Japanese dialects and roughly corresponding American accents?

Question:

(I'm sorry if this has been asked before and that I don't sound like a typical pushy American. I'll delete it, if you want. *nervous*)

Which Japanese dialects do you think would correspond to which American regional accents?

Tokyo dialect and the Midwest accent are both considered standard, so that one's obvious, I guess. I'm lost on New York and the surrounding areas. The reputation for being aggressive and how well-known it is makes me think Kansai, but the confusing accents and how it goes from urban to rural and back again very quickly makes me think Touhoku.

What do you think? よろしければお願いします。m(___)m

Answer:

Southern US accent = Kyushu dialects particularly Hakata-ben
Brooklyn accent = Kansai particularly Osaka & the Yakuza accent


That's all I can think of. American accents aren't as diverse as Japanese dialects and accents. American accents all sound the same with the exception of strong Southern accents. Tohoku dialects like Akita and Kyushu dialects like Kagoshima (which is a notorious dialect) does not fall under any American accents.

Accents are different from Dialects by the way. So it's hard to compare.

Is it true that farting in public is acceptable in Japan?

Question:

I asked if there really were societies where public farting was ok (just like coughing) and someone answered Japan.

Wikepedia in the flatulence article said that public farting was acceptable in some societies (but didn't give any specific examples).

Answer:

No.

What are differences between Americas work ethic and Japans work ethic?

Question:

Answer:

Japanese people are like LIVE to WORK while Americans are WORK to LIVE.

Americans have so many luxuries and other necessities that aren't really needed hence many work to pay their credit cards, health insurances and mortgages.

Japanese are just obsessed with work. Some has like no life outside work. Their career is their life. They forget to chill & unwind (like my father). Retirement is not in the vocabulary of many Japanese elderly. At 80s, many still work.

Someone who speaks Japanese Translation help.?

Question:

I love Kana Nishino! I found an interview of her online, but I cannot understand it. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY_z1QTniUI&feature=feedlik
I dont need a translation word by word, but I would like to get an idea of whats going on.

Answer:

It's just an interview. The voice asks her questions on her everyday life. And she answers. More information requires translation of each question.

Who/where can I find the best YUKATA maker in all of Japan?

Question:

I've read many blogs prior to posting this. Alot of them direct me to online shops like Rakuten and Ichiroya.

But I'm asking where do they sell the best Yukata in the world, in terms of traditional craftmanship, customization, quality, and famous dyers.
Do tell.

Answer:

Ichiroya and Rakuten.

Seriously, I have bough yukata from all over, both in terms of internet shops and actual shops in Japan (including having one custom-made for me while living there) and they are all pretty much the same in terms of quality, craftsmanship, etc. If you want a designer yukata, your best bet is probably going to be Rakuten. Just keep in mind that if you aren't the same size as a typical Japanese person, it probably won't fit you properly. Also keep in mind that just because it's designer doesn't mean it's better (though spending more money might get you better quality, to a point -- you would want to make sure you're actually paying for quality, not just a designer name).

Who created the tokyo national museum?

Question:

I have gone to all of my search results for this topic, but none of them tell me who actually designed this building. Most of them are in japanese or travel guides

Answer:

initial design was by Kui Yung Min Lee

Will Japan come to have an exclusion zone around Daiichi; like the one the Ukraine has around Chernobyl?

Question:

Will Japanese horse meat (cherry meat) be irradiated like the water was?
Are the whales going to get sick from the radiation spilled into the ocean?
Is Japanese milk and ice cream healthy to drink and eat?

Answer:

There will almost certainly be an exclusion zone, the size of which depends upon what else happens before the place is entirely under control.

The whales will be okay.

The Japanese government has already cleared milk products from some of the neighboring prefectures.

What does the commentator on Iron Chef Japan keep saying to the cohost that sounds like squee-san?

Question:

He prefaces his sentences with some word that sounds like squee-san, e.g.:
"Squee-san,"
"Yes?"
"Is that butter?"

Answer:

it's Fukui-san (the guy's name!)

The commentary is delivered by Kenji Fukui and Yukio Hattori

Details can be viewed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Chef

You Guys Know of Free Japanese Stuff?

