Japanese
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
Not endangered
Children are still learning this language at home.
Source: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master)
ISO 639-3 jpn · ISO 639-1 ja · Glottocode nucl1643
Speakers at home
The census counts this language on its own, so these figures are for it alone.
By state
- California133,419limited English 54,519
- Hawaii36,889limited English 16,337
- New York34,092limited English 14,640
- Washington26,918limited English 8,553
- Texas23,095limited English 8,912
- New Jersey13,099limited English 5,328
- Illinois12,943limited English 4,882
- Michigan12,847limited English 6,043
- Florida12,222limited English 4,069
- Oregon11,238limited English 2,886
- Ohio10,876limited English 5,535
- Georgia10,715limited English 3,955
- Virginia9,965limited English 3,197
- Massachusetts8,608limited English 2,472
- Maryland8,540limited English 3,260
- North Carolina8,337limited English 3,113
- Arizona7,952limited English 2,833
- Nevada6,673limited English 2,467
- Pennsylvania6,418limited English 2,309
- Colorado5,893limited English 1,399
- Utah5,718limited English 1,299
- Indiana5,663limited English 2,648
- Kentucky4,458limited English 2,348
- Minnesota4,437limited English 1,434
- Tennessee4,345limited English 1,840
- Missouri3,869limited English 1,488
- South Carolina3,332limited English 1,206
- Connecticut3,281limited English 959
- Wisconsin2,768limited English 922
- Alabama2,528limited English 1,300
- Kansas2,064limited English 496
- Oklahoma2,015limited English 596
- Louisiana1,783limited English 508
- Idaho1,777limited English 277
- Alaska1,494limited English 461
- New Mexico1,275limited English 306
- Nebraska1,204limited English 338
- Iowa1,189limited English 407
- Mississippi1,100limited English 500
- Arkansas935limited English 440
- West Virginia807limited English 300
- Delaware805limited English 202
- New Hampshire794limited English 134
- Rhode Island762limited English 177
- Maine672limited English 162
- Vermont437limited English 109
- South Dakota325limited English 98
- North Dakota288limited English 228
- Wyoming269limited English 41
- Montana218limited English 84
By city
- New York City22,141limited English 10,395
- Los Angeles16,673limited English 5,711
- San Diego7,148limited English 2,852
- Seattle5,102limited English 1,267
- San Jose4,425limited English 1,820
- Houston2,765limited English 1,189
- Chicago2,514limited English 472
- Columbus1,624limited English 332
- Phoenix1,506limited English 412
- Sacramento1,099limited English 406
- Philadelphia1,086limited English 517
- Charlotte1,046limited English 315
- Dallas1,021limited English 323
- Boston814limited English 198
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
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CultureMesh, "Japanese" language page (https://www.culturemesh.com/languages/japanese-9). Endangerment status: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.