Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region: A Japanese Phrasebook and Language Guide

by DC Palter, Kaoru Slotsve

This is a compact and convenient guide to learning the Kansai dialect of the Japanese language

Maido, maido and welcome to the Kansai region of western Japan. Whether visiting or living in this area, you will quickly notice the locals aren't speaking standard Japanese taught in textbooks and classrooms. The language on the streets is a dialect said to be earthier and more direct, but with its own polite language.

With clear explanations of grammar, a Kansai-ben dictionary, and a helpful index, Colloquial Kansai Japanese is an indispensable guide to the rich speech of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Hundreds of sample phrases, sentences and conversations show how the dialect works in everyday situations, ranging from shopping to dealing with the boss. And while you're leaning about the nuances of Kansai-ben , you will have fun reading about Kansai cuisine, sports and specialties.

So open your mouth when you speak, roll your r's, and try out this colorful dialect. With your copy of Colloquial Kansai Japanese , you will soon be among friends in Kansai.

Genres: Japanese Literature, Language, Reference, Nonfiction, Japan

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 1995

About the author

DC Palter is a startup founder and venture investor, with twenty-five years experience leading tech companies. His articles on venture funding are followed by tens of thousands of startup founders.

Living in Japan for many years as a research engineer, he became the first non-native person certified by the Japan Society as a Japanese language instructor. He’s the author of Colloquial Kansai Japanese, a guidebook to the Osaka-Kyoto dialect published by Tuttle, and editor-in-chief of Japonica, a daily journal of Japanese culture.

He is the first-ever winner of the Little Tokyo Fiction Contest for short stories in both Japanese and English. His first novel, To Kill a Unicorn, was a 2023 American Fiction Awards finalist for Best Mystery Novel and Best Debut Novel.

DC holds an MFA in creative writing along with degrees in engineering, marketing, and law. Together with his wife, a leading ikebana artist, he splits his time between Kobe, Japan and the Silicon Beach area of Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun read. I read this before spending a year in the Kansai region (Kyoto prefecture, to be precise) and as soon as I landed I was hearing all these wonderful Kinki words! Without this book giving me a basic understanding, I would have struggled a lot more. As well as being very light-hearted, it's very informative. And unlike some other books I've seen on Kansai-ben, it's very clear that there are a lot of differences between the different parts of the region. Unfortunately there is no CD so there is no way to here how beautiful and melodic Kansai-ben is.
A fun, light read- definitely recommended.

[Drew Tschirki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty thorough and interesting intro to the Kansai dialect. I speak fluent Japanese and I always poke fun at my wife who is from the Kansai region by telling her I don't think she can speak standard Japanese. I hear many of these words in our daily life and naturally pick up on them, and some of the words I ask her about them and she says "we never use that." I definitely feel this book requires at least an intermediate level of Japanese, I'm not sure if a beginner would benefit from learning such a rich and encompassing dialect as is the Kansai dialect at the same time as basic to intermediate Japanese. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in the dialect, but it cannot be the only tool. Nothing will beat conversation with those from the region and this book should be looked at as a study supplement. Also, take out the romaji, it is nothing but a crutch.

[Izzati · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

As I'm currently working in Osaka at the time of reading the book, I thought it might be interesting to learn more about the famous Osaka dialect. The first time I heard of the dialect was from an anime Lovely Complex (ラブコン) but back then I hadn't begun my Japanese language studies so I thought it was all normal Japanese. After I started to learn thouh, I did go back to the anime and manga a few times (because it was super hilarious) so I did pick up some terms.

Even so, this book had much to teach me. Not only did it explain the meaning of each local words used, it gave examples and the stories behind how the words came about and some historical tidbits about Kansai region.

What I loved most about this book is its tongue in cheek tone, and how it organized the lessons so that it ended in a sweet goodbye notes from both authors. I also loved the cute dramatic illustrations, I thought they really brought out the vibe of Kansai people.

[Athirah Idrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 stars

First thoughts: The writers were definitely the right fit for this book. Language learning books can easily fall into that textbook-y quality but this book pretty much escaped the monotony. It perfectly captured the Kansai essence with the cheeky and engaging narration, without sacrificing the ‘learning’ part.

It is concise, and the bullet form phrases are helpful in the flow of learning, for me as a student and for practical purposes. I’m also a bit biased as I’m a fan of Kansai dialect, just the rhythm, the attitude and the nuance that the dialect carries, are similar to my own northern Malay dialect in my hometown.

I can foresee myself referring to this book and putting it to practice especially when I plan for my Kansai trips in future, insyaAllah!

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Japanese language has several variants most of the written characters being borrowed from the Chine. This text explore the colloquial language of Japan's Kansai language as it occurs in several regions. This is a useful tool for anyone studying Japanese.

[恵理歌]

ほんま、めっちゃくっちゃ楽しいやなー

[Jac · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to understand primer on some of the nuances of kansai ben and the culture surrounding it.

[Nathan Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few mistakes here and there. Overall a good reference for Kansai Japanese, especially for those who are still working on learning Japanese. Everything is explained for intermediate learners. If you have learned standard Tokyo Japanese, it's a one day read. The culture notes are fun, too, like the section on the Hanshin Tigers.
Romaji are evil! I really wish they hadn't included them, but it was easy to just skip them and read the Japanese. That's part of the reason it was a quick read.

[Jake Chesser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise, interesting book on Kansai-Ben. It's been fun learning more of the intricacies and reasons behind the Japanese I was surrounded by in Hyogo, though the book seems to focus more on Osaka-Ben (seeing those differences was another big plus.)

Tons of example sentences and conversations as well.

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Organized, easily indexed, and pretty helpful for speaking like a rull southerner.

[Geoffrey Waring · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad this book exists.

[eggimaru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun to read.