Question:

Are there or do you know any sites tht gives free samples or products from japan away for free. i mean like kawaii (cute) stuff not like boring buisness papers :P actually, yes ill take anything from Japan, but yeah mainly kawaii stuff plz! thanks guys! Ten points to the bestest one :P:P Come on, havent u wanted free Japanese stuffies?<3 =O.O=

Answer:

Ask on an Otaku site; I'm sure users there know where to best direct you.
Your question is anything but kawaii.

What are some common Japanese pastime activities?

Question:

So far, I can only think of anime/manga, baseball, j-pop, and karaoke.

Answer:

japanese girls will often answer "shopping and sleeping"

but the big cultural thing is IZAKAYA, japanese bars! people go with friends, coworkers, student clubs, and often get 2 or 3 hr drinking plans where they can drink unlimited amounts of alcohol for about $40. japanese ppl always eat while they are drinking too.

another thing is onsen (hot springs). EVERYONE goes, it doesn't matter age or gender. they go to relax, time out, enjoy nature etc.

younger people will often do purikura (photo booth) with cute poses and doodling on it.

there are also season-specific events, like hanami (flower viewing) of the cherry blossoms in the spring, mochi tsuki (making rice cake 'mochi') for new years, and fireworks in the summer

Bad timing to go Japan now?

Question:

I have been separated with my girlfriend for 6 months now and the thing is, she is in Tokyo, Japan. With the crisis going on right now, I don't know whether I should be going there or not. The media is manipulated and I don't know which is true.
She did say it is getting worse over there but she wants to see me too. It's quite contradicted.
Is there anyone here familiar with nuclear crisis? Is it encouraging for me to stay there for 1 month?

Answer:

We don't have radiation problem in Tokyo.

Moving to Japan for college?

Question:

First of all, I'm thirteen years old and live in the United States. I was born and raised here, but have always been interested in Japanese culture. Right now I'm planning to finish up middle school and high school here, and move to Japan for college. So far I've always gotten good grades and am planning on working hard in high school so I can get into a good college. I'm not sure which college I'd like to attend, but I figure I have plenty of time to figure that part out. I wouldn't mind moving to a smaller town in Japan rather than a large city like Tokyo. Also, I'm starting to learn Japanese now and, if needed, my mother says she would pay for a private tutor to get me speaking fluently by the time I turn eighteen.
What I really need to know is: What would the prices of everything be? I've heard of what is a Key Rent, or something? Also, should I start saving now, if it will be expensive? Will I be able to get a job while I am attending college?
Another thing: I'm vegetarian, will this be a problem in finding foods in Japan? In America, I'm fine living off of fake meat, beans, rice, pasta, veggies, and ramen. Will I be able to find all of those in Japan?
Any other information would be a great help to me. I know it seems a bit soon to be worrying about all this, but I'd like to be prepared for when I go. :)
Thank you in advance for your answers! :D

Answer:

So far the answers have been weird.

If you are interested in Japan be prepared. First things first, you need to learn to speak Japanese. Best to start now. :P

Learning Japanese takes about 4-5 years to be fluent.

You also have to be accepted into the Japanese school, pay for it, and then get a Student visa to travel to Japan, I wont give you detail on how to get, because this is in the future, rules can change.

The cost of school can be anywhere between 15,000$ - 60,000$ depending on what you are taking.


If you move to Osaka Japan, you can find a lot of houses with very cheap rent, about 200$ for an appartment. Some appartments charge key fee, some don't. Some cities in Japan have really cheap rents, some don't.

Yes, start saving now. The more money you have the better. You not only have to have lots of money to pay, in order to get visa, you need to show that you actually have enough to support yourself while your stay + it will cost quite a bit.

You might be able to get a job, but it depends on your visa that you get. You will have to see at that time.


Veggitarianism isn't very popular in Japan. But you never know by the time you go there. Most people right now don't know what it is though. They do have the same food you can find here, just Japanese brands.

