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Regional Differences in Japan, for foreigners

 
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NorthofAmerica



Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 187
Location: Recovering Expat

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:26 am    Post subject: Regional Differences in Japan, for foreigners Reply with quote

Reading through another post someone was calling Japanese people "artificial" and pointed out that Osaka tended to be an exception. Coming from a country as mammoth as Canada one thing I have been surprised at in Japan is the strength of the regionalism. I have only been here for 3 months now but I find it incredible how strongly people identify with there area (have you noticed how rarely Japanese people move?)

The one thing I hear repeatedly is that Osaka and the Kansai area are particularly friendly by Japanese standards. Do you find this to be true? What other regional differences have you noticed?

Also, just like in Canada it seems pretty easy to get on people's good side by playing to their regional sentiments. In my terrible Japanese I often tell people I meet, "I like Kansai!" and it always seems to melt the ice.
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kdynamic



Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 10:53 am    Post subject: Re: Regional Differences in Japan, for foreigners Reply with quote

NorthofAmerica wrote:
The one thing I hear repeatedly is that Osaka and the Kansai area are particularly friendly by Japanese standards. Do you find this to be true?


Yes.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Reading through another post someone was calling Japanese people "artificial"

I think this could be said for quite a few other nationalities, but I would suspect that what that other person meant was the concepts of honne and tatemae.
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bshabu



Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 200
Location: Kumagaya

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Regional Differences in Japan, for foreigners Reply with quote

kdynamic wrote:
NorthofAmerica wrote:
The one thing I hear repeatedly is that Osaka and the Kansai area are particularly friendly by Japanese standards. Do you find this to be true?


Yes.


I agree too. I have lived in Kansai, Kanto and Chubu...not to mention all the places I have visited. The people in Kansai are the the direct, honest, and friendly folks I have meet in Japan. Maybe it's just me, but I have never heard"ohashi jozu desune" in Kansai. But, IMHO,people there speak their mind and will be more open and acccepting.Most of my best friendships where made in Osaka.
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TK4Lakers



Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 159

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:56 pm    Post subject: Ibaraki Reply with quote

It might be just me, but I've noticed and heard that Ibaraki-ken, mostly in the southern cities where I work, that the people can be quite rude and impolite.

The dialect too is a bit direct and sharp.

But it's true, Japanese residents seem to never leave their hometowns (or if they do, always seem to return) and take a lot of pride in it. I met a guy one night who absolutely loved it when I called him the city's "toochan (father)."
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6810



Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 309

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impoliteness is not confined to Ibaraki...

My experience in Japan is that since you have to be polite all the time, as par for the course, spontaneous courtesy and politeness are quite rare.

I was quite surprised on a trip to Oz last year to find how polite and courteous Aussies are in public. "Exuse me", "sorry" etc, with a smile, in an audible voice and often with (an apologetic looking/seeming) smile.

Here they crash into you at the local supermarket without even acknowledging your existence in order to reach in front of you to get one of the (500 or so remaining) 50 yen cheaper containers of yogurt.

That said, last week, the most genuinely (seeming) person I've met in public in Japan was a Buddhist nun on the train. With a smile (and in Japanese of course) she excused herself, asked if I minded her sitting next to me then said good evening. She noticed me shuffling my things before my stop, asked if I was getting off, let me out with a smile and said farewell.

Now that's just stylin. If I had my time over, I'd learn Japanese at a Monastery or convent. Nuns rule!

Meanwhile, as for regional differences.

Dialects do mark difference and cut through formal levels of politeness in my experience. I love the sound of Nagoya-ben when used by the pre- or immediate post-war generations. It has a real earthy warmth, understated confidence and humility. But maybe this says more about people of that age from this place than it does about the dialect...

However, contemporary speakers (twenties plus) sound uneducated, rough and rather plebian when they speak Nagoya-ben. Kids sound cool. Salarymen sound vile.

