\uff3bContents\uff3d<\/h2>\n\n- 1.How do you say \u201cDepartment Store\u201d?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 2.What\u2019s so different about pushpins? Is it the shape? Or is it regional?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 3.Makku vs. Makudo\u2014Where to get your hamburgers<\/a><\/li>\n
- 4.Yuniba? Or USJ?\u2014The jury is split on what to call Kansai\u2019s biggest theme park<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5.Meat-filled steamed buns\u2014You say nikuman. I say butaman.<\/a><\/li>\n
- 6.Imagawayaki or kaitenyaki? There are so many names for this one sweet treat<\/a><\/li>\n
- 7.Would you order sashimi or otsukuri? Regional difference based on culture<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
1.How do you say \u201cDepartment Store\u201d?<\/h2>\n
Ok, starting with question number one!<\/p>\n
![\"Hanshin](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img01.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
This is a photo of Hanshin Department Store in Umeda, located just south of JR Osaka Station. It\u2019s famous for having an amazing selection of foods and ingredients, enough to impress the residents of this foodie city\u2014Osaka.
\nSo, what would you call a building like this in Japanese?
\nIn standard Japanese they are often called dep\u0101to<\/em>, but here in Kansai we call them hyakkaten<\/em>
\nWe have quite a few of them in Kansai\u2014Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Department Store, Daimaru Department Store. <\/p>\n2.What\u2019s so different about pushpins? Is it the shape? Or is it regional?<\/h2>\n
And on to question number two!
\nThose little things we use to put up posters or stick things to bulletin boards\u2014are they called gaby\u043e\u0304<\/em> or oshipin<\/em>???<\/p>\n![\"Japanese](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img02.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Well, so in standard Japanese these shiny pins here would be called gaby\u043e\u0304. And yes, when you see them in a store, they are sold as gaby\u043e\u0304. And some people in Kansai will call them gaby\u043e\u0304\u2026
\nBut what about these?<\/p>\n
![\"colorful](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img03.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Apparently people other parts of the country will call these gaby\u043e\u0304 too. I can\u2019t believe it.
\nFor me, a stylish looking pushpin is called just that\u2014oshipin\u2014which also happens to match the English term as well.
\nThere is a strong regional preference for what to call this useful office supply, but for me, it\u2019s mostly a matter of shape. If the thumbtack is flat on the end, I call it a gaby\u043e\u0304. If it has a rounded end, I call that an oshipin. What about you? Which Japanese word do you use?<\/p>\n
3.Makku vs. Makudo\u2014Where to get your hamburgers<\/h2>\n
And on to question three.
\nWhat do you call this?<\/p>\n
![\"McDonald\u2019s](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img04.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
You may have heard this before, but in Kansai, McDonald\u2019s is called Makudo<\/em>. In other parts of Japan, it is referred to as Makku<\/em>. But if you say the word \u201cMakku\u201d in Japanese, Kansai people will imagine a Mac computer.
\nOf course, nobody is silly enough to think you want to go grab a burger from your computer. And of course Kansai people know this is a regional difference so miscommunication isn\u2019t very likely. Everyone has heard the commercials before so people here know what \u201cMakku\u201d means.
\nOh, and I heard that in France, they also say, \u201cMakudo.\u201d I wonder if that\u2019s really true\u2026<\/p>\n4.Yuniba? Or USJ?\u2014The jury is split on what to call Kansai\u2019s biggest theme park<\/h2>\n
![\"Entrance](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img05.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Always ranking either number 1 or number 2 among Osaka\u2019s most popular attractions\u2014Universal Studios Japan! But what do you call it for short?
\nWell, there are those in Osaka who call it USJ. And then there are those who shorten it to Yuniba<\/em>, essentially the first three syllables of the name, but with Japanese pronunciation. And this version of the name is little known outside of Kansai, so it\u2019s safe to say this is a unique Kansai variation of the name.
