title: Kansai dialect

text: The Kansai accent includes local variations. The traditional pre-modern Kansai accent is kept in Shikoku and parts of the Kii Peninsula such as Tanabe city. Even between Kyoto and Osaka, only 30 minutes by train, a few of the pitch accents change between words. For example, "Tōkyō ikimashita" ([I] went to Tokyo) is pronounced H-H-H-H H-H-H-L-L in Osaka, L-L-L-L H-H-L-L-L in Kyoto.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Many words and grammar structures in Kansai dialect are contractions of their classical Japanese equivalents (it is unusual to contract words in such a way in standard Japanese). For example, "chigau" (to be different or wrong) becomes "chau", "yoku" (well) becomes "yō", and "omoshiroi" (interesting or funny) becomes "omoroi". These contractions follow similar inflection rules as their standard forms so "chau" is politely said "chaimasu" in the same way as "chigau" is inflected to "chigaimasu".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kansai dialect also has two types of regular verb, 五段 "godan verbs" ("-u" verbs) and 一段 "ichidan verbs" ("-ru" verbs), and two irregular verbs, 来る ("to come") and する ("to do"), but some conjugations are different from standard Japanese.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The geminated consonants found in godan verbs of standard Japanese verbal inflections are usually replaced with long vowels (often shortened in 3 morae verbs) in Kansai dialect (See also Onbin). Thus, for the verb 言う ("to say"), the past tense in standard Japanese 言った or ("said") becomes 言うた in Kansai dialect. This particular verb is a dead giveaway of a native Kansai speaker, as most will unconsciously say 言うて instead of 言って or even if well-practiced at speaking in standard Japanese. Other examples of geminate replacement are 笑った ("laughed") becoming 笑うた or わろた and 貰った ("received") becoming 貰うた , もろた or even もうた .


title: Kansai dialect

text: A compound verb てしまう (to finish something or to do something in unintentional or unfortunate circumstances) is contracted to ちまう or ちゃう in colloquial Tokyo speech but to てまう in Kansai speech. Thus, しちまう , or しちゃう , becomes してまう . Furthermore, as the verb しまう is affected by the same sound changes as in other 五段 godan verbs, the past tense of this form is rendered as てもうた or てもた rather than ちまった or ちゃった : 忘れちまった or 忘れちゃった ("I forgot [it]") in Tokyo is 忘れてもうた or 忘れてもた in Kansai.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The long vowel of the volitional form is often shortened; for example, 使おう (the volitional form of "tsukau") becomes 使お , 食べよう (the volitional form of 食べる ) becomes 食べよ . The irregular verb する has special volitinal form しょ（う） instead of しよう . The volitinal form of another irregular verb 来る is 来よう as well as the standard Japanese, but when 来る is used as a compound verb てくる , てこよう is sometimes replaced with てこ（う） in Kansai.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The causative verb ending is usually replaced with in Kansai dialect; for example, させる (causative form of ) changes さす , 言わせる (causative form of 言う ) changes 言わす . Its -te form and perfective form change to and ; they also appear in transitive ichidan verbs such as 見せる ("to show"), e.g. 見して for 見せて .


title: Kansai dialect

text: The potential verb endings for 五段 godan and られる for 一段 ichidan, recently often shortened れる , are common between the standard Japanese and Kansai dialect. For making their negative forms, it is only to replace ない with ん or へん (See Negative). However, mainly in Osaka, potential negative form of 五段 godan verbs is often replaced with such as 行かれへん instead of 行けない and 行けへん "can't go". This is because overlaps with Osakan negative conjugation. In western Japanese including Kansai dialect, a combination of よう and ん negative form is used as a negative form of the personal impossibility such as よう言わん "I can't say anything (in disgust or diffidence)".


