Navigating the Use of Plain Japanese as a Glocal Lingua Franca: Japanese University Students’ Perspectives

Plain Japanese (Yasashii Nihongo), a simplified version of the Japanese language, has emerged as a significant tool for intercultural communication in Japan’s increasingly multicultural society. Initially developed for disaster communication, its use has since expanded to the fields of education, public services, business, and tourism. As a means of bridging communication across linguistic and cultural