Esperanto

Abstract

Esperanto is unique among the languages in Japan, which has been a major centre of the Esperanto movement since the start of the 20th century. Esperanto has been adopted by many learners as a language of additional identification. It has a dynamic community of users and it provides a forum for dialogue among people with various social, political, and religious backgrounds. Esperanto serves practical purposes and is not merely a utopian idea. Though Esperanto has lost its pioneering role as one of Japan’s bridges to the world, information technology, providing new possibilities and a social climate that accepts diversity, has created favourable conditions for further development.