Tokyo dialect

As a whole, it is generally considered to be Standard Japanese, though specific aspects of slang or pronunciation can vary by area and social class.

Because of its unique history, especially in relation to the Kyoto dialect, Tokyo is a language island in the Kantō region.

For example, traditional Kanto dialects have been characterized by the use of volitional and presumptive suffix -be, which is rarely used in Tokyo.

That feature is used in Standard Japanese as informal masculine speech like wakan'nē (wakaranai "I don't know") and sugē (sugoi "great").

However, because of its connection with Kyoto and the stratification of urban society, the Tokyo dialect now has a refined keigo system.

The courtesy imperative mood asobase or asubase is also a well-known keigo word from the traditional Tokyo dialect.

Atashi is a first-person feminine pronoun in Standard Japanese, but in Shitamachi dialect, it is often used by both men and women.

An emphasis prefix o is used frequently with verbs such as oppajimeru for hajimeru "to start" and ottamagerufor tamageru "to be startled."