Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region (Tuttle Language Library) [Paperback]

D. C. Palter (Author), Kaoru Slotsve (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tuttle Language Library | Publication Date: February 15, 2006

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 Kansai-ben: a dialect said to be earthier and more direct. 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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

D.C. Palter resided in Kobe and Tokyo working as a fiction editor for the Abiko Quarterly before moving to Los Angeles.

Kaoru Slotsve lived in Kansai most of her life before recently moving to the United States.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Bilingual edition (February 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804837236
• ISBN-13: 978-0804837231
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #734,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oki ni, Parutaa-san, Kaori-san!, October 11, 2006

By 

C. Pieterek - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region (Tuttle Language Library) (Paperback)

"Colloquial Kansai Japanese" is an updated and expanded edition of Palter and Slotsve's classic "Kinki Japanese*". This book was the key that unlocked the mysteries taking place in everyday conversations during a homestay in Kyoto. It enabled me to answer a very polite cabdriver in Osaka about what I had done while in Osaka. Just the other day, I became friends with a Kyoto native who was really happy to hear my "Kyoto accent", although I spoke not a word of Kansai-ben!

I highly recommend this book to:

* anyone who will spend more than two weeks in the Kansai area, especially homestay students and company workers that will need to converse with homestay family members, colleagues, local merchants, and others.
* anime otaku who watch subs rather than dubs.
* Japanese students interested in dialects.

Since I can't seem to locate my battered copy of "Kinki Japanese" after moving, I'm going to pick up a copy of "Colloquial Kansai Japanese". It's that good.

*Don't laugh, "Kinki" has nothing to do with love hotels or hostess bars. "Kinki" refers to the time when the Kansai area was the political center of Japan, and "kinki" means "the neighborhood of the capital". For many years, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. I suggest you read The Tale of Genji or Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book to capture the flavor of that era's history.

Why the title change? At one time, Tuttle published two books on this subject, the other being Peter Tse's "Kansai Japanese". Tse's book is no longer in print.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Stuff..., December 16, 2006

By 

Yonatan (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region (Tuttle Language Library) (Paperback)

This book does a great job of looking at the Kansai area forms of Japanese. As a dialectology fan, I found this book entertaining. Explanations and examples are extremely detailed, and a large amount of different subject material is highlighted.

In addition to people who intend to interact with Kansai area speakers, I suggest this book to those who are interested in the dialects of Japan in general. Language is an ever-changing organism, and much of the original flavor of local dialects is forever being lost in many areas. This book goes beyond being practical in that sense, because even if Kansai-ben has been greatly eroded by Tokyo Japanese in the future, this book will be a surviving record of what used to be.

A good find.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Kansai-ben book out there, April 11, 2008

By 

Garrek Stemo (East Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region (Tuttle Language Library) (Paperback)

I'm a college student about to study abroad in the Kansai area and I was looking for a book that would help me to better understand the local dialect. This book is very well laid out and clearly explains the differences between standard Japanese and Kansai dialect and how to use them. There are plenty of examples that help the reader along the way.