Abstract
This paper investigates regimented language choices at Naha Airport in Okinawa Prefecture in order to study how these language choices relate to language ideology on one hand and to creating a self-supporting language ecology of maximum diversity on the other. Issues of power and ideology underlie the language choice and the language ecology which evolve from them, as well as ideologically erased language choices. Despite its multilingual heritage and the presence of a large English-speaking community of US military personnel on the island, Naha Airport reproduces ideas of individual and societal monolingualism with regard to Japan as well as to neighbouring countries. Owing to entrenched nationalist ideology and language attitudes, a change in such language regimentation cannot be envisaged in the near future, despite several shortcomings in the present linguistic organization of Naha Airport. Officially regulated public spaces accessible to all, such as Naha Airport, can play a key role in readjusting and re-evaluating specific behaviours and values.
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