title: Kansai dialect

text: In Standard Japanese, the verb "iru" is used for reference to the existence of an animate object, and "iru" is replaced with "oru" in humble language and some written language. In western Japanese, "oru" is used not only in humble language but also in all other situations instead of "iru".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kansai dialect belongs to western Japanese, but いる and its variation, いてる (mainly Osaka), are used in Osaka, Kyoto, Shiga and so on. People in these areas, especially Kyoto women, tend to consider おる an outspoken or contempt word. They usually use it for mates, inferiors and animals; avoid using for elders (exception: respectful expression "orareru" and humble expression "orimasu"). In other areas such as Hyogo and Mie, いる is hardly used and おる does not have the negative usage. In parts of Wakayama, いる is replaced with ある , which is used for inanimate objects in most other dialects.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The verb おる is also used as an auxiliary verb and usually pronounced in that case. In Osaka, Kyoto, Shiga, northern Nara and parts of Mie, mainly in masculine speech, よる shows annoying or contempt feelings for a third party, usually milder than やがる . In Hyogo, southern Nara and parts of Wakayama, よる is used for progressive aspect (See Aspect).


title: Kansai dialect

text: In informal speech, the negative verb ending, which is ない in standard Japanese, is expressed with ん or へん , as in 行かん and 行かへん "not going", which is 行かない in standard Japanese. ん is a transformation of the classical Japanese negative form ぬ and is also used for some idioms in standard Japanese. へん is the result of contraction and phonological change of はせん , the emphatic form of . やへん , a transitional form between はせん and へん , is sometimes still used for 一段 ichidan verbs. The godan verbs conjugation before "-hen" has two varieties: the more common conjugation is like 行かへん , but "-ehen" like 行けへん is also used in Osaka. When the vowel before へん is , へん often changes to ひん , especially in Kyoto. The past negative form is んかった and , a mixture of ん or へん and the standard past negative form なかった . In traditional Kansai dialect, なんだ and へなんだ is used in the past negative form.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Generally speaking, へん is used in almost negative sentences and ん is used in strong negative sentences and idiomatic expressions. For example, んといて or んとって instead of standard ないで means "please do not to do"; んでもええ instead of standard なくてもいい means "need not do";んと（あかん） instead of standard なくちゃ（いけない） or ねばならない means "must do". The last expression can be replaced by な（あかん） or んならん .


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kansai dialect has two imperative forms. One is the normal imperative form, inherited from Late Middle Japanese. The ろ form for ichidan verbs in standard Japanese is much rarer and replaced by or in Kansai. The normal imperative form is often followed by よ or や . The other is a soft and somewhat feminine form which uses the (ます stem), an abbreviation of + . The end of the soft imperative form is often elongated and is generally followed by や or な . In Kyoto, women often add よし to the soft imperative form.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In the negative imperative mood, Kansai dialect also has the somewhat soft form which uses the "ren'yōkei" + な , an abbreviation of the "ren'yōkei" + なさるな . な sometimes changes to なや or ないな . This soft negative imperative form is the same as the soft imperative and な , Kansai speakers can recognize the difference by accent, but Tokyo speakers are sometimes confused by a command "not to do" something, which they interpret as an order to "do" it. Accent on the soft imperative form is flat, and the accent on the soft negative imperative form has a downstep before "na".


title: Kansai dialect

text: The stem of adjective forms in Kansai dialect is generally the same as in standard Japanese, except for regional vocabulary differences. The same process that reduced the Classical Japanese terminal and attributive endings (し and き , respectively) to has reduced also the ren'yōkei ending く to , yielding such forms as 早う (contraction of 早う ) for 早く ("quickly"). Dropping the consonant from the final mora in all forms of adjective endings has been a frequent occurrence in Japanese over the centuries (and is the origin of such forms as ありがとう and おめでとう ), but the Kantō speech preserved く while reducing し and き to , thus accounting for the discrepancy in the standard language (see also Onbin)


title: Kansai dialect

text: The ending can be dropped and the last vowel of the adjective's stem can be stretched out for a second mora, sometimes with a tonal change for emphasis. By this process, "omoroi" "interesting, funny" becomes "omorō" and "atsui" "hot" becomes "atsū" or "attsū". This use of the adjective's stem, often as an exclamation, is seen in classical literature and many dialects of modern Japanese, but is more often used in modern Kansai dialect.