Heres a website to help you learn Japanese


http://www.123japanese.com

- Teaches full Japanese lesson free
- Polite, Casual and slang Japanese (all Japanese)
- Fully explains lessons
- Teaches kanji and kana aswell
- Has video lessons
- Books, vocabulary lists and a forum to help you learn

They also have a youtube channel
http://www.youtube.com/123japanesecom



http://www.japanesepod101.com

- Has many lessons
- unfortunately not free, you only get 1 week free trial (but just keep signing up with fake email)
- Teaches polite and casual Japanese


http://www.maggisensei.com

- It teaches random lessons
- Detailed lessons on wide variety of topics
- Casual and polite Japanese

Japan's neuclear problems and godzilla?

Question:

Do you think with all the reactors going off in japan it may awake godzillas homies from their slumber & possibly make them stronger, furthering japans issues. And how can we stop godzillas chums?

Answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr26p3hIg…

What is Japan's position on the world stage?

Question:

Answer:

middle of the stage and slightly to the right, right next to the United States and Brazil

How do you say/write -I came from... in Japanese?

Question:

Answer:

"I came from ....." is "...... から来ました。" " ..... kara kimashita".
"出身です"　is to mention your birth place, or origin.

All the Japanese '--dere terms? (Tsundere...etc)?

Question:

And what they mean!

Answer:

tsundere is someone who treats the person he likes, sometimes coldly but some other times warmly.

There are not many terms with -dere.

Another one is yandere. This is someone who loves someone so much that he's going insane.

What does Japan make that the US has?

Question:

I'm looking for specific .. objects.. things and such like the Toyota? Some certain game stations? Name as much as you can please and thaaaaank you :) ♥

Answer:

Sony(all the appliances, incl. PlayStation, Vaio), Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, Japan's big three: Toyota-Scion(Lexus), Nissan(Infiniti), and Honda(Acura) Fuji Film(the camera and stuff), Pioneer, (forgot the other audio brands), Kawasaki, Nintendo, car parts/accessories (can't think of any right now), Toyo tires, Yokohama tires, Khumo tires, the California rolls, Sharp, Toshiba, Sanyo, the t.v/entertainment stuff made from those brands, cell phones that had to do with those brands too, the computers too, sorry that's all I know.


There better not be somebody naming Korean products such as LG, Samsung, Hyundai, etc as a Japanese brand! >.< jk of course you guys wouldn't lol

Area52: Oh, just pull the broomstick out ya butt, will ya?

Are there any websites on the internet that can teach Japanese for free?

Question:

Answer:

http://www.yesjapan.com/YJ6/
this has some good stuff but not everything is free but i've learned a lot.

http://www.japanesethroughanime.com/
OMGosh this is one of my fav websites right now for learning Japanese. I recommend signing up for the memebership because it is free, and if you have the membership you get to watch his first episode free if this class he created. Here's the link http://japanesethroughanimeclass.com/lesson1/
ohh i totally forgot there is also an introduction http://japanesethroughanimeclass.com/introduction/
and for the first link i gave you to get the rest of the episodes just change the address a little by deleting the "1" and putting "2" ect.. Um the only thing is you won't get the worksheets for epsiodes 2 and on.

youtube.com is also a great place to learn Japanese you just need to know the right places to look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_79-GksKQsQ&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SP25E911872AEAC8B2 this is the first episode and also the playlist for greetings and questions this user also has more videos teaching japanese and they are very helpful. Umm this is also a pretty good video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYiEcPEZS2U&feature=relmfu and they also have a lot of good videos.

I hope this helps :D

How can someone avoid being "touristy" while visiting Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Being a long term resident of Japan, I've seen my fellow Americans and other non-Japanese tourists through a different perspective. What I am impressed by is that most young people in their 20's, 30's, 40's who are traveling in a group of two or three or four, are very good tourists. They are respectful, well-behaved, knowledgeable and secure stuff like rooms online before the trip, and they don't make asses of themselves. From Europe, South Africa, Australia, US, Canada, Russia, wherever. Savvy travelers.

