Ask John: What’s the Significance of the Osaka Accent?

Question:
Looking at several anime series, and translated Tokyo TV broadcasts, I am puzzled over the references to the Osaka region. In Cardcaptor Sakura, Kerberos speaks with an “Osaka” accent, and in Battle Athletes Victory, Itchan speaks an Osaka dialect. What makes the Osaka region unique, and how does the rest of Japan view the region? Is it like how California (the land of fruits and nuts) is viewed by the rest of the US?

Answer:
Beside the examples you’ve mentioned, a few other anime characters that speak with an Osaka inflection include Li Kouran of Sakura Taisen, “Kitsune” Konno and Koala Suu of Love Hina, Tasuki of Fushigi Yuugi, Kiiro Iijima of Iczerion, Nicholas Wolfwood of Trigun, Tarta and Tatra of Rayearth, Matsuko and Shige of Tonari no Yamada-kun, Touji Suzuhara of Evangelion, Ten from Urusei Yatsura, Tomoko Hoshina of To Heart, Momiji of Yamamoto Yohko, and Aiko of Ojamajo Doremi.

The southeastern Osaka/Kansai region of Japan is historically and cultural important as the first Japanese capital, and as the second largest center of Japanese population, second only to the Tokyo area. Japan is filled with numerous regional dialects including “Tokyo-ben,” “Tohoku-ben,” and “Osaka-ben.” While most Japanese natives will be familiar with “Tokyo-ben,” considered “standard” spoken Japanese, regional dialects may have individual pronunciation, and even diction distinct to themselves. For example, the standard Japanese “thank you” of Tokyo-ben is “arigatou,” but in the Osaka dialect it is “ookini.” And the commonly heard platitude “maa maa,” meaning “so-so,” is “bochi bochi” in the Osaka dialect. Thus “Osaka accent” isn’t exactly appropriate. Relative to the standard Japanese spoken in Tokyo, Osaka-ben is almost an entirely different language.

The Kansai region is often associated with industry and business, and as a result, yakuza and organized crime. Ironically, a vast majority of Japan’s comedians also hail from the Osaka area. As a result, people from Osaka are often stereotyped as being either intimidating or funny. Prime examples of these stereotypes include the intimidating “bancho-styled” Momiji of especially the Yamamoto Yohko TV series, and the course, rough-hewn personalities of Tasuki from Fushigi Yuugi and Wolfwood of Trigun; and also the light-hearted and comic characters of Kouran from Sakura Taisen and Kasuga “Osaka” Ayumu of Azumanga Daioh.