Moving Okinawan Dictionary

A local collaboration with Okinawa by NTT docomo. The traditional language of Okinawa, formerly an independent kingdom, has been designated as an endangered language by UNESCO. Those who speak Okinawan are mainly the elderly, and the language was facing extinction unless passed on to younger generations. In an effort to keep the precious culture alive, the project focused on the smartphone movie popular among the young people.Young and old Okinawans joined hands to create movies that express the meaning of Okinawan words and uploaded them. Hundreds of movies were created by local Okinawans, and the Moving Okinawan Dictionary was featured on NHK TV and other news programs. Educational institutions have shown great support, and the project has generated great expectations as a new way to preserve and pass on traditional language.