Now when I've seen families (American, sadly), I have seen lots and lots of "bad tourist behavior".
1. Not controlling the volume of one's voice. STFU!!!!!
2. Demanding English speaking, being critical of English-speaking waitress. "Your English sucks." (speak Japanese douchebag!!)
3. Letting ones kids run around and knock stuff over in gift shops.
4. Making insult statements in English about a restaurant where everyone speaks English "This Japanese tea tastes like dog piss." (in a very loud voice)
5. Saying Racist or mean things, or letting your kids do it. "Cool this is the city that the US Army Nuked! That must have been so cool to see in real life." (A good way to get your *** kicked)

So whenever I see a family, no I take that back. I hear them first. Everytime I've been to Miyajima, the "floating torii" that is a huge tourist attraction, I always hear at least two or three bad tourist families saying things that I listed above. It's always families, and sadly for me, almost always American. So the trick is to do the opposite:

1. Be polite and gracious, accept offers of food or something if a chef brings out his specialty.
2. Practice a little Japanese before going, or even on the plane. Even if its just a few words, it shows you care.
3. If you go somewhere like Miyajima, and all the tourists are eating in one restaurant, go to a different one. This applies to towns, hotels, restaurants and everything else. There are lots of small tourist attractions that are not visited by foreigners so much.
4. Go to small villages off the tourist area, and hike around the countryside. That may be the most interesting and enjoyable thing to do in a trip to Japan. In Shikoku, there is a pilgrimage to 88 shrines or temples across the island. Maybe you could do that, stopping at temples, and meeting pilgrims along the way. (Lots of Japanese people do this.)
5. Always be polite with locals, but don't let them take liberties with you you may not be comfortable with. If some tries to give you a diamond necklace and invites you to spend the summer at their house, well, creepy sensors should go off in your head.

What is Canada's reputation in Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Canada has a good reputation as a peaceful nation in Japan.

What is the Japanese ideal of beauty?

Question:

Answer:

Well the trend now of beauty is looks of AKB48, SNSD & KARA. Many girls follow their styles. It's all about looking young and fresh. Google them for pictures.
Concept of beauty in Japan changes, there's no basic or standard look. It's all about making your own style and standing out. Or you'll end up looking like one of the clones, and that's a baddd thing.

What does the term "Prefecture" mean?

Question:

Answer:

It's an administrative division of Japan. If this does not make sense then regard it as something along the line with a province of Canada. Currently, there are 47 of them. Many of them roughly represent old countries of Japan, however it usually contains two or three old countries inside. Usually people from different prefectures have different cultural backgrounds and speak in different accents. Also, many people are proud of prefectures they are from.

What is your favourite Japanese city?

Question:

Answer:

My favorite city, is my hometown Fukuoka. It's diverse (rural & urban), laidback, the cleanest city in Japan & has the best weather. Our food is also famous and our accent & dialect is famous too.
Outside Fukuoka, my second favorite is Sapporo. It's clean, less crowded & has beautiful landscapes.

How much do the Japanese accept foreigners?

Question:

Answer:

Generally, Japanese are very welcoming to tourist. Japanese hospitality is renowned all over the world. If you visit restaurants & shop, they'll greet you and be polite to you. But if you live here as a foreigner, it would be different. Some may avoid you. But there'll be also that will help you.

Why is the lifespan in Japan longer than America?

Question:

Answer:

Japan has a good healthcare system. The people exercise regularly and have a healthier diet with more naturals foods instead of processed foods.

Why is Japan so technologically advanced compared to North America?

Question:

Answer:

Japanese people have worked very hard to develop technologies. That's why.

Spending money for a two-person non-touristy Tokyo trip?

Question:

My friend and I are planning a trip to Tokyo sometime within the next year. We already have an idea of what our initial expenses will be. (flight, accommodation, passport, etc...) What we're still unsure of is how much spending money will be enough for us to enjoy ourselves (food, transport, and general purchases). I hear Tokyo is an expensive place to go, yet we are planning this outing as more of an adventure, rather than a cozy vacation. We plan on eating at cheaper restaurants, making heavy use of the vending machine drinks, and avoiding most of the touristy attractions. We want to spend 7 days exploring Tokyo on the streets. We obviously want to be comfortable and not have to worry about running out of money but I haven't found anyone explaining a good budget for something not quite a luxurious vacation. Thanks for any help. :)

Answer:

if flight and accomodation are covered then you need to look at all the rest:

