Why some Japanese men are called LBH – meaning and examples from TikTok and Twitter

The slang LBH is renowned to be used by some American women when referring to Japanese men in a derogatory way. Not only this, but the true acronym of the word will surprise you.

Plunge into Hashtag Hyena’s historical article to get a full understanding of the term, where it came from, and why it is offensive to use when referring to foreigners.

• ARE MIKE & CAT Stickler divorcing?

"LBH" – Loser Back Home. You learn so much from the show! XD

— Jo Jo (@_eikochan) September 8, 2009

LBH full-form and meaning

The full form of the LBH is “Loser Back Home”. This is used in the American community of girls who have met a lot of foreign men or someone who has been to a lot of other continents.

They may use it because they are mean or just jealous but the implication of this slang is something you should understand as it is more than just a throwaway term.

• MEET Mikailadancer the TikTok sensation

Learned two new terms. LBH = loser back home. The freaks who come to Vietnam coz they are so unbelievably weird (sorry but seriously) 1/2

— Caoil (@caoilisms) February 10, 2017

Why it is used for Japanese men?

Japanese men are in minority in America and they look great, even exotic. So these gaijins (it is a Japanese word for foreigners) can go from being a zero to hero in no time.

They may not be popular in their home town for their looks but in the United States, many girls dream of having a Japanese boyfriend. Some men do come to America for the sole purpose of finding a woman.

So the women who have been around a lot of foreigners become immune to their looks and charms. If you have been to Japan, a lot of men might look alike to your eyes, and all of them may seem exotic.

acronym of the day: LBH – "Loser Back Home" … often seen spending his minimum wage earnings in massage parlors across Southeast Asia

— Jacky Tran (@waxyjax) January 5, 2010

This is why some Americans call Japanese men “LBH” to make everyone in the group realize that even though they look special to us, they are not really special from where they came from. But is that fair?

The things that are not common to us are exotic to us and we think of them as special even though they are not.

Breaking that illusion is fine but calling them “losers” is not justified. Just because someone is not exotic in their home town doesn’t make them a loser. Most people are not popular in their home town anyway.

Examples of TikTok and Twitter

@muffintoppu

check the comments 😉 #lbh #gaijin #japanese #foreigner #nihon #nippon #japan #culture #language #tokyo #外人

♬ original sound – Muffintoppu 😚

The slang goes both ways though. Americans in Japan are also called LBH.

https://twitter.com/DylanPatrascu/status/1372167573526175756

Losers Back Home “never had a girlfriend in their home countries”, I read, but overseas, they steal all the local women, who mistake them for rock stars with countless dollars to burn.

A worrying thought entered my mind. “Are we Losers Back Home?” https://t.co/01QqFMrP6H

— The Critic (@TheCriticMag) March 15, 2021

@texanjapan

#stitch with @muffintoppu #LBH guys in #japan #teachinjapan #fyp #travel #liveinjapan #datinginjapan

♬ original sound – TexanJapan

If you’re an incel and you go to Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, or any other neighbouring Asian county to get some cat, they already know that you’re an LBH. Loser back home.

— I'll consume you (@iwantmyrockback) March 15, 2021