I’m a native Japanese from Osaka.After studying in the UK, Malta and Ireland, working in Paris for about 1.5 years as a Japanese teacher, and now spending time in Switzerland, I noticed something interesting.
Many Europeans told me things like:“Japanese people don’t really use sarcasm.”or
“Japanese people don’t talk to strangers on buses or trains.” like this.
But every time I heard that, my reaction was always:“Wait… people do that all the time.”At least in Osaka…In Osaka it’s not unusual to talk to strangers while waiting for the bus, or to make jokes with people you just met. Communication is very direct and playful.
Sarcasm also exists, but it’s different. It’s usually more obvious and comedic. Kyoto sarcasm is like elegant poison, but Osaka sarcasm is more like a punchline.Because of that, I sometimes feel that Osaka culture is surprisingly easier for Europeans to understand than Tokyo style communication.
I’m actually thinking of hosting a small 30-minute online session about Osaka communication style and dialect, because many Japanese learners say Kansai Japanese is confusing.
Would anyone here be interested?
by AgreeableDog1634