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.
これは舶来の時計だ。
This is an imported watch.
祖父は舶来のウイスキーを大切にしていた。
My grandfather treasured his imported whiskey.
明治時代には舶来品が高級品の象徴だった。
In the Meiji era, imported goods were a symbol of luxury.
Literally "arriving by ship" (舶 = ocean vessel, 来 = coming), reflecting a time when foreign goods arrived by sea.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 舶来品 (imported goods)
- 舶来もの (imported items)
- 舶来の洋酒 (imported Western liquor)
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.