noun
Japanese nationals living abroad; overseas Japanese
Formal term used in official contexts, such as government documents, news reports, and legal discussions, to refer to Japanese citizens residing outside Japan.
在外邦人の安全確保は政府の重要な責務だ。
Ensuring the safety of Japanese nationals abroad is an important duty of the government.
選挙の際、在外邦人も投票できる制度がある。
There is a system that allows overseas Japanese to vote in elections.
在留邦人 specifically refers to Japanese nationals residing in a particular foreign country, often with a focus on long-term residents, while 在外邦人 is a broader term for all Japanese living outside Japan.
日系人 refers to people of Japanese descent living abroad, regardless of their current nationality, whereas 在外邦人 specifically denotes Japanese citizens.
Compound of 在外 (ざいがい, 'abroad') and 邦人 (ほうじん, 'Japanese national'). The term is a straightforward combination of its components.