\nSpeaking of communication mixups, a classic one is people who call USJ, UFJ and vice versa. We have a major bank called Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, which is frequently called simply UFJ\u2014or USJ when someone conflates the two.<\/p>\n![\"Japanese](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img06.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
It\u2019s funny to hear in conversation, but every now and then you\u2019ll catch someone saying something like, \u201cLast weekend my granddaughter went to UFJ. She had so much fun with her friends!\u201d
\nWho goes to the bank to have a good time?!?<\/p>\n
5.Meat-filled steamed buns\u2014You say nikuman. I say butaman.<\/h2>\n
And now, moving onto the topic of foods\u2026 What would you call this?<\/p>\n
![\"steamed](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img07.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
A nikuman<\/em>???
\nIn Osaka, this is a butaman<\/em>. In Kyoto, in Nara, even in Hyogo, everyone calls this a butaman. So for Kansai people, this is a butaman. But in the rest of the country, nikuman is the term flying around. I can hardly believe it.
\nApparently there are a number of theories on why this is the case. Among those, the most reasonable sounding one is that in Kansai the word niku<\/em> (meat) implies beef. And since these scrumptious steamed buns are filled with pork, not beef, they can\u2019t be nikuman. They are called butaman, since buta<\/em> means pork.
\nButaman are just one variety of the delicious steamed buns that came from China and are said to have been created by the Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor Zhuge Liang.
\nAnd people in Kansai love butaman! There is a really famous commercial for butaman from 551 that everyone here knows. And they will react with a smile and a frown too if you say the tagline \u201cGo-go-ichi ga aru toki. Nai toki.\u201d It literally means \u201cWhen you have 551. And when you don\u2019t.\u201d And it\u2019s tons of fun to see how people react to this phrase.<\/p>\n6.Imagawayaki or kaitenyaki? There are so many names for this one sweet treat<\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s the next one!<\/p>\n
![\"Imagawayaki,](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img08.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
What exactly is it? Well, that\u2019s a hard question to answer. It\u2019s sort of the Japanese sweet known by a hundred names.
\nI call them kaitenyaki<\/em>, but I have friends that say \u043e\u0304banyaki<\/em> and others that claim they are imagawayaki<\/em>. And yet there are even folks who call them gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304<\/em>. Actually the ones pictured here are definitely gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304, since I bought them at a store called Gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304.<\/p>\n![\"Imagawayaki,](\"https:\/\/maido-storage.oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com\/maido\/uploads\/2024\/04\/words-unique-to-kansai-img09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
There are so many variations in what to call these round filled cakes that I decided I had to look it up. And here are all the names I found:<\/p>\n
1.How do you say \u201cDepartment Store\u201d?<\/h2>\n
Ok, starting with question number one!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is a photo of Hanshin Department Store in Umeda, located just south of JR Osaka Station. It\u2019s famous for having an amazing selection of foods and ingredients, enough to impress the residents of this foodie city\u2014Osaka. And on to question number two! Well, so in standard Japanese these shiny pins here would be called gaby\u043e\u0304. And yes, when you see them in a store, they are sold as gaby\u043e\u0304. And some people in Kansai will call them gaby\u043e\u0304\u2026 Apparently people other parts of the country will call these gaby\u043e\u0304 too. I can\u2019t believe it. And on to question three. You may have heard this before, but in Kansai, McDonald\u2019s is called Makudo<\/em>. In other parts of Japan, it is referred to as Makku<\/em>. But if you say the word \u201cMakku\u201d in Japanese, Kansai people will imagine a Mac computer. Always ranking either number 1 or number 2 among Osaka\u2019s most popular attractions\u2014Universal Studios Japan! But what do you call it for short? It\u2019s funny to hear in conversation, but every now and then you\u2019ll catch someone saying something like, \u201cLast weekend my granddaughter went to UFJ. She had so much fun with her friends!\u201d And now, moving onto the topic of foods\u2026 What would you call this?<\/p>\n A nikuman<\/em>??? Here\u2019s the next one!<\/p>\n What exactly is it? Well, that\u2019s a hard question to answer. It\u2019s sort of the Japanese sweet known by a hundred names. There are so many variations in what to call these round filled cakes that I decided I had to look it up. And here are all the names I found:<\/p>\n
\nSo, what would you call a building like this in Japanese?
