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 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".
- Spoken in
- Approximate centre
- 38.27°, 140.87°
How to read this comparison
Which one to learn
Start with Hokkaido-ben or Tōhoku-ben based on the community, country, or media you expect to use most.
Mutual understanding
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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.DialectTōhoku-benThe dialects of north-eastern Honshu around Sendai. Distinguished by reduced vowel contrasts and merged sibilants — historically caricatured as "zūzū-ben".CompareHakata-ben vs Hokkaido-benAtlasExplore the atlasRead the full picture of Japanese and the dialects within it.