The Tohoku accent

I was warned about the Tohoku accent.  "You won't understand them," some said.  "It sounds like a foreign language," said others.  Bah.  It can't be that bad, right?  Japanese is Japanese.  The cocky linguist in me poo-pooed these warnings. 

Then it hits me.  The first day in Ofunato as I listened to people in a shelter share their stories I found myself listening and then listening harder.  I don't understand a lot of what I'm hearing.  Can this be happening?  The cocky me, the me that thought I could handle a slightly different accent is humbled from day one.  The accent here is that different. 

The longer I spent in Ofunato and Rikuzentakata the more I got used to it.  I came to the point I could understand what I was hearing.  I'm still having to listen and listen hard but I get it.  The cockiness returns.  I think to myself, "See.  It's not that bad."

Then it happened.  I am knocked down off my pedestal.  In public.  In front of others.  I made a total fool out of myself. 

I'm at a make-shift party.  I've been here six weeks and I share with those around me I will be leaving soon.

"I'm going to Tokyo first," I say.  "I need some time to myself."  They all nod.  They all know I'm a city girl and that living without hot water or a bath has been tough for me.  Then I get the question that erased all cockiness in me.
"Are you going to Izu?"  I pause.  Izu?  Izu is a peninsula southwest of Tokyo.  It's a resort area.  Do they think I'm going to Izu to relax?  I just said I'm going to Tokyo.  I'm confused.
"No, I'm not," I say back.  Now it's their turn to look confused.  Everyone looks at me.  I panic.  What did I say?  Is it an insult not to go to Izu?
"But you're leaving, right?" I'm asked again.  I'm confused again.
"Yes, I'm going."
"Are you going to Izu?"  Now I'm annoyed.  No, I am most definitely not going to Izu.  Why do they keep asking this?

Then a young woman sitting across from me bursts out laughing.
"Not, Izu," she says.  "Itsu.  Not I-zu."
I turn beat red.  I get it.  The dreaded Tohoku accent I was so sure I understood just turned me into a dufus.

Let me explain.  Itsu in Japanese is "when" and Izu is "Izu"--the resort area outside Tokyo.  The man asking the question said in Japanese, "Izu ikundesuka?" which translates into "Are you going to Izu?"  In the Tohoku dialect, "itsu" (when) sounds like "izu" meaning he was asking when I was leaving and not whether or not I was going to Izu.

I laugh.  So does everyone else.  I throw away all humility and say "your Tohoku accent is so hard to understand!" which they take as a compliment and laugh with me.  No.  Not with.  I'm being laughed at but this time around the joke is on me.  Laugh at me all you will.  I deserve that one.