Discovering Japanese Dialects: Kansai-ben, Kanto-ben, Tsugaru-ben, and More

Did you know that Japan is home to a wide variety of dialects?
While many people are familiar with Hyojungo (standard Japanese), which is commonly spoken in Tokyo, or Kansai-ben, the dialect spoken in the Kansai region including Osaka, these are just a few among many.

In fact, it is said that there are approximately 40 to 50 dialects used regularly across Japan.
You may be surprised to learn just how diverse the language is.

Let’s take a look at some of the fascinating dialects spoken across Japan!

There are various dialects spoken across Japan. A dialect is a regional form of a language, and in Japan, these exist alongside hyojungo, the standard form of Japanese. Dialects are typically categorized into several regional groups, such as Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Over time, the Japanese language has evolved uniquely in each of these regions. These dialects differ not only in intonation (the pitch of sounds), but also in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and more.

In Japan, many regions are separated and isolated by mountains and the ocean. In the past, it was much less common—and often difficult—for people to travel across these areas. As a result, communication between regions was limited, and each area gradually developed its own unique dialect.

As TV, radio, and the internet became widespread, standard Japanese began to be used more commonly throughout the country. Therefore, in some regions, local dialects are rarely used anymore, especially among the younger generations. Dialects are an important part of preserving the culture and history of each region, so passing them on to future generations has become a growing concern.

On the other hand, in recent years, the charm of regional dialects has been re-evaluated. They are now actively used in regional revitalization efforts and tourism promotion. Entertainment works that feature dialects often gain popularity. Learning dialects can help you communicate more deeply with locals, understand their history, way of thinking, and even their sense of humor through interactions. It also allows you to experience the richness and depth of the Japanese language, with its unique expressions in each region. If you have the chance, we highly encourage you to explore and appreciate the many dialects of Japan.

In Japan, various dialects are spoken across different regions. However, if everyone speaks differently, it can be difficult to communicate. That’s why “Hyojungo” (Standard Japanese) was developed — to create a common language that people from all over Japan can use to understand each other more easily.
This is also the basic form of Japanese taught to foreigners when they begin learning the language.

During the Meiji period (1868–1912), it was believed that a unified language was necessary for Japan’s modernization. As a result, Hyojungo (Standard Japanese) was established.
Since Tokyo was the political and cultural center of Japan at the time, Hyojungo was based on the Tokyo dialect (Tokyo-go). Gradually, the use of Standard Japanese was promoted in schools and public life, and it spread throughout the country via mass media such as television and radio.

In some regions, however, local dialects remain deeply rooted in daily life. In these areas, people often use both the dialect and Standard Japanese depending on the situation.

There are some common misunderstandings about Hyojungo (Standard Japanese) — one of them being that “Hyojungo is just the Tokyo dialect.”
In fact, while it was originally based on the Tokyo dialect, it has evolved over generations, with new words and expressions being added over time.

Additionally, the idea that “Hyojungo is the only proper form of Japanese” is not true.
Dialects are a crucial part of what makes Japan’s culture so unique and rich.

Kansai-ben is a general term for the dialects spoken in the Kinki region, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo Prefectures. The Kansai area, especially Kyoto, flourished as a political and cultural center for hundreds of years. As a result, Kansai-ben retains many classical words and expressions, giving it a rich historical background. During the Edo period, Osaka developed as a commercial hub, which led to the creation of unique phrases and expressions. These characteristics are still present in Kansai-ben today.

Compared to standard Japanese, Kansai-ben has more ups and downs in intonation. The strong pitch accent is one of its most distinctive features, with sentence endings often carrying a noticeable accent.

On top of the differences in accent, Kansai-ben also features many unique words that aren’t used in standard Japanese. For example, “meccha” (very), “honma” (really), and “akan” (cannot or no good) are commonly used. Kansai-ben is often seen as sounding more friendly and expressive, with a strong sense of humor. Because of this, people in the Kansai region actively use their dialect in daily life and tend to enjoy communicating with it.

Even though we often group them together as “Kansai-ben,” the dialects of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe each have their own unique characteristics. Kyoto-ben sounds more refined and polite, while Osaka-ben is energetic, lively, and often humorous in its way of speaking. Kansai-ben as a whole gives off a sense of friendliness and warmth, with its distinctive intonation, vocabulary, and expressions.

Here are some phrases commonly heard in daily life when speaking Kansai-ben:

This phrase is often used as a form of tsukkomi in Japanese comedy. Tsukkomi refers to the role of the straight man who points out contradictions, unnatural elements, or absurdities in a humorous way, in response to the remarks made by the boke—the comic partner who intentionally says something silly or off the mark to provoke laughter.

Ōkini” is used to mean “arigatou” (thank you) in Kansai dialect.

“Chau chau” can be used to deny something.

“–hen” is used as a negative auxiliary verb and appears at the end of a sentence.

