Introduction

The kind of language found in public spaces plays a significant role as a barometer of language ideologies and can function over time as an indicator of social transformations. This special issue of Japanese Studies examines an aspect of linguistic life that is also attracting scholarly attention in many other countries where globalisation has led to growing multilingualism and where rapidly advancing new media technologies are seen as increasingly influencing language use: namely, the varieties of language use encountered in public spaces that highlight underlying social developments shaping the directions in which many contemporary societies are moving. Using the lens of language encountered in public spaces, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of the sociolinguistic currents shaping language use in Japan today by examining multifaceted aspects of linguistic diversity, both in terms of the use of languages other than Japanese and of the varying manifestations of the Japanese language itself.