Japan

Japanese

[jpn] 1 (National). De facto national language. 124,000,000 in Japan (2020). Total users in all countries: 125,399,270 (as L1: 125,277,770; as L2: 121,500).

5 (Dispersed)

Korean

[kor] 5* (Dispersed). 825,000 in Japan (2019 Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs), based on nationality.

5 (Developing)

Japanese Sign Language

[jsl] 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2013, Basic Act of Persons with Disabilities), guarantees the opportunity to choose ‘sign language’, but no further details. 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).

6a (Vigorous)

Miyakubo Sign Language

[ehs] 6a (Vigorous). 70, all users. L1 users: 20 (2020 U. Yano). L2 users: 50 (2020 U. Yano).

7 (Shifting)

Amami-Oshima, Northern

[ryn] 7 (Shifting). 9,700 (Leclerc 2020b).

Amami-Oshima, Southern

[ams] 7 (Shifting). 1,800 (2004).

Kikai

[kzg] 7 (Shifting). Ethnic population: 13,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Those under 20 are mainly monolingual in Japanese (1989 T. Fukuda).

Kunigami

[xug] 7 (Shifting). 5,000 (2004).

Oki-No-Erabu

[okn] 7 (Shifting). 3,200 (2004).

Okinawan, Central

[ryu] 7 (Shifting). 1,180,000 (Leclerc 2020b). Ethnic population: 1,200,000 (2000 Y. Uemura).

Toku-No-Shima

[tkn] 7 (Shifting). 5,100 (2004).

Yaeyama

[rys] 7 (Shifting). Ethnic population: 46,000 (Leclerc 2020b).

Yonaguni

[yoi] 7 (Shifting). 800 (2004).

Yoron

[yox] 7 (Shifting). 950 (2004).

8a (Moribund)

Miyako

[mvi] 8a (Moribund). Ethnic population: 66,000 (Leclerc 2020b).

8b (Nearly extinct)

Ainu

[ain] 8b (Nearly extinct). 2 (2008 A. Vovin). Ethnic population: 13,000 (2019 E. Jozuka).

Amami Koniya Sign Language

[jks] 8b (Nearly extinct). 4 (2020 Y. Osugi). One family.

Unestablished

Bengali

[ben] Unestablished. 69,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Chinese, Mandarin

[cmn] Unestablished. 546,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Chinese, Min Nan

[nan] Unestablished. 75,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Chinese, Wu

[wuu] Unestablished. 7,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2013).

Chinese, Yue

[yue] Unestablished. 36,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

English

[eng] Unestablished. 10,973,000 in Japan, all users. L1 users: 73,000 in Japan (2020 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 10,900,000 (2020).

French

[fra] Unestablished. 6,300 in Japan (Leclerc 2013).

Malay

[zlm] Unestablished. 9,800 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Nepali

[npi] Unestablished. 61,000 in Japan (International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2019), based on nationality.

Persian, Iranian

[pes] Unestablished. 50,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Portuguese

[por] Unestablished. 265,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Punjabi, Eastern

[pan] Unestablished. 70,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Spanish

[spa] Unestablished. 168,000 in Japan, all users. L1 users: 108,000 in Japan (Instituto Cervantes 2017). L2 users: 60,000 (2013).

Tagalog

[tgl] Unestablished. 496,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Thai

[tha] Unestablished. 9,800 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Vietnamese

[vie] Unestablished. 14,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).

Japan

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