Although Japan is a small country, it has a rich linguistic diversity. Many Japanese dialects (hōgen 方言) exist throughout the country’s regions. Even if Standard Japanese (hyōjungo 標準語) is the official language, people still use dialects of their areas in daily life.

Types of Japanese Dialects Based on Regions

Image credits: Canva.com

Many dialects have their phonetics, grammar, and vocabulary, which differ from the standard language and reflect the country’s historical and cultural diversity. By studying them, people can immerse themselves in and easily understand the unique features of any region. 

One language, but sounds like ten different – it is all about Japanese. So, let’s learn how to differentiate various Japanese dialects!

Hokkaido

Image credits: Canva.com

The greater Hokkaido area is close to the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, whose dialects mix to create a Hokkaido dialect. Moreover, originally, Hokkaido was inhabited by the Ainu people, who lived in Sakhalin and Kuril Islands. Their unique language impacted the Hokkaido dialect as well, giving a lot of unique words to be used even now.

There are some examples of vocabulary in the Hokkaido dialect.

Grammar: Some particles and suffixes in verbs differ, even though Hokkaido Dialect is pretty similar to Standard Japanese. For example: particles “でしょう?/よね?” (deshou? / yone?) change to “っしょ?” (ssho). 

Kanto

Image credits: Canva.com

Kanto region unites seven different prefectures – Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Tokyo. All of them have their own dialect and special unique phrases, but the Tokyo dialect is the basis of modern standard Japanese. Since all these prefectures are geographically close, they sometimes use similar expressions. Here are some examples:

Grammar: Some copulas may differ. For example, residents of the Kanto region use “〜け?” (〜ke) instead of “〜ですか?” (〜desu ka？), when asking questions.

Chubu

Image credits: Canva.com

Including 9 different prefectures, Chubu has a wide range of dialects depending on the region: Southern and eastern Chubu regions speak in Tokai-Tosan dialect, while the northern in Hokuriku. Let’s look at some versions:

Grammar: Particles, suffixes and copulas change in informal dialogues. For instance, people in the Chubu region use “〜がけ?” (〜gake) instead of “〜ですか?” (〜desu ka) when asking questions.

Kansai

Image credits: Canva.com

The most spoken dialect in Japan which is used by prefectures like Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and so on. This dialect is associated with comedy and entertainment since it has been majorly used in media. Because of its significance, sometimes the Kansai dialect may affect the standard Japanese. For example:

Grammar: Instead of using the question ending copula “〜ですか?” (〜desu ka?), residents of this place prefer to say “〜かいね?” (〜kaine?). Moreover, in Osaka, instead of saying “〜ない” (〜nai) to indicate a negative form of a verb, residents use “〜へん” (〜hen).

Chugoku

Image credits: Canva.com

This dialect is spoken in Chugoku region and the northwestern part of Kansai region. Contains five prefectures, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi, but the most popular spoken dialects in this area are Hiroshima and Yamaguchi dialects.

Grammar: People who speak in Chugoku dialect tend to blend particles, such as を, は, が into the previous word so their pronunciation is not always clear. For example,  instead of saying “水を飲む” (“mizu o nomu”) they might say “みぞう飲む” (“mizounomu”).

Shikoku

Image credits: Canva.com

Since Shikoku is pretty close to the Chugoku region, its dialect has a lot in common with the Chugoku dialect. There are only four prefectures in the territory, which are Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi. Even if each one of them has some unique phrases and grammar features, their close location makes dialects similar to each other. 

Grammar: In Shikoku dialect people love to shorten words, different particles, copulas and so on. Of course, other dialects use shortened versions of words as well, however this one makes it in a very unique way. They decrease the number of sounds to one: instead of using “〜ですか?” (〜desu ka?) while asking questions, sounds like “え?/な?” (e?/na?) are used. 

Kyushu

Image credits: Canva.com

All dialects have something in common, some phrases may repeat based on the location of areas. For example, since Chugoku and Shikoku regions are close to each other, their linguistic features have similarities. However, the Kyushu region is an exception. It is easily explained by the history of this area – before the Japanese this region used their native language, Ryuukyuuan.

Grammar: Despite the fact that every region’s dialect has some features, Kyushu’s is the most unusual. Their grammar is so exceptional that it sounds like a whole different language. For example, in standard Japanese i-adjectives, such as “暑い” (atsui), “重い” (omoi), words end with the sound “i”. But in this dialect they end with “か” (ka), transforming into “あつか” (atsuka) and “おもか” (omoka).  

Learn Japanese Dialects

Image credits: Canva.com

The variety of Japanese dialects shows Japan’s cultural and historical diversity. Although people use standard Japanese everywhere, local dialects are still fully functional in everyday communication, television, and regional environments. Their number is uncountable because each prefecture and local area might have its dialects. Therefore, this article is an overview, not a comprehensive list of every existing dialect in Japan. Mastering these dialects helps to learn Japanese culture and provides a better chance to connect with people.

Related Articles: 

• Japanese Tips 1: Best Free Japanese Language Learning Apps
• Japanese Tips 2: Best Japanese Language Learning Youtube Channels
• Sumimasen: 5 Meanings in the Japanese Language

Sumimasen: 5 Meanings in the Japanese Language

Featured image credits: Canva.com