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Yomi
しまぐにこんじょう
Rōmaji
shimaguni konjou
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
island nation spirit
Meaning
the idea that citizens of island countries like Japan tend to be narrow-minded and exclusive towards “outsiders”, e.g. people who are from foreign countries; who do not follow social norms; or who seem to enjoy privileged opportunities
Additional Info
This term is often used when one criticises Japanese people for being exclusive towards those who do not follow social norms.
Example
「出る杭は打たれる」という諺が日本人の島国根性を表している、と彼は言った
“The proverb ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered down’ represents the exclusive mindset of Japanese people”, he said.