People who study and speak endangered languages and dialects in Japan have been talking about how to pass them on to future generations. They took part in a symposium in the southern prefecture of Okinawa that was organized by Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency.
Eight languages and dialects in Japan are on UNESCO's endangered list. They include those spoken in Okinawa and the language of the Ainu, an indigenous ethnic group mainly from Hokkaido.
The 250 people attending the event heard about measures to preserve Japan's linguistic heritage. The efforts include textbooks for students in Okinawa and bus announcements in the Ainu language in Hokkaido.
Participants recited the same phrase from a popular nursery rhyme. The audience was surprised that it sounds completely different from standard Japanese in an Okinawan dialect and different again in the Ainu language.
Ainu teenager Maya Sekine says it's sad to see the language and culture of her ancestors disappear. She says she wants a society that accepts many languages.
◆indigenous先住の
◆recite朗読する、朗唱する
◆nursery rhyme伝承童謡、わらべ歌
