Kinki region
The Kansai region (関西) of Japan, also known as the Kinki region (近畿地方; Kinki-chihō), lies in the middle of Japan's main island, Honshu.
The Ki (畿) in Kinki is Japanese for miyako meaning city or metropolis. It stems from the fact that up until the Edo era Japan's capital was located in this region.
The Kansai region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga. The Kansai region is often compared (yet more often contrasted) with the Kanto region, which lies to the east and is comprised primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area.
Whereas the Kanto region is symbolic of standardization throughout Japan (from the government to economics to the language), the Kansai region displays many more idiosyncracies through the culture in Kyoto, the merchantilism of Osaka, the history of Nara, the internationality of Kobe, and the distinct dialect (Kansai-ben) heard through the seven prefectures.
The region has three airports:
Dialect
The way the people of the Kansai region speak, could be compared to the Bostonian accent of the United States. They have their own pronunciation, and own strange slang terms that are different, and almost unintelligable from the way other Japanese is spoken.
Some Japanese say that they speak in a very stern and direct tone, and that it sounds menacing, and almost angry. On the other hand, there are many famous Japanese comedians from Kansai, presumably because some Japanese find their way of talking to be very funny, even when talking about serious things. They also have their own words, such as ōkini (おおきに), which means "thanks".
This dialect is especially strong in cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Otsu.
Universities in the Kansai Area