- eating: food can run you as little as 1500 Yen per day (Ramen, bento at the local convenience store, guy-don, etc.) but henstly you should look at spending on the occasional decent meal (assume 3000 Yen per person)
- vending machine drinks sell drinks at the same price as convenience stores. For example, a can of Coke costs the same in all stores and you may actually find it a little cheaper in some discount stores. Vending machines are just for convenience not for "savings"
- Exploring tokyo on the streets: Tokyo is pretty huge and walking everywhere, although doable, will really limit your ability to see lots of places. Assume subway transportation for about 500 Yen per day per person. Many places have a small entrance fee and some are free. You should still plan on some spending there
- Transportation from airport to hotel: assume 3000 Yen one way
- general purchases: will greatly depend on what you buy and where

Do you plan on going out? (e.g. bars?) Do you intend on seeing something outside of central Tokyo? how about the famous sites (Disneyland, Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji? Harajuku? Shibuya? etc.)

if you are **really** frugal I guess 20 thousand Yen per person will cover you easily for the 7 days but you'd better plan on 50 thousand per person to cover a couple of nice dinners, some souvenirs and the occasional "splurge"

What does 外す mean and how does it compare to..?

Question:

取り出す
脱ぐ
抜く
取り除く
解雇する

Which all seem to mean remove? When is one used over another?

ありがとうございます

Answer:

外す　hazusu mean "not hit" , verbose of "out".

Mainly use for "switch off".

取り出す take out ,is not 外す. normaly use , 取り外す　(remove)
脱ぐ take off , is not 外す. use for remove necktie is ok. remove button.
抜く take out is ok .
取り除く remove is ok.
解雇する fire is not 外す . Slip away 席を外す。

どう致しまして。　You are welcome.

see example at this japanese english dictionaly

How do Japanese men treat Sex?

Question:

i asked about getting a j-boyfriend in a previous post. So, if I find my J-boyfriend what are their ideas about sex (are they much conservative? actually i dont believe in sex unless we love each other- but we could fall in love, so would he be very shy and against sex in that case?). How serious are Jmen? I dont want to date for "Fun" I would look at him as a potential marriage partner .. (Im so old fashioned in thinking). Do J-men kiss quickly? touch quickly? and ... is is true about ... down there?

please im just asking out of curiosity! if i dont ask i can't know.

thank u.

Answer:

It depends on each guy what kind of value he's got on sex. There is no general answer.

>How serious are Jmen?

It depends on each guy. But generally, Japanese guys want serious relationship.

>I would look at him as a potential marriage partner

Well, more and more Japanese men are getting reluctant to get married now. So it's not easy to find a husband among Japanese guys. One thing you have to do is, to ask the guy whether he really wants to get married in his life, either before you start dating or soon after start dating like within 6 months.

But some guys would lie on this point because he wants to keep you as GF even if he does not want to get married.

>Do J-men kiss quickly? touch quickly?

What do you mean by quick? Is there any speed of kissing?

>is is true about ... down there?

You didn't say anything about "down there". So I can't say if it's true or false.

Even tho wat happend can i still move to japan?

Question:

i want to move here bc i want to do manga and anime oh and make japanese movies even tho amican i love the japanese culter

Answer:

With your grammar and spelling, I think you'd be hard pressed to even find a job in America, let alone Japan.

UK earthed plug in Japan?

Question:

I have bought a travel adapter for using my UK equipment in Japan. But my adapter forbids use with an earthed UK appliance. My netbook cable is earthed. Would a replacement Japanese cable work fine with a UK machine?

Answer:

don't worry and use the adapter you have.

The "earthed" plug is effectively useless on a laptop as your adapter is effectively switching AC voltage to DC voltage for the laptop to use.

Generally speaking, do you think a Chinese or Japanese woman is more aggressive?

Question:

Answer:

Chinese...

Im from japan n i have a fiancee from india i want to go india from japan n iwant to know how to get a visa?

Question:

is it easy to get visa for going india from japn pls help me im really want to see my fiancee

Answer:

Your fiancee has to fill out the papers and then those papers will be sent to you.

Where to buy J-Fashion online?

Question:

Where can I buy J fashion online which ships to other countries?
NO i dont mean anime clothes. Just regilar J-clothes.
I like their hippy/layer look clothes.

