Advice about Kansai
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Kansai Kyoto ben (Kansai Kyoto dialect)
I was born in Kyoto and raised up in Shiga (next to Kyoto). As I lived in Kansai area until I decided to move to Tokyo for job change when I was 30, people can tell I am from Kansai after talking with me for a while :-)As I was working as a sales back then, I tried not to sound too Kansai perso…(211 words)
EmiOnishi
“Hina-arare” - Grilled bits of rice cake for the Girls' Festival
“Hina-arare” are sweet rice cakes eaten for the Girls’ Festival on March 3. There are mainly two kinds depending on what they are made of; glutinous rice and ordinary rice. Kanto people are more familiar with the one made of ordinary rice while Kansai people are more familiar with glutinous rice on…(76 words)
OKAKI-sun
Setsubun - Ehomaki culture
"Setsubun" is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan and it's on February 3rd every year. A long sushi roll is eaten on the night of Setsubun while facing toward the year's "lucky" direction. This custom originally started in the Kansai area. With your eyes closed, we wish for perfect …(184 words)
EmiOnishi
"Gomatamago" - Tokyo sweet souvenir
You may not know it yet but one of the Tokyo "omiyage" you want most is the gomatomago. Goma means sesame seed and tamago means egg. Literally it is a sesame seed egg. It's a Tokyo specialty and previously available only at Tokyo Station. However, as it is getting popular, you can find it some othe…(164 words)
EmiOnishi
Wi-Fi for travelers in Japan: At the airport (1 of 2)
With the ubiquity of smartphones nowadays, the first thing many travelers want to do when reaching their destination is turn on and check in. Whether it is a mail to a loved one or boss, a check in with Facebook or Foursquare or a quick look at the news, flipping on your device and logging on is a…(422 words)
jdlawrence
What are popular? Usually the latest. Where can you get them? Usually everywhere.
Japan is full of electronics - whether it be in areas known as clusters of electronics-oriented shops like Akihabara in Tokyo or Nipponbashi in Osaka, in stores specializing in electrical and electronic products (Denki or Denka Seihin) like DeoDeo (Hiroshima-based nationwide outlet), Joshin Denki …(185 words)
Mike's
Just a tad to remember
Soy sauce, or shoyu, is one of Japan's most important condiments. It is used more in Kanto (around Tokyo) than in Kansai (around Osaka), but it is used throughout Japan. it is usually on the table in most restaurants and in every home. The most important thing to remember when using soy sauce is…(108 words)
mikekato
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle in Kansai (an hour or so from Osaka) is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the most visited castle in Japan FOR A REASON- in my opinion the most impressive man-made site to see in the country. Learn about Japanese history, architecture and aesthetic culture in one place, and think of h…(82 words)
Scandi-La
Candies!
Some Japanese people always have some candies in their bags and pockets. They are good when you get tired and they can quench your thirst too. You can always give away a little sweet present too– one of very convenient communication tools. This is a well-known fact especially in Kansai area!(51 words)
OKAKI-sun
Yatsuhashi
If you get a chance to visit Kyoto, you can find Yatsuhashi here and there at almost every souvenir shops. It is one of the best known regional products of Kyoto. Growing up in Kansai, there was a time I got actually a bit tired of this too popular sweets as a kid, but now I sometimes feel like…(134 words)
EmiOnishi
nature airliner
nature airliner emerged as a husband-and-wife folk duo in the summer of 2010, when Japanese photographer Eiko Hosaka Tiernan (vocals) and Canadian musician Laurier Tiernan (guitar) joined forces to start playing unplugged shows of Laurier's unreleased songs which suited Eiko's voice. The first sing…(183 words)
Laurier Tiernan
Monja Town
If you want an Tokyo "Shitamachi" experience, go to Monja Town near Tsukishima Station on the Yurakucho Line. You will find over 200 small shops that serve a Tokyo specific culinary wonder: monja. It is a delicious mix of vegetables and meats cooked on a hot table. Now a meal with beer, monja used …(71 words)
Sweet42.195
Sentence endings
In Japan, there is a wealth of dialects, and they tend to act upon specific aspects of the language. For the most part, nouns, adjectives, and verb roots will not have much variance between dialects, if any. Many changes however occur to sentence endings. Japanese in all dialects adds slight fl…(134 words)
KurtisW
left or right?
In Tokyo (the Kanto area, generally speaking), people stand on the left side of the escalator, however, in Oaska (the Kansai area), most tend to stand on the right side of the escalator.(33 words)
cwljwc
Football teams
I think many cheerleaders, according to the Texan definition, are quite visible at football events in Japan (which seems to be more popular in Kansai from my feel of things, with Kyoto University being a "powerhouse")(36 words)
Mike's
Yoshimoto comedy theater in Shinjyuku
If you ask your Japanese friend "Who is the funniest comedian in Japan?"Lots of people answer comedian from Yoshimoto Talent management company.Yoshimoto is the biggest Japanese comedy company in Japan and Lot's of comedian are from Osaka. Why? Because of Osaka(Kansai) area is well-known for se…(104 words)
yukorose