Osaka and Tokyo, the two major Japanese cities, are very different from each other. Foreign people may think that Japan is too small to have variety in its culture. However, Osaka which is in the East and Tokyo which is in the West, are different in terms of taste of fashion, expression and accent, and way of communication.

First, people of Osaka and people of Tokyo have different tastes in fashion; Men and women in Osaka like to wear bright or showy outfits and accessories. They want to be original and different from others. In contrast, in Tokyo, people often say, "The simple is the best". They think simple clothing is modern and has good taste. People always follow the latest trend in magazines, and everybody dresses very similarly in the city.

Second, there are different expressions and accents in Osaka and Tokyo. People in Osaka have their own unique speech. People of Osaka are so proud of their own language that they resist modifying their accent wherever they go. People of Osaka have strong contempt for Tokyo's language. They say, "Tokyo guys speak like girls and drive me nuts." On the other hand, people of Tokyo make fun of other dialects. Because Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the language spoken in Tokyo is often considered to be standard. Many people in Tokyo feel scared when they are responding to Osaka's dialect. It is because people from Osaka sound rude and strong as if the speakers were quarreling. Nowadays, Tokyo people are finding Osaka's dialect funny because of influence of Osaka comedians who gained popularity in nation-wide TV shows.

Third, communication manners are different in Osaka and Tokyo. In Osaka, people are very talkative and they always make jokes. Physical jokes are common and friends can hit each other as joke. Phrases like "You are an idiot" really mean "You are funny and I like you". They are open, honest, and direct in asking questions and expressing their feelings. In comparison, people of Tokyo are quiet and serious. People of Tokyo will not understand the kind of jokes Osaka's make. People of Tokyo seem to believe that honesty is sometimes not polite; they may not say what they think if it is a controversial or private matter.

As result of all those differences, people in Osaka and Tokyo do not feel comfortable each other. Sometimes people even hate each other. When people are too proud of their culture, it is hard to understand and accept other cultures that are different. Examples are everywhere in the world: within a nation, among nations like Western and Eastern nations, among different religions and races. However, their aggressive feelings are often based on only their bias and their knowledge is shallow. They should at least try to know each other better before judging. Then, they need to try to tolerate each other because no culture is superior to others after all.