Language

             Historically, the Ainu language held great significance, facilitating communication between Russian and Japanese officials and the Ainu. Sadly, political pressures from the Japanese government have nearly silenced the Ainu language in Northern Japan. From 1868, the Japanese government reshaped the Hokkaido Ainu's lifestyle, imposing restrictions on traditional activities. These measures and the influx of Japanese immigrants led to the Ainu abandoning their customs and language. For most today, Ainu, if spoken at all, is a second language. By 2008, the Ainu language, Ainu Itak, dwindled to fewer than 100 native speakers. By 2011, thanks in part to Shigeru Kayano, an Ainu advocate and native speaker, more were learning Ainu as a second language in Hokkaido. To aid this, the Ainu Language School was founded in 1987 with the Ainu Association's support. Although few speak it natively, efforts to revitalize the Ainu language extend beyond Hokkaido to places like the Kanto region. Historically, Ainu lacked its own script, being transcribed in Japanese kana or Russian Cyrillic. However, by 2019, katakana and the Latin alphabet became the preferred transcriptions. Hokkaido’s Ainu Association, founded in 1946, offers free courses in 14 regions. The foundation, set up by a 1997 law, also trains Ainu language teachers. Publications like dictionaries and bilingual collections are on the rise. A Sapporo radio station has aired Ainu language lessons since the 1980s. Additionally, in 2001, Kayano launched FM Pipaushi, broadcasting Ainu shows in Hokkaido. However, the language remains on the fringe. While there is a resurgence in interest, many of the marginalized majority of the Ainu still have scant resources to study their ancestral tongue. The language's future is uncertain without its integration into Hokkaido's school curriculum. As part of Japan's intangible heritage, the Ainu language deserves official governmental recognition as the second national language of Japan.