Hachijojima: The Language Isle

Recorded July 30, 2020 The Japan-America Society of Hawaii was fortunate to welcome linguist Dr. David Iannucci to speak in our Summer 2020 Talk-Story Series. Dr. Iannucci presented on the small volcanic island of Hachijojima and its severely endangered Hachijo language. He explained the history and current vitality of the Hachijo language, how it differs from Standard Japanese, and provided anecdotes of his experiences conducting fieldwork in communities on the island.