Japan

Languages

Ainu ain

Hokkaido prefecture: Kuril and Tsishima islands. Users: 2 (2008 A. Vovin). Ethnic population: 13,000 (2019 E. Jozuka). Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Ainu Itak Autonym: アイヌ イタㇰ‎ (Aynu itak) Classification: Language isolate

Amami Koniya Sign Language jks

Kagoshima prefecture: Amami island, Koniya town. Users: 4 (2020 Y. Osugi). One family. Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Amami-Oshima Shuwa Classification: Sign language, Shared sign language

Amami-Oshima, Northern ryn

Kagoshima prefecture: north Amami-Oshima and northwest Okinawa islands. Users: 9,700 (Leclerc 2020b). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Northern Amami-Osima, Oosima, Oshima, Osima Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Northern Amami-Okinawan

Amami-Oshima, Southern ams

Kagoshima prefecture: south Amami-Oshima, Kakeroma, north Okinawa, Uke, and Yoro islands. Users: 1,800 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Southern Amami-Osima Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Northern Amami-Okinawan

Bengali ben

Users: 69,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese

Chinese, Mandarin cmn

Users: 546,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

Chinese, Min Nan nan

Users: 75,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

Chinese, Wu wuu

Users: 7,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2013). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

Chinese, Yue yue

Users: 36,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese

English eng

Users: 10,973,000 in Japan, all users. L1 users: 73,000 in Japan (2020 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 10,900,000 (2020). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English

French fra

Users: 6,300 in Japan (Leclerc 2013). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French

Japanese jpn

Widespread. Users: 124,000,000 in Japan (2020). Total users in all countries: 125,399,270 (as L1: 125,277,770; as L2: 121,500). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Autonym: 日本語‎ (Nihongo) Classification: Japonic

Japanese Sign Language jsl

Scattered. Users: 126,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimate assuming 0.1% of total population. Other estimates vary widely: 23,900 (2008 WFD); 317,000 (Van Cleve 1986). Status: 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2013, Basic Act of Persons with Disabilities), guarantees the opportunity to choose ‘sign language’, but no further details. Alternate Names: JSL, NS, NSG, Nihon Shuwa, Nihon Shuwa Gengo, Shuwa, Temane Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language

Kikai kzg

Kagoshima prefecture: Kikai and northeast Okinawa islands. Users: Ethnic population: 13,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Those under 20 are mainly monolingual in Japanese (1989 T. Fukuda). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Northern Amami-Okinawan

Korean kor

Kyoto prefecture: Gion area; Osaka prefecture: Imazato-Shinchi and Tsuruhashi; Tokyo prefecture: Mikawashima, Okubo, and Ueno areas; Yamaguchi prefecture: Shimonoseki; mainly urban areas. Users: 992,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Zanichi Korean Classification: Koreanic

Kunigami xug

Okinawa prefecture: central and north Okinawa island; Ie-jima, Iheya, Izena, and Sesoko islands. Users: 5,000 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Southern Amami-Okinawan

Malay zlm

Users: 9,800 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Malayo-Chamic, Malayic, Malay

Miyako mvi

Okinawa prefecture: south; Ikema, Irabu, Kurima, Minna, Miyako, Ogami, and Tarama islands. Users: Ethnic population: 66,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Status: 8a (Moribund). Alternate Names: Miyako-Ikema Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Sakishima

Miyakubo Sign Language ehs

Ehime prefecture: Oshima island, Miyakubo village. Users: 70, all users. L1 users: 20 (2020 U. Yano). L2 users: 50 (2020 U. Yano). Status: 6a (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Ehime Oshima Shuwa, Ehime-Oshima Sign Language, Miyakubo Shuwa Classification: Sign language, Shared sign language

Oki-No-Erabu okn

Kagoshima prefecture: north central Okinawa, Oki-no-erabu island. Users: 3,200 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Southern Amami-Okinawan

Okinawan, Central ryu

Okinawa prefecture: Aguna Islands, Kerama Islands, Kume-jima, southern Okinawa island, Tonaki, and islands east of Okinawa island. Users: 1,180,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Ethnic population: 1,200,000 (2000 Y. Uemura). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Luchu, Okinawan Autonym: ウチナーグチ‎ (Uchināguchi) Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Southern Amami-Okinawan

Persian, Iranian pes

Users: 50,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western, Southwestern, Persian

Portuguese por

Users: 265,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician

Punjabi, Eastern pan

Users: 70,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Panjabi

Spanish spa

Users: 168,000 in Japan, all users. L1 users: 108,000 in Japan (Instituto Cervantes 2017). L2 users: 60,000 (2013). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Tagalog tgl

Users: 496,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Central Philippine, Central Philippine, Tagalog

Thai tha

Users: 9,800 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Kra-Dai, Kam-Tai, Tai, Southwestern

Toku-No-Shima tkn

Kagoshima prefecture: northern Okinawa, Toku-no-shima islands. Users: 5,100 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Northern Amami-Okinawan

Vietnamese vie

Users: 14,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Viet-Muong, Vietnamese

Yaeyama rys

Okinawa prefecture: Aregusuku, Hateruma, Hatoma, Iriomote, Ishigaki, Kohama, Kuroshima, and Taketomi islands. Users: Ethnic population: 46,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Yayeyama Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Sakishima

Yonaguni yoi

Okinawa: south; Yonaguni island. Users: 800 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Sakishima

Yoron yox

Kagoshima prefecture: north central Okinawa, Yoron islands. Users: 950 (2004). Status: 7 (Shifting). Classification: Japonic, Ryukyuan, Amami-Okinawan, Southern Amami-Okinawan