In Japan, people sometimes compare neighboring prefectures or nearby cities by saying things like, “Our city is more urban,” or “Our local food is the real one.”
Sometimes the teasing goes further. People may say, “That place is too rural,” “Our city is clearly better,” or even “I could never live there.”
Taken literally, these comments can sound quite harsh.
But regional rivalry in Japan does not always mean that people genuinely dislike each other. In many cases, it is closer to a half-serious, half-joking way of showing pride in where you come from.
One reason is that regional differences in Japan can be surprisingly noticeable. Even within a relatively small area, dialects, food, festivals, school culture, and local customs can change. People in different parts of the same prefecture may also feel that their own area has a distinct identity.
History is another part of the background.
Japan’s current 47 prefectures did not always exist in their present form. During the Edo period, the country was divided into domains and other regional units, and the administrative map changed greatly after the abolition of the domains and establishment of prefectures in 1871.
That does not mean modern rivalries are simply old feuds carried into the present. But different regions developed around different castle towns, trading centers, and local cultures, and those histories helped create strong local identities.
Today, the competition is usually about much more familiar things.
Which city is bigger? Which local food tastes better? Which sports team is stronger? Local specialties can become a source of civic pride as well. Utsunomiya, for example, has long promoted itself as a “gyoza city,” using its strong association with dumpling consumption as part of its local identity.
Someone may laugh and say, “I would never live in that town,” and the other person may immediately reply, “I wouldn’t live in yours either.” On paper, this can look almost insulting. In conversation, however, it may still work because both sides understand that at least part of it is a joke.
That shared understanding is important.
Jokingly competing over your hometown is not the same as seriously looking down on a place or the people who live there. The boundary depends on the relationship and the way something is said, but once the joking tone disappears and the contempt becomes genuine, it simply becomes rude.
So regional rivalries in Japan are usually not a sign that different parts of the country are truly hostile to one another.
Regional differences and local pride give people something to compare, defend, and tease each other about. Sometimes the jokes can go quite far, but they work because there is usually an understanding underneath them that the rivalry is not entirely serious.
References
- National Archives of Japan, The Abolition of Domains and Establishment of Prefectures
- National Archives of Japan, Japan Reorganized into 3 Urban Prefectures and 73 Prefectures
- Utsunomiya City, The City of Gyoza
