Kinki Japanese: The Dialects & Culture of the Kansai Region

Rating:
Summary: Metcha helpful!
Review: I got this book before I left to study in Osaka for a semester at Kansai Gaidai (where I currently am). It has been very helpful so far...I've been able to insert Kansai-ben phrases and words into my conversation and my conversation partners have been very impressed! Plus, the dialogues throughout the book, not to mention the detailed explanations on each Kansai-exclusive word or phrase are most helpful. Definitely worth it if you're heading to Osaka, Kyoto, and/or Kobe.

Rating:
Summary: Reading this book is fun!
Review: I think this book gives a good view on the specifics of kansai-ben. The conversations in this book are suitable for intermediate students of the Japanese language. This book helped me recognising the dialect and sometimes even understanding it a bit, even though my knowledge of Japanese is still very limited. However if you want to be able to really sound like a person from Kansai you have to live up there for at least a couple of years I think.
So if you are interested in Japanese dialect I would definitely recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: And after the main course comes something better...
Review: Like the hot fudge sundae that followes the dry main course of a meal, this book ought to follow the Japanese-fan's main course of standard Japanese! If you're a die-hard fan of Japan, and you've learned some regular Japanese, you'll probably enjoy the interesting change from standard Japanese to "Kansai-ben", where they seem to throw letters out of standard Japanese words like standard Japanese does with English (Wanna watch terebi anyone? How about a game of basuke? ^_^*). The only danger with this book, is that after reading it, you'll hesitate before returning to normal Japanese! A great and interesting guide to Kansai's interesting Japanese, written with a great sense of humor that will make you wish that there was a book II!