Answer:

There are millions of clothes in Japan. Not many stores ship internationally.

Well, you can find something on Rakuten anyway.
http://global.rakuten.com/en/?l-id=os_to…

Where can I get survival kit / go-bag in Tokyo?

Question:

Answer:

I don't know what kind of survival kit you are talking about. But you can go to Tokyu Hands in Shinjuku or Shibuya. They have a lot of products. So they must have survival kits.

Addition:
I think you can find what you want at Tokyu Hands or Loft which is also in Shibuya. I'm not sure if you can find all of them. But at least you can find some.

How to get a Japanese boyfriend?

Question:

I live in the USA and I want to know where can I find a Japanese b.f? I love Japanese guys style and looks but I see only a few Japanese in my area and they are always with other Japanese and mostly have Japanese girlfriends. Are they scared to speak English? (they are in the usa, i dont understand) are J men shy? Where can I find a single cute english speaking j-boy???!

I do not want a Japanese-American. only Japanese.

Answer:

People might disagree but I don't think there's anything wrong with only wanting to date a Japanese man IF it's for the right reasons.

While it's true you can't generalize everyone into one category, each person is unique- there are some factors which would attract certain people to only Japanese (or only such-and-such men/women). If you just want a Japanese boyfriend because you have some warped view of Japan and Japanese ... it's not a good reason. I saw some of your other questions and it seems you really want to move to Japan, so (Im not saying it's true!) I'm hoping you don't want a Japanese boyfriend in order to get to Japan or some such thing.

I only date Korean men. I've never had a b.f of another nationality- I live in Korea, I have mainly Korean friends, I'm attracted to Korean men and I've never had problems dating Korean men -- so from a cultural aspect (As I'm not one of the foreigners who's views myself as an American in Korea, but rather I've assimilated to Korean life), Korean men are who I date. But it's not as if I would just date any Korean man who came along .. (Which I'm sorry but that's what it sounds like w/ you and this quest for a Japanese man...)

Just a thought.

Edit:// + Honestly, liking a certian race isn't really any different than people who stick only to their own race, or only date blondes. It's nothing more than a preference.

What is the best way to travel to the Okinawa Aquarium?

Question:

Hello! I will be vacationing in Tokyo Japan. But I would love to go to the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa. What is the best way to get there? Do I need to spend a night there? -Thomas

Answer:

Yes, flight is the best and only way to travel from Tokyo to Okinawa.

Flight time will be 3 hours or so. You can go there and come back without staying a night. But it's better to have one night there. It's more comfortable.

Is Testosterone medication available in Japan?

Question:

I have hypogonadism and suffer from pretty low testosterone. Therefore i take Testosterone in order to keep my levels normal and feel energized, etc. I plan on going to japan soon for at least a year teaching english and was curious if anyone knows if its possible to get androgel, Testim, or any of the creams over there in japan from the doctors over there. If not the creams what about the injections? any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer:

it is available but most forms require a prescription. Unlike the US, it is not sold over the counter but you may be able to find some at health food stores.

I'm an Australian and I want to move to Japan, would I need a degree or have to be a certain age?

Question:

I'm currently 17 years old and my friend and I both really want to move to Japan. I've noticed a lot of people saying that moving to Japan is a bad idea but it is something we would like to do. Therefore I was hoping I could get some information from other Australians or foreigners that have moved to Japan. Specifically if I would need a degree in order to get a job, if I have to be 20 (someone said I would) and also just how difficult it was. Thank you. :)

Answer:

Homer pretty much summed it up for you. You have to have a college degree and some sort of skill that is needed, a skill that a Japanese person can't do. Like it or not, the Japanese applicant will get the job before you do.

So, how difficult? Very. Impossibly so for you in your current situation.

Regarding Japanese online shops?

Question:

Could anyone please name any Japanese websites/online shops that cell manga/light novels and that allow payments by PayPal? And ship overseas, of course.
Websites I know but they do not work for me:
Bk1.jp
Amazon.co.jp
HMV
CDJapan, YesAsia (non-Japanese)

Answer:

http://en.rakuten.co.jp/
manga? OK!
light novels? OK!
PayPal? OK!!!