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.
- Approximate centre
- 43.07°, 141.35°
Dialect comparison
Hokkaido-ben vs Tōhoku-ben
Compare two dialects of Japanese side by side — where they're spoken, what they're called, and how they relate.
Tōhoku dialect · Zūzū-ben
The dialects of north-eastern Honshu around Sendai. Distinguished by reduced vowel contrasts and merged sibilants — historically caricatured as "zūzū-ben".
- Approximate centre
- 38.27°, 140.87°
Keep exploring
Read the full picture of Japanese and the dialects within it.