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Not exactly. I got (and renewed) the Swiss permit with zero knowledge of any official language. However, my wife had to present the basic certificate or my promise that she would learn the language.

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Japan, ~like the US~, has no official language.

(edit: ~strike~)

> Japan, like the US, has no official language.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/desi...

POTUS doesn't have the power to set an official language.

It's not the Department of War, either. Still says that everywhere.

Talk is cheap.

Actually they are following through, check the news

the US Dept of War is doing far more than just talk tho.

see also: half of the middle east on fire.

Legal documents, contracts, and court filings must continue to use Department of Defense because legally the Department of War doesn't exist.

Why not? Maybe they do?

Japan also tends to leave many contextual and obvious things unstated, and relies on group concensus and information exchange between in group peers over top down authority, so may consider the ultimate group concensus, language, not needing to be codified.

Although i do wonder what my son's 国語 text books teach if Japanese is not the official 国語.

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