Personally, aside from Nagoya, I generally find that anywhere out of Tokyo is less ruthless and less impersonal.
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't really get the feeling that Japanese people stay put more than any other nationality. Tokyo, like any big city, is full of people who have moved in from rural areas or smaller cities. At least half of my Japanese friends were actually born in other prefectures- Osaka, Tochigi, Aichi, Kagawa etc and came to Tokyo for university or work.
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gaijin4life



Joined: 23 Sep 2006
Posts: 150
Location: Westside of the Eastside, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive found Tokyo people to be great, - friendly, interested and interesting.
Don`t know where the idea came from that Tokyo people are not friendly, its certainly not been my experience. Maybe its just a `big city people tend not to be so friendly` generalisation..

Although, even where Im workn now - which is not a big city and is nowhere near Tokyo (!) some of the nicest people Ive met (and who have become friends ..) are from Tokyo, or have lived there at some point.. !
- I dont know what this means, just thought Id add it to the discussion Very Happy
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kdynamic



Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Apsara wrote:
At least half of my Japanese friends were actually born in other prefectures- Osaka, Tochigi, Aichi, Kagawa etc and came to Tokyo for university or work.


Right. That's because you're in Tokyo.
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6810



Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 309

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kdynamic wrote:
Apsara wrote:
At least half of my Japanese friends were actually born in other prefectures- Osaka, Tochigi, Aichi, Kagawa etc and came to Tokyo for university or work.


Right. That's because you're in Tokyo.


beat me too it. Kinda like, duh...
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suppose I was responding to this post...

Quote:
But it's true, Japanese residents seem to never leave their hometowns


... which isn't my experience- I thought it was pretty obvious that rural people migrate to large cities too- or vice versa, as in the case of my parents-in-law.
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SeasonedVet



Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 236
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello there Aspara.
I think you are correct here:
Apsara wrote:
Quote:
Tokyo, like any big city, is full of people who have moved in from rural areas or smaller cities. At least half of my Japanese friends were actually born in other prefectures- Osaka, Tochigi, Aichi, Kagawa etc and came to Tokyo for university or work.

Alot of young people move from smaller cities and towns to bigger cities and towns. for jobs for nightlife for excitement.
Also salaried workers and other company workers are sometimes transferred for as long as 12 - 15 years into different prefectures.
However the OP's comment about:
Quote:
one thing I have been surprised at in Japan is the strength of the regionalism. I have only been here for 3 months now but I find it incredible how strongly people identify with there area (have you noticed how rarely Japanese people move?)

Is also true with the exception of all the other people who Do move because of job opportunities, transfers etc.
You will find that Kansai people are very proud to be from kansai and the same for people from Tokyo ( many of whom have migrated from other prefectures anyway)
I have met a few people from Tokyo who have moved to Osaka and preferred it. I have met one woman who moved to Osaka from Tokyo and said she was a bit surprised that the young sales assistant referred to her as "Onesan" She had to try to get used to Osaka.
I have met very very few people who have voluntarily moved from Kansai to Kanto without looking back. the ones I have met always say they are quite happy to be back in Kansai on holiday from their jobs in Tokyo.
As far as the regionalism thing is concerned, it might have to do with the fact that way back when, alot of people were confined to their respective areas ( thus giving rise to the variety of dialects in Japan)
That coupled with families and family registers and family businesses along with being proud of being from a particular area may be responsible for alot of people staying put. In addition there are proverbs in Japan for example ishi no ue ni mou san nen. proverbs like these are actually saying that the proverbial rolling stone that gathers no moss is not such a good thing in this country.
Seems like it's best to settle down where you are and gather some moss.
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gaijinalways



Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Often Japanese from other areas don't stay in Tokyo if they don't have to. Of course, work opportunities are better, but often they miss food, etc from home. Of course the younger women like the more available fashions in Tokyo.

Often many of them return to their home town, though they many do wait until retirement to do so. I can somewhat understand this, as I am not originally from a city either, but in my case, I am hardly eager to move back to my hometown. But I am also not a Tokyo lover either, more like a Tokyo tolerater Razz !
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nickelgoat



Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 207
Location: Where in the world is nickelgoat?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

.....
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