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JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

The other day, I asked a Japanese lady about stereotypes Japanese may have of each other.

About who are the most friendly, she told me Osaka people were the most friendly, and they are the most like gaijin (hey...we're friendly Razz

!).

Anyone have a comment....?...for this.....?....if you desire

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Original post now moot. Smile

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

compared to people from Kanto and Tohoku, I would say yes.
Tokyo people have a reputation for being cold.

But compared to people from Kyushu or Okinawa, I`m not sure if Osaka people are friendlier.

Korean people seem to prefer living in Osaka than in Tokyo, maybe people Osaka people aren`t afraid to show their emotions.

My wife is from Osaka, and in Tokyo I guess she feels foreign because she speaks Osaka ben in Tokyo, and not everybody here likes it.

Where are you living Jeeza?

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

hi brooks,

I am actually living in kitakyushu city in fukuoka-ken, in kyushu.

the lady I asked was Kyushu-jin. She seemed to think Kyushu wasn't particularly friendly. But I have heard they are.

I can't compare with the rest of japan yet, cos I haven't been anywhere.

I have read how Osaka-jin are down-to-earth and practical, and boisterous, and humourous, and like good food, and outgoing.....

So I have always wanted to go there! ya know....I am a bit of a gai-jin....and I just came from Korea (where I didn't like), but after korea, I am finding all the auto-pilot, robotic japanese politeness a bit stifling. I don't feel lke I am getting any warm, sincere, easy-going sort of friendliness coming my way. Just a feeling.

I made the connection before in my mind actually, that Koreans might like Osaka the best.

In australia and Thailand, i met osaka-jin who certainly showed their emotions.

One osaka guy I met in australia, on the first night he met me, he looked in my eyes and he said...."you are a good person. I can tell. In your eyes." He was such an energetic, nice guy. I could imagine him bouncing his way all around Osaka. (I am male too and married with Nihon-jin....now)

Anyhow, thanks for the feedback. I hope I get to your wife's home city some day!

-Jezza

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

well, from what I have heard, getting work in Kyushu isn`t easy (at least well paying jobs).
So I can see why you would want to relocate.

Some Japanese husbands do move away and leave the wife and kids (in order to make money), but they can manage when the company pays for their apartment or at least part of it.

My wife is sick of Tokyo and wants to go back to Kansai or at least relocate. Trouble is, I have to find another job first.
I think I would like to work in Osaka or Kobe, but I want to make sure I get paid decently.

Synne · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 269 Location: Tohoku

Id really say that the attitudes of Osaka ppl vary depending on their age group.

Most teenagers(20-25 in Japan it seems) are very talkative amongst each other...which is always nice, but can sometimes become annoying when it reaches the point that they dont really appear to be listening to anyone.

Most older women are very strong headed also and do not fear voicing their opinions like so many housewifes in other areas of Japan do.

These are just a few opinions I have come to with the Osaka ppl I have met, but on the whole Osaka ppl seem to relate with foreigners a lot better then most other Japanese.

Also Yamagata ppl I have found to be extremely kind and helpful.

Speed · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Shikoku Land

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

yeah, Japanese can generalize about each other.
What have I heard and read? Well,
Akita has the most beautiful women,
Kyushu people are good at making music,
Nagoya women spend too much money,
Osaka people are friendly but are noisy, etc.

Yeah, people have their opinions. In find in Tokyo that people think they have to conform to get by, so I think anyone that is very individualistic will have a tough time.

cevanne · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Osaka, Japan

I think the 'friendliest' stereotype probably comes from the use of Osaka-ben. They speak a more casual dialect here in Osaka than in other parts of Japan. They have some of their own vocabulary too, but alot of it is minor alterations to existing words. For example: wakarimasen becomes wakaranai to be more casual and then becomes wakarahen here in Osaka. Osaka-ben originated because they were (and still are) a port city of merchants and traders and thus had their own language that was more 'friendly' and casual. However, ask someone from Kyoto what they think of Osaka-ben and they will probably tell you that Osaka people are friendly but not polite and Osaka-ben is 'not good language'.

Mark · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 500 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Well, this topic has been broached before (and I think I broached it), so Jezza, you might want to do a search for the last time we ran through this as it was quite longer.

Anyway, in my experience, there's a big difference between Tokyo and Osaka. The Tokyo Metro area and the Osaka Metro area (including Kyoto, Nara and Kobe) have really different vibes. What's more, Tokyo ppl generally dislike Osaka, and Osaka ppl generally dislike Tokyo. They've got a bit of a rivalry.

Everyone has a different opinion, and some don't see a big difference between the 2, but my experience was that the difference was like night and day. I was really shocked when I went to Osaka as it was quite different.

Eleckid · Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 102 Location: Aichi, Japan

I just visited Osaka with my Tokyo friend last weekend. None of us had any stereotype to Osaka ppl (cuz we didn't know).

And YES we found out that the ppl in Osaka are super friendly & most of them try so hard to help you (we were lost most of the time). It's nice to see them answering us with a real friendly smile (not those fake robotic smiles). We felt that they were really down-to-earth.

That said, I'm not sure if they do have a strong mind, but maybe they do, cuz when I arrived at Shin Osaka station, I got body-checked so many times by the wave of ppl rushing to work. I was kinda shocked cuz I don't usually get that here (well cuz I live in a small suburb in Nagoya area). They just body-check me & not even looking back or say sumimasen. That's fine with me. And another thing is that when it's raining, women in my area (who forgot to bring an umbrella) would at least find something to cover their head, but in Osaka, I saw women (teens, young adults, adults) just walked or ran around without covering their head. At a point, I felt like they were a little like Koreans, as from my exp, they do push around & are strong minded but are true to their feelings, which I admire.

I didn't think the ppl in Osaka hated ppl in Tokyo, or vice versa. When the guy we asked for direction asked us where we're from, my friend said Tokyo, and he was like "Suge!" I didn't feel any discomfort from him, & my friend from Tokyo liked Osaka ppl a lot too.

And for "wakarahen", it's not only from Osaka ben, cuz ppl here (where I live, in Nagoya area) says it too. Perhaps we're close to Gifu, and the ben in Gifu is a little similar to Osaka ben (from what my J-friend told me). Do ppl in Osaka say "tabeyan" for "eat!"?

And anyone know why ppl in Osaka stand on the right side on an escalator? I've noticed that when I was there, but for other things like walking, it's still on the left..seems like it was only for standing in an escalator.

cevanne · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 36 Location: Osaka, Japan

As for the escalator thing a Japanese friend told me that it was because of the Expo in Osaka years ago. Apparently, they thought it was a good idea because of all the foreigners that were coming for the expo. So it's been that way since then. I'm not sure if this is a true story or not, but it could be Smile