This talk looks at Shima Shotai as an example of linguistic and cultural preservation. Shima Shotai is a typeface designed for the indigenous languages of Ryukyu (i.e., Okinawa), which are losing speakers and in fact face extinction. The typeface follows the unified writing system for the Ryukyuan languages and supports more letters and diacritics than what is considered necessary for standard Japanese. It was designed to aid education and communication in speakers’ native languages, especially on digital devices, in order to prevent the languages from being left behind in the digital divide. The talk will also discuss and demonstrate workarounds for the standard keyboard layout, input methods using ligatures, and use cases.
Since graduating with a degree in art planning from the Osaka University of Arts, Ueda Hiroto has been designing websites and print materials as a freelancer. He also leads a study group called Japanese and Latin Scripts, which hosts typography lectures, workshops, and other events with various invited guests. 上田寛人は大阪芸術大学芸術学部芸術計画学科卒業後、フリーランスのデザイナーとしてWebサイトや印刷媒体のデザインを行う。また、タイポグラフィの勉強会である「和文と欧文」を立ち上げ、タイポグラフィに関する研究・実践・教育・イベント開催などの活動を行う。
Speaker
Masahiro Yamada
Speaker
Shinji Ogawa
After finishing his PhD in literature at the School of Intercultural Studies at Kobe University, Ogawa Shinji continued his academic career as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He also served as a project researcher at the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, and was on the faculty of literature at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto in 2014. He specializes in linguistics and dialects. 小川晋史は神戸大学大学院文化学研究科修了ののち、日本学術振興会特別研究員（PD）、国立国語研究所プロジェクト研究員を経て、2014年より熊本県立大学文学部。専門は言語学、方言学。博士（文学、神戸大学）。
Speaker
Yuka Hayashi
After finishing her PhD in linguistics at Kyoto University, Hayashi Yuka worked as a research fellow at Kyoto University, the University of London (SOAS), and Osaka University. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and also works at the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics. Her current projects include the research and documentation of Ryukyuan and Hachijo languages. 林由華は京都大学大学院文学研究科修了。京都大学、ロンドン大学（SOAS）、大阪大学などでの研究員を経て、現在日本学術振興会特別研究員として国立国語研究所に在籍。琉球諸語や八丈語など、主として日本国内の危機言語の調査研究、記録活動を行っている。専門は言語学。博士（文学、京都大学）。