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The title says it all, recently I was asked by a co-worker if the below sentence is correct:

... are not provided on products for the Japanese market

Typically, a standard usage should be:

... are not provided on products for the Japan market

So can we combine country's nationality with the word "market" and the outcome still has the same meaning as "Country + Market"?

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    The question is not correct; "the below sentence" is an error. It is not correct to use "below" as an adjective. English Language Learners is a good site for learners. On "the below sentence," see english.stackexchange.com/questions/609/…
    – Xanne
    Commented Nov 13, 2017 at 3:05
  • @Xanne this is a case of prescriptive vs descriptive usage. Just like above sentence. Dictionary usage panels hated above when it was first started being used in that way. Given time, below sentence will start to sound normal, ie, be grammatical. (The usage hurts my ears but can't contain language change.) Also, non-native speakers use it by way of analogy with above. Which is what we'd expect good language learners to do.
    – Arm the good guys in America
    Commented Nov 13, 2017 at 3:32

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Yes “Japanese market” is correct. But not because “Japanese” as a descriptor of a type of person (nationality) but simply from the meaning ‘of Japan’ (adjective).

To see the distinction more clearly, it would be “Finnish market”, not “Finn market”.

In fact, “Japan market” is more of a shorthand that a rather technical writer (for a finance mag, for example) might want to use.

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  • I expect by 'simply from the meaning 'of Japan'" you mean that it is the adjective of Japan. As is, your sentence doesn't quite make sense or really argue anything. I agree that Japanese is correct 'not because "Japanese" is a descriptor of a type of person' but because Japanese is the adjective for Japan
    – Unrelated
    Commented Nov 13, 2017 at 6:08
  • @Unrelated Yes, I mean the adjective. Thanks. Edited
    – Logophile
    Commented Nov 13, 2017 at 6:34

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