Japan
PrintPrimary tabs
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: 825,000 in Japan (2019 Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs), based on nationality. Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Zainichi 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.
Nepali
[npi] Users: 61,000 in Japan (International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2019), based on nationality. Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Eastern, Eastern Pahari.
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.