The
Yaeyama language (,
Yaimamuni) is a
Southern Ryukyuan language spoken in the
Yaeyama Islands, the southernmost inhabited island group in
Japan, with a combined population of about 50,000 (as of 2011). The Yaeyama Islands are situated to the southwest of the
Miyako Islands of the
Ryukyus and to the east of
Taiwan. Yaeyama (Yaimamunii) is most closely related to
Miyako. The number of competent native speakers is not known - as a consequence of Japanese language policy which refers to the language as the , reflected in the education system, people below the age of 60 tend to not use the language except in songs and rituals, and the younger generation exclusively uses Japanese as their first language.