Kansai-ben

Kansai-ben (Japanese: 関西弁, -ben "dialect") is a distinct group of related Japanese dialects found in the Kansai region of Japan. They are typified by the speech of Osaka, which is referred to specifically as Osaka-ben. Most people outside of the Kansai region equate Osaka-ben with Kansai-ben in general, mostly due to the former's extensive media exposure. Thus anyone habitually saying akan or honma to a Tokyoite is invariably going to be labelled as a Kansai-ben speaker and probably an Osakajin whether they are from Osaka or not.

Related Topics:
Japanese - Dialect - Japanese dialects - Kansai - Osaka

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The use of Kansai-ben is closely associated with comedy throughout most of non-Kansai Japan. This is due both to the prevalence of comedians from Osaka in Japanese media as compared to people from other cities and regions, and to the willingness of Osaka comedians to use their own dialect while on stage. Because of this association, speakers of Kansai-ben are often viewed as being more humorous or more witty than the average Tokyoite. Tokyo people even occasionally imitate Kansai-ben to provoke laughter or inject humor into a situation.

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Historically, nearly every village in the Kansai area had a style of speech which differed somewhat from its neighbors; it was once possible for well-travelled people to identify the particular area from which a speaker came. Due to the increasing influence of the Tokyo and Kanto dialects over the last four hundred years, the intraregional differences have been declining across all of Kansai. However, citizens of each major city and prefecture still take some pride in their particular dialectical variations, and this has preserved a number of differences between each area in the region.

Related Topics:
Tokyo - Kanto

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The primary dialects of Kansai-ben can be roughly divided into cities. There is Osaka-ben, the most famous and well known. Following it are Kyoto-ben, known for its indirectness and politeness, and Kobe-ben known for its -tō/-ton verb conjugation. Others include Nara-ben, Wakayama-ben, Shiga-ben, Mie-ben, and Hyogo-ben.

Related Topics:
Kobe - Nara - Wakayama - Shiga - Mie - Hyogo

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