Throughout Japanese history, Osaka came in to prominence as a commercial city, managing a great portion of finance and logistics out of the entire country.
All kinds of ships and boats from all around the country come and go through the Osaka ports everyday, bringing along all sorts of goods and people in and out of town. Because of this, people in Osaka generally aren’t defensive from outsiders, and approach strangers as if they are friends.
Japanese people are often characterized as being shy, but people from Osaka are outgoing, not afraid of meeting new people, and many might be categorized as attention seekers.
If you are looking for communicating with local people, just looking for Japanese friends, or just seeking to have a fun time in a welcoming atmosphere, I’d suggest visiting Osaka.
“Konamon” | A global favorite
One big reason why Osaka is a favorite among visitors, is the food.
When the New York Times listed Osaka in their “52 Places to Go in 2017” feature, they wrote: “Osaka is the country’s insatiable appetite.”
Okonomiyaki and takoyaki are some of the most well known dishes from Osaka that fall under the “konamon” genre (粉もん＝konamon lit. “flour things”).
The main ingredient of “konamon” foods is flour, which may contribute to the fact that these foods are well received to Western people alike, since Westerners are already familiar with flour through its wide usage in foods like bread and pasta.
When I guided one of my friends from the West, I took them into a takoyaki place, and they were more than happy.
In addition to being tasty, konamon foods are known for its affordability, as they are priced very competitively in foodstands.
The entertaining & hospitable nature of Osaka stems from its famous “owarai” culture. (“Owarai” (お笑い lit. “to laugh”) roughly translates to “comedy”).
Osaka is known as the mecca of Japanese comedy. Many theaters are filled with comedians and fans, laughing along with manzai duos.
Osaka is the comedy center of Japan—many Osakans live and breathe comedy everyday.
People here have been regularly exposed to comedy from TVs and radios from a very young age, and the appetite to be entertained & to entertain has been passed on to many Osakan’s daily lives.
No matter the language barriers, people in Osaka will be happy to talk or to assist a person, even by just using gestures. This type of outgoing personalities has built a reputation for Osaka as being hospitable.
Osakans speak “kansai-ben”, a western regional dialect of Japanese. Words and phrases are a little different from the ones in Tokyo.
Osakans are proud of their heritage, and have pretty strict views on what kinds of people can use their direlect. However, they love it when foreignors use “o-kini”, the kansei-ben version of “thank you”, so try to remember using “o-kini” instead of “arigato” when you’re in Osaka.
That should be a great conversation starter.
If you are visiting Osaka, learning one or two kansai-ben phrases can help you go a long way.
Have a great time in the hospitable city of Osaka!
As I have written in this article, people in Osaka are generally friendly and are easy to communicate.
Osaka is known for its comedy culture and many locals are happy to entertain anyone, so if you want the best of what the people has to offer, go and have a chat with the locals. The vibe is different from the ones in Tokyo and Kyoto.
One of my western friends has fallen in love with Osaka so much, that she even bought a kansai-ben textbook to study the language.
Osaka is the city where the people are full with hospitability, and where the food is great.
Please come and visit Osaka, where you can visit the energetic Osakan people!
오사카 사람들의 재미있고 친근한 이미지를 뒷받침하는 데 빼놓을 수 없는 것이 바로 ‘오와라이(개그) 문화’입니다.
오사카는 ‘일본 코미디의 성지’라고도 불리며, 두 사람이 웃긴 이야기를 하는 ‘만자이’ 등 코미디언들이 재미있는 연기를 하는 장소가 많아요.
오사카는 일본 코미디 문화의 발상지이기 때문에 오사카 사람들은 평소에도 코미디 문화를 가까이 느끼며 생활하고 있죠.
어렸을 때부터 TV나 라디오 등을 통해 ‘코미디’를 접할 기회가 많아, ‘사람을 즐겁게 해 주자! ‘웃기자!’ ‘라는 서비스 정신으로 가득 찬 사람들이 많습니다.
영어나 중국어 등 외국어를 할 줄 모르는 사람이라도 타고난 커뮤니케이션 능력으로 친근하게 말을 걸어주기 때문에, 일본을 방문한 관광객들 사이에서는 ‘오사카 사람들은 친절하고 다정다감하다’는 이미지가 생겼다고 하네요.
오사카 사람들이 말하는 일본어는 ‘간사이벤’이라는 방언으로, 도쿄 사람들이 말하는 일본어와는 억양이 조금 달라요.
오사카 사람들은 지역 사랑이 강하고 간사이 사투리에도 자부심을 가지고 있기 때문에 다른 지역에 사는 일본인이 간사이 사투리를 흉내내는 것을 싫어하는 사람도 있지만, 외국인 관광객이 ‘감사합니다’라는 뜻의 간사이 사투리인 ‘오키니’라고 말하면 ‘잘 알고있네!’ 하며 기뻐해 줄 거예요. ‘오키니’, 기억해 뒀다가 꼭 사용해 보세요.
분명 거기서부터 다시 즐거운 대화가 이어질 거예요.
오사카를 방문할 기회가 있다면 간단한 간사이 사투리 한 두 마디 정도는 외워 가 보세요.
친근한 오사카에서 멋진 여행을!
이처럼 오사카 사람들은 친절하고 커뮤니케이션 능력이 뛰어난 것이 특징이에요.
코미디 문화가 뿌리내린 오사카는 방문하는 사람들을 즐겁게 해주고 싶어하는 사람들이 많기 때문에 적극적으로 소통하면 도쿄나 교토를 방문했을 때와는 또 다른 즐거운 여행이 될 수 있을 거예요.
제가 아는 외국인 중에는 오사카가 너무 좋아서 간사이 사투리 교재를 사서 공부하는 사람도 있었는데요, 그만큼 오사카에는 뭔가 끌리는 매력이 있는 것 같아요.
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