半はん開かい国こく

noun

underdeveloped country; half-civilized country

Historical term used in the late 19th to early 20th century to describe nations not yet fully modernized by Western standards. Now largely obsolete and potentially offensive; encountered mainly in historical or political texts.

• 明めい治じ時じ代だいの文ぶん献けんでは、日本にほんを半はん開かい国こくと見みなす西せい洋ようの視し点てんがしばしば批ひ判はんされた。

  In Meiji-era documents, the Western view that regarded Japan as a half-civilized country was often criticized.