Essay Dialect diversity By Samantha Loong	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
方言の多様性を大切に ニュージーランドの高校で日本語を勉強し、交換留学生として初めて訪れた日本の都市が大阪だったというサマンサ・ロンさん。 ホストファミリーの話す日本語が、教科書のそれとは大きく違ったことに初めは面食らったのだが、すぐに「大阪弁」を愛するようになったという。

"But you don't speak Osaka-ben," is often one of the first things people say to me when they find out that I used to live in Osaka. Then there are times when I'll say something that I think is standard Japanese, only to have someone express their surprise at my use of Osaka-ben.

My first experience of Osaka-ben was many years ago when, as a high-school exchange student in Osaka, I started a conversation with my host family. Although I had studied Japanese at my New Zealand high school for a number of years, after talking with my host family, I thought I had accidentally boarded the wrong plane and landed in a country other than Japan. The speed, intonation and vastly different vocabulary my host family were using were unlike anything I had learned in my textbook. It was fascinating, exciting and a little intimidating. For the next 12 months of my exchange, I decided to throw away my textbook and speak the way those around me were speaking. I grew to love, and more importantly to understand, the way Osaka people communicate. I have lived in Tokyo for just over two years now, and although I have grown accustomed to hearing standard Japanese everyday, whenever I catch the odd Osaka-ben speaker, I feel like my day has brightened somewhat.

You see, for me Osaka-ben adds a touch of pizzaz and flavor to the Japanese language. This view appears not to be shared by everyone. A Kansai friend of mine said that her parents grew up and worked in an age where they were told not to speak in their dialect when they were job hunting in Tokyo, as it could result in employers discriminating against them. This is very unfortunate, as it seems like such a waste not to showcase and be proud of the rich and diverse local customs, dialects and cultures that Japan has. These days, Osaka-ben has gained more acceptance, but for some Tokyo people I have met, even in this day and age, they still find it vulgar and threatening.

Having grown up in Malaysia and New Zealand, where the people around me would often be mixing languages and dialects, I find both truly fascinating. In a way, Tokyo is the perfect place to come into contact with dialects from all over Japan. However, the reverse seems to be true, as the culture and language of non-Tokyoites end up diluted in the capital's melting pot.

It's quite common to see television programs featuring a prefecture's specialty food, but not much focus is placed on the dialects of each region. I think it would be even more enriching to celebrate not only what goes into our mouths, but also what comes out.

Shukan ST: July 3, 2009

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