1.
residing in Japan; being in Japan
The state of living or being based in Japan, especially used as a prefix for foreign nationals or organizations based in Japan.
在日米軍の基地。
A US military base in Japan.
在日フランス大使館に問い合わせた。
I contacted the French Embassy in Japan.
在日外国人の数は年々増えている。
The number of foreign residents in Japan is increasing year by year.
2.
foreign resident of Japan
A person of foreign origin residing in Japan. Often used as a standalone noun to refer specifically to ethnic Koreans or Chinese who have lived in Japan for generations.
在日コミュニティ。
A community of foreign residents in Japan.
在日の友人から韓国料理を教わった。
I learned Korean cooking from a friend who is a Korean resident of Japan.
在日として日本で生まれ育ち、二つの文化の間で揺れることもある。
Born and raised in Japan as a foreign resident, there are times I feel caught between two cultures.
Literally means 'being in Japan' (在 = residing, 日 = Japan). Used as both a prefix and a standalone noun.
USAGE:
As a prefix, 在日 attaches to nationality or organization names to mean 'based in Japan' (e.g., 在日米軍, 在日フランス大使館). As a standalone noun, it often refers specifically to ethnic Koreans (在日韓国・朝鮮人) or Chinese (在日中国人) who have lived in Japan for generations.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 在日米軍: US forces in Japan
- 在日外国人: foreign residents in Japan
- 在日大使館: embassy in Japan
- 在日コリアン: Korean residents of Japan
RELATED TERMS:
- 在外: residing abroad — the opposite pattern (e.g., 在外邦人, Japanese nationals abroad)
- 在米: residing in the US
- 在英: residing in the UK