American on Japanese TV; Foreigner in Yamagata / 山形弁でしゃべるアメリカ人

A Japanese TV crew (YBC) followed me around and filmed me one day in 2004 at the school I worked at (Aterazawa High School) and at my apartment for their daily news broadcast; the people of Yamagata (northern Japan; about 3 hours north of Tokyo on the Bullet Train) were constantly amazed at the "Gaijin" (foreigner) speaking "Yamagata-ben" (Yamagata Dialect).

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[shungyiu]

Hello bjlink,

Mind if I ask:

Were you the gentleman who helped us (Buddhists) in the post office last month?

Regards

[bjlink]

Actually, I was not. Unfortunately I left Yamagata in 2004. Altthough I've been back and forth between Japan and America a few times since then, I havent been to Yamagata since 2006. Are you in Aterazawa? A few of the teachers I used to work with at Aterazawa SHS were actively involved with the Buddhist temples in Asahi and Oe.

[shungyiu]

We were visitors from Australia, attending an International Buddhist Conference, hosted by the BanShoji Temple of Chitose Mountain. Sorry for mistaking you as him, he was a Canadian and was very helpful. Yamagata was such a nice place, I have been looking for videos about Yamagata, and that's how I got to you. Do you know where I could buy an introduction DVD about Yamagata with some nice sceneries of the city and the countryside? Nice talking to you though.

[bjlink]

might be able to grab one though the international center they have set u there at the main train station. think they have a website through which u should be able to contact them.

[nycboyforlife]

Nice suit, sharp tie, excellent Japanese skills and all ruined because he puts on white socks. Come on bro you're a young man only old men wear white socks and black shoes.

[bjlink]

at 3:48, it's clearly the Japanese guy with the white socks and not me, the american.

[wave0730]

ぎりぎりセーフだべ(笑)　funny teacher！

[jessiemk222]

In Japan, even for Japanese people they show subtitles in order to emphasize the meaning of whatever people are commenting on. I'm Japanese American, and it is so nice to see a foreigner who is living in Japan who loves Japan and wants to learn, because it is so common to see everyone who are expats here where they don't learn or try to learn. I hope he will learn some other dialect, like Kansai ben, after he masters yamagata ben

[mansanraps]

@bjlink @bjlink I guess that haters gonna hate. As a fellow japanophile I am proud of people like you who give us gaijins a better rep over there!

[sijotakane]

@writofmandamus standard : だよ or だね. Yamagata dialect : だべ . Kansai dialect : やで or やな

[chancleta]

hi teacher, i'm a tourist guide, i'm from Panama, a small country in cental america. I speak a bit of japanese but I dont know Yamagata-ben (omoshaibe). Just a bit of Osaka-ben (omoroi)

greetings and congratulations! God bless Japan

My email watashi_3086@hotmail.com thanks!

[Zavilk]

ぜひ、ダニエル・カール氏との山形弁談義をしてもらいたいです。­

[writofmandamus]

what does the べ at the end mean? I've never seen this before, part of the dialect?

[vandriver101]

@tmo0617

チゲー、こいつの日本語はぼろぼろだ。こいつが勉強しないといけ­ねぇんだよ。

[2008emitan]

方言使うと一気に親しみ深くなるね。　

[yamadago]

新潟でも、お腹がいっぱい　の事を「はらくっちぇ」と言います。

山形弁と上越弁は似ている言葉も多いらしいですね。

[tmo0617]

wow I'm from yamagata and surprised he is very good at japanese and yamagataben! I wanna meet him! He looks very serious... good for him to stay in Yamagata, I think yamagata suits him cos there is nothing there but country people and nature. And I liked yamagata country girls. lol

[k48able]

方言に愛情を持ってくれるのはうれしいですね♪

福岡出身ですが･･･