Being called a 'gaijin' is not unusual or harmful, says Cai Evans
Before I start, let's get one thing straight: I am well aware that the term "gaijin" has pejorative overtones and that its etymology is grounded in a history of discrimination and exclusion.
Yet the issue here is not what the kanji mean in a technical sense; we all know they mean "outsider" (or when you've really upset someone, "fiendish outsider who may defile your tatami and eat your pets").
The contention, rather, is whether use of the term should offend foreigners living in Japan right now.