An introduction to Kansai-ben
When it comes to regional dialects in Japan, Kansai-ben takes the throne as the most widely-recognized form. Here’s a quick rundown of what Kansai-ben is, how to identify it, and key terms to pick up on…
(Once again, as a work-in-progress, any inputs and comments are welcome!)
What is Kansai-ben?
Kansai-ben is a series of dialects native to—you guessed it—the Kansai region of Japan, also referred to as the Kinki region (I know, ha ha). Over the years, Kansai-ben has gained national recognition and popularity through a form of Japanese comedy double acts known as “manzai” (漫才).
The six staple Kansai-ben prefectures are: Shiga, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hyogo, and Wakayama; however, the dialect is not uncommon in other surrounding prefectures of the region.
Consider the difference between standard Japanese to Kansai-ben much like the difference between American English to UK English. It involves not only the accent, but also a myriad of phrases and vocabulary.
BONUS: many Kansai-jin (Kansai natives) are quite proud of their dialect, especially as it’s become so popular across the country. Hearing “fake” Kansai-ben can be quite irking to native speakers, particularly if the imitation is inaccurate.
Identifying Kansai-ben
To non-native speakers, Kansai-ben may not be as easy to distinguish from standard Japanese. Put simply, Kansai-ben employs far more inflections and slurred and/or shorthand syllables, making it overall more dynamic in sound.
Types of Kansai-ben
Kansai, being a major region in Japan, has its own subsets—and with it, differing types of Kansai-ben—however, they all tend to be generalized as one regional dialect. (In fact, many non-Kansai-ben speakers can’t distinguish between the specific types.) This list will cover the Big Three: Osaka-ben, Kyoto-ben, and Kobe-ben.
Osaka-ben is the most widely recognized, and the term is often used interchangeably with Kansai-ben. (Osaka is so large, the dialect has even more subsets—but we’ll focus on the popular form for now.) Osaka-ben tends to be quite brash in tone. Some key markers of Osaka-ben are:
Removing conjunctives such as “wa”, “wo”, etc.
Adds an “re” sound to conjunctions
“can’t speak/talk” hanasenai→hanasarehen
“can’t go” ikenai→ikarehen
Simplifying syllables: the dialect requires less work of the tongue/lips to pronounce syllables (e.g. ”s” sounds tend to convert to “h”)
“excuse me” sumimasen→sunmahen or “seven” shichi→hichi
Slurs syllables: often blends/extends certain a i u e o sounds
“that’s right” soudesu→sōdesū
Denial “hen”: the negative “nai” (ない) becomes “hen” (へん)
“didn’t see” mitenai→mitehen
“don’t mind” kamawanai→kamahen
Suffixes “yade”/”de”, ”yaro”, “ya”/”yan”, “nen”/“yanen”, etc. at the end of sentences
“that’s right” soudayo→seyade or sou→seya
“Why’s that?”/”How come?” nande?→nandeyanen?
Prefix “do” (occasionally “da”): emphasizes the adjective
do-aho
A great reference for different Japanese dialects is Detective Conan’s episode 651! You can hear the victim’s last words restated in standard Japanese as well as Kansai-ben…plus you’ll hear Conan’s (very poor) attempt at speaking Kansai-ben.
Kyoto-ben (aka Kyō-kotoba) is quite similar to Osaka-ben, but has an all-round “softer” sound due to fewer inflections and simplified syllables. It’s typically regarded as more elegant and refined than Osaka-ben.
Simplifies syllables (similar to Osaka-ben)
“no” (の) can be abbreviated as “n” ん
Uses more “a” syllables, tends to repeat vowels in conjunctions
“will go” iku→ikaharu (Kyoto), “can’t go” ikenai→ikehen
Slurs or prolongs syllables: commonly employs a prolonged “u” sound
“beautifully” utsukushiku→utsukushuu
Denial “hen”: similar to Osaka-ben
Honorific suffix “haru”
“to do” shiteiru (st)→shiteoru (Os)→shiteharu (Ky)
Renzo Shima (Blue Exorcist) and Gin Ichimaru (BLEACH) are speakers of Kyoto-ben. And of course, DC’s movie 7 (Crossroad in the Ancient Capital), set in Kyoto, has an array of characters speaking Kyoto-ben.
Kobe-ben can be considered a merge of both Osaka and Kyoto, landing comfortably in the middle. Unlike the previous two, Kobe is a city, and therefore less distinguishable as its own dialect by non-Kansai-ben speakers.
Frequent use of “o” sounds/syllables
“to be” iru→oru
“whatcha doing?” nani shiteiru?→nani shitennen (Os)→nani shitoo?/nani shiton? (Ko)
“it’s raining” ame futteiru→ame futterunen→ame futtoo
I highly, highly recommend you watch Studio Ghibli’s “Grave of the Fireflies”—it’s a feature film set in WWII-era Kobe, and regarded as one of the greatest war films ever & guaranteed to wrench your heart out as you try to pick up on Kobe-ben…!!