“–yan” is used as an auxiliary verb for assertion and appears at the end of a sentence.

In Japan, there are many dialects with rich and unique characteristics beyond just Kanto-ben and Kansai-ben. Here are some representative examples from various regions.

Tsugaru-ben is spoken in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, located west of Aomori City. This dialect is so distinct from standard Japanese that many people say it “sounds like a foreign language,” due to its unique pronunciation and expressions.

The major characteristics include the fact that words and sentences are often shortened. For example, the phrase “Doko e iku no?” (Where are you going?) can be simply said as “Dosa?”, and “Onsen ni iku tokoro desu” (I’m going to the hot springs) can be expressed just by saying “Yusa.”

Additionally, voiced sounds such as ga, gi, gu, ge, go are frequently used in this dialect.
The intonation also differs from standard Japanese. While many words are the same, they are often pronounced quite differently.

Another distinctive feature is the lack of clear distinction between certain sounds, such as “su” and “shi” or “tsu” and “chi.” For example, both “sushi” and “shishi” (meaning lion) may be pronounced the same way—as “sushi.”

Sentence endings such as “–da” or “–desu” in standard Japanese are often changed to forms like “–dabe” or “–sube” in this dialect. In addition, when asking questions, the intonation typically rises at the end of the sentence.

Here are some common phrases in Tsugaru-ben:
め (me) – delicious
け (ke) – eat / please / itchy / hair (depends on intonation)
わ (wa) – I
な (na) / おめ (ome) – you (may sound rude to strangers)
へば (he-ba) – well then / see you
まいね (mai-ne) – not good / no good
わいは！(wai-wa!) / どんだば！(don-da-ba!) – wow! / what happened?!
かちゃくちゃねぇ (kacha-kucha-ne) – messy / frustrating
めんこい (menkoi) / めごい (megoi) – cute
じょっぱり (johppari) – stubborn person

Hakata-ben is commonly spoken in Fukuoka City, located in Fukuoka Prefecture.

One of the distinctive features of Hakata-ben is its softer-sounding sentence endings, such as “–to” and “–tai,” which give the dialect a friendly and warm tone. The intonation at the end of sentences is also characteristic, adding to its gentle and welcoming feel.

Instead of the standard Japanese endings like “–da” or “–desu,” expressions such as “–tai,” “–yaken,” and “–bai” are often used.
The standard form “–tai (want to do)” becomes “–shitaka,” “–te iru (doing)” changes to “–toru,” and “–kara (because)” is expressed as “–yaken” or “–ken.”
Also, “–to” is frequently added at the end of sentences for light emphasis or affirmation – similar in nuance to saying “you know” or “I’m telling you” in English.

Here are some common phrases in Hakata-ben:
好いとう (suitou) – I like you, I like it
なんしようと？ (nanshiouto?) – What are you doing?
よか (yoka) – Good
わるか (waruka) – Bad
なおす (naosu) – To put away, to tidy up
つ (tsu) – Strong
むつかしい (mutsukashii) – Difficult
ちかっぱ / ばり (chikappa / bari) – Very, super
とっとーと？ (tottoto?) – Did you save it? (Also used as a casual greeting)
～ったい (–ttai) – Sentence ending for emphasis, like “you know”

Hiroshima-ben, spoken in Hiroshima Prefecture, has a strong and sometimes rough-sounding tone, but it also carries a warm and friendly feeling. The sentence ending “–ja” is especially distinctive and gives a strong sense of Hiroshima’s character.

It also sounds more monotone compared to standard Japanese, as it has fewer pitch changes and overall flatter intonation.

One of the most distinctive sentence endings in Hiroshima-ben is “–ja,” which corresponds to “–da” or “–de aru” (to be) in standard Japanese. “–ke” means “because,” and a stronger version of it is “–jaken.” “–toru” is used to express ongoing actions or continuous states, similar to “–te iru” in standard Japanese. “–n?” or “–n ka?” are added at the end of a sentence to form a question, similar to “–no?” or “–na no ka?”

For example, you might hear “–torun?” to ask “Are you doing ~?” “–shinsai” means “please do ~.”

Here are some common phrases in Hiroshima-ben:
ぶち (buchi) – very, extremely
えらい (erai) – tired, exhausted, tough
わや (waya) – a mess, terrible
そがい (sogai) – that’s right, I agree
よーけ (yōke) – a lot, many

Today, we explored some of the representative dialects spoken across Japan—how was it?
There are many more fascinating dialects throughout the country, so we encourage you to explore them further.

At TCJ, all our teachers use standard Japanese in class, but they come from various regions of Japan.
For example, I’m from Ibaraki Prefecture, which is outside of Tokyo. Talking with teachers from different areas might be a great way to learn about regional dialects!

Let’s continue our journey of learning Japanese together at TCJ.