The variety spoken across Hokkaido. A relatively young dialect shaped by 19th-century settlement, mostly close to Standard Japanese but with Tōhoku and coastal influences.
- Spoken in
- Approximate centre
- 43.07°, 141.35°
Dialect comparison
Hokkaido-ben vs Kyoto-ben
Compare two dialects of Japanese side by side — where they're spoken, what they're called, and how they relate.
Kyō-kotoba · Kyoto dialect
The Kyoto variety of Kansai Japanese. Historically the prestige speech of the imperial court, marked by softer cadence, distinct honorific forms, and a long literary heritage.
- Spoken in
- Approximate centre
- 35.01°, 135.77°
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Which one to learn
Start with Hokkaido-ben or Kyoto-ben based on the community, country, or media you expect to use most.
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DialectHokkaido-benThe variety spoken across Hokkaido. A relatively young dialect shaped by 19th-century settlement, mostly close to Standard Japanese but with Tōhoku and coastal influences.DialectKyoto-benThe Kyoto variety of Kansai Japanese. Historically the prestige speech of the imperial court, marked by softer cadence, distinct honorific forms, and a long literary heritage.CompareHakata-ben vs Hokkaido-benAtlasExplore the atlasRead the full picture of Japanese and the dialects within it.