Why Some Japanese Call All Beans 'Mr Bean'
The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka soften and refine their sound by personifying familiar objects
Born on the border between Osaka and Kyoto, I had been enveloped in the warmth of the Kansai dialect. My relatives also lived in the neighbouring areas, so I always communicated in this dialect, which felt like a comforting blanket of shared understanding.
When I moved to the suburbs of Tokyo at the age of eight, the transition from it to standard Japanese was a jarring shock. In particular, the absence of ‘san’ (the Japanese equivalent of Mr, Mrs, Ms, and Miss) when referring to some familiar objects felt like a sudden chill, a stark contrast to the warmth I was used to.
Since then, I have mainly used standard Japanese and foreign languages, but my inner voice is still so often in the Kansai dialect. That’s why even today, when I see beans — even British baked beans — I naturally call them ‘omame-san,’ meaning Mr Bean. I also add ‘-san’ to rice porridge, the sun, the moon, and greetings.
Where did this strange expression come from? What kind of effect does it produce? Those interested in Japanese culture or language will enjoy this linguistic exploration with me.
The prefix for beautification, ‘o-’ or ‘go-’ is used nationwide
‘Omame-san (Mr Bean)’ can be broken down into ‘o-mame-san.’ Of these, only ‘mame’ means bean. The prefix ‘o’ attached to nouns expresses politeness and is used throughout Japan. First, let’s briefly focus on this to learn about polite expressions in standard Japanese.