Kansai

The Japanese name for the region in the west of the island of Honshu which includes the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. The kansaijin are generally considered to be more laid-back and carefree than the more self-conscious Easterners from the Kantou region around Tokyo.

The dialect of the Kansai region, kansaiben, is very distinctive, Because it is associated with the happy-go-lucky kansaijin, it is often imitated by others, in a sort of fake dialect called nise kansaiben.

See also: manzai, Kantou

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