Hyōjungo · Standard Japanese
The Tokyo-area variety that forms the basis of Standard Japanese (Hyōjungo). Carried nationwide by broadcasting, education, and government use.
Tōhoku-ben
Also known as: 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".
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Tōhoku-ben?
Tōhoku-ben is a dialect of the Japanese language.
Where is Tōhoku-ben spoken?
Tōhoku-ben is primarily spoken in Japan.
Which region is Tōhoku-ben associated with?
Tōhoku-ben is part of the East Asia region on DialectAtlas.
Is Tōhoku-ben known by other names?
Yes — Tōhoku-ben is also referred to as Tōhoku dialect, Zūzū-ben.
What are the other dialects of Japanese?
Japanese also includes Tokyo Japanese, Kansai-ben, Kyoto-ben, Hakata-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.
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.
Fukuoka dialect
The dialect of Fukuoka and the Hakata district on northern Kyushu. Recognisable for sentence-final particles like "to" and "tai".
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.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →306 km away
The Tokyo-area variety that forms the basis of Standard Japanese (Hyōjungo). Carried nationwide by broadcasting, education, and government use.
492 km away
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.
535 km away
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.
582 km away
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.
623 km away
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.
624 km away
A language isolate of the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido and historically Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Critically endangered with only a handful of native speakers; subject of an active revitalisation effort.