Japonic Languages 

The Japonic languages include different forms of Japanese, as well as the Ryukyuan
languages. 
The standard Japanese (hyōjungo) recognized today as the country’s national
language is that which was spoken by the upper and middle classes in the Yamanote
area around 1901. This is where Tokyo is today—Tokyo was known as Edo when it
became the country’s capital at the beginning of the 17th century. Later on, in 1901,
the Japanese Ministry of Education sought to create a common standard of language
among its people, and declared the language spoken in the capital to be that which
would be taught in schools everywhere.  

Ryukyuan Languages
The second sub-family in the Japonic language group is the Ryukyuan languages.
These include all the other languages in the data table below, apart from Japanese and
Ainu. These are the native tongues that are spoken in the Ryukyu islands of the
country. To get a picture of how special these languages are, we can say this:
UNESCO has identified eight minority languages as being endangered in Japan, and
six of them are Ryukyuan. 

Ainu Languages
Another language group exists in Japan. Like some of the Ryukyuan languages, the
Ainu are also classified as endangered by UNESCO. The few people who speak Ainu
languages generally live in southwestern Hokkaido, and they are quickly dying out. In
2012, all the fluent native Ainu speakers were said to be 80 years and older in Japan.
There were also some semi-fluent speakers who were in their 60s at the time.
Obviously, the language will disappear if a concerted effort is not made to pass it on
and keep it alive. 
Originally, there were about 19 Ainu dialects, but today all that remains is the
Hokkaido dialect. 
What Languages Are Spoken In Japan?
Number of Speakers in Japan
Rank Language
(estimates)
1 Japanese 121 million
2 Ainu almost extinct
Amami-Oshima,
3 10,000
Northern
Amami-Oshima,
4 1,800
Southern
5 Kikai almost extinct
6 Kunigami 5,000
7 Miyako 67,000
Okinawan, Central
8 985,000
(Okinawan)
9 Oki-No-Erabu 3,200
10 Toku-No-Shima 5,100
11 Yaeyama almost extinct
12 Yonaguni 800
13 Yoron 950

RESOURCES

 Simpson, V. (2020, September 3). What Languages Are Spoken In Japan? WorldAtlas.
Retrieve from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-japan.html