This article explores the origins and development of Japanese, one of the world's oldest living languages. It has a recorded history of more than two thousand years and is spoken by over 125 million people around the world. Its evolution has been heavily influenced by historical events such as World War II and contact with other cultures which have resulted in many loanwords being adopted into everyday speech. Today, it remains one of the most popular languages around the world due to its unique culture and history associated with it.