Languages · Asia
What Language Do They Speak in Japan?
The official language of Japan is Japanese. In total about 14 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Japanese (95%), Central Okinawan (1%) and Korean (1%).
1
Official language
14
Living languages · #80
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Regional official languages
11
Endangered languages
Official languages of Japan
Most spoken languages in Japan
All languages of Japan (14)
| Language | Speakers here | Family | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 117,041,900 · 95% | Japonic | Official |
| Central Okinawan | 948,655 · 0.77% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Korean | 640,650 · 0.52% | Koreanic | Safe |
| Miyako | 68,000 · 0.06% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Northern Amami-Oshima | 37,000 · 0.03% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Kikai | 13,000 · 0.01% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Yaeyama | 8,500 · 0.01% | Japonic | Vulnerable |
| Kunigami | 5,000 · 0% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Oki-No-Erabu | 3,200 · 0% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Southern Amami-Oshima | 1,800 · 0% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Yoron | 950 · 0% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Yonaguni | 400 · 0% | Japonic | Moribund |
| Ainu (Japan) | 10 | Ainu | Nearly extinct |
| Toku-No-Shima | — | Japonic | Moribund |
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Frequently asked questions
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language of Japan is Japanese. In total about 14 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Japanese (95%), Central Okinawan (1%) and Korean (1%).
What is the official language of Japan?
Japanese.
Is English spoken in Japan?
English is not widely spoken in Japan — learn a few words of Japanese before you go.
How many languages are spoken in Japan?
About 14 living languages — #80 in the world for linguistic diversity. 11 of them are endangered.
Data: Languages of the World dataset (MIT) — ISO 639-3, Glottolog (CC BY 4.0), Unicode CLDR, Google LinguaMeta (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata; country lists: samayo/country-json (MIT).