Hyōjungo · Standard Japanese
The Tokyo-area variety that forms the basis of Standard Japanese (Hyōjungo). Carried nationwide by broadcasting, education, and government use.
Kyoto-ben
Also known as: 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Kyoto-ben?
Kyoto-ben is a dialect of Japanese.
Which region is Kyoto-ben associated with?
Kyoto-ben is part of the East Asia region on DialectAtlas.
Is Kyoto-ben known by other names?
Yes — Kyoto-ben is also referred to as Kyō-kotoba, Kyoto dialect.
What are the other dialects of Japanese?
Japanese also includes Tokyo Japanese, Kansai-ben, Hakata-ben, Tōhoku-ben, Hokkaido-ben, Hiroshima-ben, Nagoya-ben. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Japanese dialects
See on the atlas →Kansai dialect · Kinki dialect · Osaka-ben
The major dialect group of the Kansai region, with Osaka as its modern centre. Strongly distinct from Tokyo Japanese in pitch accent, copula forms, and idiom. Kyoto-ben is treated separately here.
Fukuoka dialect
The dialect of Fukuoka and the Hakata district on northern Kyushu. Recognisable for sentence-final particles like "to" and "tai".
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".
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.
Geibi dialect
The Chūgoku-region dialect of Hiroshima and surrounding Geibi area. Known to many Japanese viewers through Hiroshima-set film and television.
Owari dialect
The dialect of Nagoya and the Owari plain. Sits between the Tokyo and Kansai regions and shares features with both, while keeping a distinct vowel inventory.