Section 2

L :

We have some endangered languages/in Japan. One of them/is the Ainu language. There are at least 13,000 Ainu people/in Japan,/but only a few of them/are fluent Ainu speakers.

S2 :

Yes. I’ve heard of the Ainu word “iyomante ,”/but I don’t know the meaning.

L :

“Iyomante ” is a ceremony/to send the soul of a bear/to heaven. Ainu people catch a young bear/which they raise/as a god. After two years,/they share the meat/as a gift for humans/and pray to nature.

S2 :

So,/the word includes a lot of things.

L :

That’s right. Even a single word/can express complex cultural traditions. In their own language,/Ainu people can fully express the values/in their culture.