\nIn standard Japanese they are often called dep\u0101to<\/em>, but here in Kansai we call them hyakkaten<\/em>
\nWe have quite a few of them in Kansai\u2014Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Department Store, Daimaru Department Store. <\/p>\n2.What\u2019s so different about pushpins? Is it the shape? Or is it regional?<\/h2>\n
\nThose little things we use to put up posters or stick things to bulletin boards\u2014are they called gaby\u043e\u0304<\/em> or oshipin<\/em>???<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nBut what about these?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nFor me, a stylish looking pushpin is called just that\u2014oshipin\u2014which also happens to match the English term as well.
\nThere is a strong regional preference for what to call this useful office supply, but for me, it\u2019s mostly a matter of shape. If the thumbtack is flat on the end, I call it a gaby\u043e\u0304. If it has a rounded end, I call that an oshipin. What about you? Which Japanese word do you use?<\/p>\n3.Makku vs. Makudo\u2014Where to get your hamburgers<\/h2>\n
\nWhat do you call this?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nOf course, nobody is silly enough to think you want to go grab a burger from your computer. And of course Kansai people know this is a regional difference so miscommunication isn\u2019t very likely. Everyone has heard the commercials before so people here know what \u201cMakku\u201d means.
\nOh, and I heard that in France, they also say, \u201cMakudo.\u201d I wonder if that\u2019s really true\u2026<\/p>\n4.Yuniba? Or USJ?\u2014The jury is split on what to call Kansai\u2019s biggest theme park<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\nWell, there are those in Osaka who call it USJ. And then there are those who shorten it to Yuniba<\/em>, essentially the first three syllables of the name, but with Japanese pronunciation. And this version of the name is little known outside of Kansai, so it\u2019s safe to say this is a unique Kansai variation of the name.
\nSpeaking of communication mixups, a classic one is people who call USJ, UFJ and vice versa. We have a major bank called Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, which is frequently called simply UFJ\u2014or USJ when someone conflates the two.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nWho goes to the bank to have a good time?!?<\/p>\n5.Meat-filled steamed buns\u2014You say nikuman. I say butaman.<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\nIn Osaka, this is a butaman<\/em>. In Kyoto, in Nara, even in Hyogo, everyone calls this a butaman. So for Kansai people, this is a butaman. But in the rest of the country, nikuman is the term flying around. I can hardly believe it.
\nApparently there are a number of theories on why this is the case. Among those, the most reasonable sounding one is that in Kansai the word niku<\/em> (meat) implies beef. And since these scrumptious steamed buns are filled with pork, not beef, they can\u2019t be nikuman. They are called butaman, since buta<\/em> means pork.
\nButaman are just one variety of the delicious steamed buns that came from China and are said to have been created by the Chinese statesman, strategist, and inventor Zhuge Liang.
\nAnd people in Kansai love butaman! There is a really famous commercial for butaman from 551 that everyone here knows. And they will react with a smile and a frown too if you say the tagline \u201cGo-go-ichi ga aru toki. Nai toki.\u201d It literally means \u201cWhen you have 551. And when you don\u2019t.\u201d And it\u2019s tons of fun to see how people react to this phrase.<\/p>\n6.Imagawayaki or kaitenyaki? There are so many names for this one sweet treat<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\nI call them kaitenyaki<\/em>, but I have friends that say \u043e\u0304banyaki<\/em> and others that claim they are imagawayaki<\/em>. And yet there are even folks who call them gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304<\/em>. Actually the ones pictured here are definitely gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304, since I bought them at a store called Gozas\u043e\u0304r\u043e\u0304.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n