Learn English – Should “japanese” be capitalised when used as an adjective

capitalizationorthographyproper-nouns

Which one of these is the correct usage:

1) Your favourite Japanese restaurant

2) Your favourite japanese restaurant (being an adjective in this
case, it should be in lower case)

Best Answer

Generally speaking, nations and nationalities are capitalized. This is always the case with things, like cuisine or history, that are closely associated with the the country. Thus Japanese cuisine (not japanese cuisine) and Chinese dynastic history (not chinese dynastic history).

There are a small number of exceptions, when the item described has a more remote connection. Thus

We'll use the good china

(not "the good China") to describe porcelain or vitreous dinnerware. And

japanned furniture

(not Japanned furniture) to describe black lacquered furniture. Opinion is divided on whether to capitalize english to describe the spin of a ball.