How to say "sighting" in Japanese

• 目撃もくげきCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers sighting in the sense of witnessing: actually seeing an event or person with one's own eyes, as in witnessing an accident or a crime. The common word for this sense.
  彼かれらはこの事件じけんを目撃もくげきしたことを報告ほうこくした。↗

  They reported seeing the incident.
• 視認しにん
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbSighting as visual confirmation: verifying by sight that something one is looking for—a person or object—is there, rather than witnessing an event. Less common than 目撃, the common word for witnessed sightings.

Use 目撃 when sighting means witnessing something happen, such as an accident or a crime; 視認, the less common word, is for sighting as visual confirmation—verifying by sight that a person or object is there.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 目撃もくげきwitnessing
• 視認しにんvisual confirmation