Tsugaru Dialect Day (Tsugaru-ben no Hi)

What Is Tsugaru Dialect Day?

October 23 is Tsugaru Dialect Day in Japan. It was established in 1988 on the anniversary of the death of Takagi Kyozo (1903–1987), a poet from Aomori Prefecture who wrote poetry in the Tsugaru dialect. It was created by a group called "Tsugaruben no Hi Yarubeshi Kai," led by Aomori entertainer Ina Kappei and others. Every year around this date, an event is held where poems and essays in the Tsugaru dialect, submitted from all over Japan, are performed.

The Tsugaru Dialect and Takagi Kyozo

The Tsugaru dialect is spoken in the Tsugaru region, the western half of Aomori Prefecture.

• The poetry collection "Marumero": In 1931, Takagi published "Marumero" (Quince), a collection of poems in the Tsugaru dialect. It is known for capturing the life and feelings of Tsugaru in the local language, which standard Japanese could not fully express.
• A poet who was also a doctor: Takagi continued writing poetry while working as a physician, and in his later years he gave readings of his poems in many places.
• A popular event: The Tsugaru Dialect Day event has continued since the first one and has been broadcast on Aomori Broadcasting, making it a well-loved local tradition.

Well-Known Tsugaru Expressions

The Tsugaru dialect is known for conveying a lot with very few words.

• "Dosa?" "Yusa.": This famous exchange means "Where are you going?" "To the bath," with each line only two syllables long.
• "Wa" and "na": "Wa" means "I" and "na" means "you."
• "Ke" and "me": "Ke" means "eat," and "me" means "delicious."

Tsugaru Dialect Trivia

• Speaking with a small mouth: A popular theory says people in this cold region began speaking without opening their mouths wide to avoid breathing in cold air. However, there is no solid evidence for this.
• Tsugaru and Nanbu: In the Nanbu region in eastern Aomori, people speak the Nanbu dialect, which differs considerably from Tsugaru-ben even within the same prefecture.
• Literature and Tsugaru: Dazai Osamu, also from Aomori, depicted the land and people of his hometown in his novel "Tsugaru."
• Switching speech styles: Many locals use dialect with each other and standard Japanese with people from elsewhere, switching depending on the situation.
• Preserving dialects: As fewer young people speak their local dialects, efforts to record dialects and hold dialect events are being made across Japan.

Ideas for Tsugaru Dialect Day

• Listen to Takagi Kyozo's dialect poems or a reading in the Tsugaru dialect. Even if you don't understand the meaning, enjoying the sound is enough.
• Recall a word from your hometown or family's dialect and share it with coworkers.
• Look for short expressions in your own local dialect, like "dosa" and "yusa."
• Enjoy Aomori's local dishes or apples while thinking about the Tsugaru region.

A Day to Cherish Hometown Words

Tsugaru Dialect Day on October 23 is a day to remember Takagi Kyozo, who kept writing poems in his hometown dialect, and to enjoy the charm of regional speech. Dialects carry the climate, lifestyle, and feelings of the people of a region. Today, why not listen to the sound of the Tsugaru dialect or recall the words of your own hometown?