foreign products.
Literally "arriving by ship" (舶 = ocean vessel, 来 = coming), reflecting a time when foreign goods arrived by sea.
Common collocations
This word has a distinctly nostalgic or old-fashioned flavor. It was especially common in the Meiji through early Showa periods, when Western imports were rare and prestigious. In modern Japanese, 輸入 (import) is the standard neutral term. 舶来 is now mainly used to evoke a sense of vintage luxury or in historical contexts.