title: Kansai dialect

text: There is not a special conjugated form for presumptive of adjectives in Kansai dialect, it is just addition of やろ to the plain form. For example, 安かろう (the presumptive form of 安い "cheap") is hardly used and is usually replaced with the plain form + やろ likes 安いやろ . Polite suffixes です/だす/どす and ます are also added やろ for presumptive form instead of でしょう in standard Japanese. For example, 今日は晴れでしょう ("It may be fine weather today") is replaced with 今日は晴れですやろ .


title: Kansai dialect

text: The standard Japanese copula "da" is replaced by the Kansai dialect copula "ya". The inflected forms maintain this difference, resulting in "yaro" for "darō" (presumptive), "yatta" for "datta" (past); "darō" is often considered to be a masculine expression, but "yaro" is used by both men and women. The negative copula "de wa nai" or "ja nai" is replaced by "ya nai" or "ya arahen/arehen" in Kansai dialect. "Ya" originated from "ja" (a variation of "dearu") in late Edo period and is still commonly used in other parts of western Japan like Hiroshima, and is also used stereotypically by old men in fiction.


title: Kansai dialect

text: "Ya" and "ja" are used only informally, analogically to the standard "da", while the standard "desu" is by and large used for the polite (teineigo) copula. For polite speech, -"masu", "desu" and "gozaimasu" are used in Kansai as well as in Tokyo, but traditional Kansai dialect has its own polite forms. "Desu" is replaced by "dasu" in Osaka and "dosu" in Kyoto. There is another unique polite form "omasu" and it is often replaced by "osu" in Kyoto. The usage of "omasu/osu" is same as "gozaimasu", the polite form of the verb "aru" and also be used for polite form of adjectives, but it is more informal than "gozaimasu". In Osaka, "dasu" and "omasu" are sometimes shortened to "da" and "oma". "Omasu" and "osu" have their negative forms "omahen" and "ohen".


title: Kansai dialect

text: When some sentence-final particles and a presumptive inflection "yaro" follow -"su" ending polite forms, "su" is often combined especially in Osaka. Today, this feature is usually considered to be dated or exaggerated Kansai dialect.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In common Kansai dialect, there are two forms for the continuous and progressive aspects -"teru" and -"toru"; the former is a shortened form of -"te iru" just as does standard Japanese, the latter is a shortened form of -"te oru" which is common to other western Japanese. The proper use between -"teru" and -"toru" is same as "iru" and "oru".


title: Kansai dialect

text: In the expression to the condition of inanimate objects, -"taru" or -"taaru" form, a shortened form of -"te aru". In standard Japanese, -"te aru" is only used with transitive verbs, but Kansai -"taru" or -"taaru" is also used with intransitive verbs. One should note that -"te yaru", "to do for someone," is also contracted to -"taru" (-"charu" in Senshu and Wakayama), so as not to confuse the two.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Other Western Japanese as Chūgoku and Shikoku dialects has the discrimination of grammatical aspect, -"yoru" in progressive and -"toru" in perfect. In Kansai, some dialects of southern Hyogo and Kii Peninsula have these discrimination, too. In parts of Wakayama, -"yoru" and -"toru" are replaced with -"yaru" and -"taaru/chaaru".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Historically, extensive use of keigo (honorific speech) was a feature of the Kansai dialect, especially in Kyōto, while the Kantō dialect, from which standard Japanese developed, formerly lacked it. Keigo in standard Japanese was originally borrowed from the medieval Kansai dialect. However, keigo is no longer considered a feature of the dialect since Standard Japanese now also has it. Even today, keigo is used more often in Kansai than in the other dialects except for the standard Japanese, to which people switch in formal situations.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In modern Kansai dialect, -"haru" (sometimes -"yaharu" except "godan" verbs, mainly Kyōto) is used for showing reasonable respect without formality especially in Kyōto. The conjugation before -"haru" has two varieties between Kyōto and Ōsaka (see the table below). In Southern Hyōgo, including Kōbe, "-te ya" is used instead of -"haru". In formal speech, -"naharu" and -"haru" connect with -"masu" and -"te ya" changes -"te desu".


title: Kansai dialect

text: -"Haru" was originally a shortened form of -"naharu", a transformation of -"nasaru". -"Naharu" has been dying out due to the spread of -"haru" but its imperative form -"nahare" (mainly Ōsaka) or -"nahai" (mainly Kyōto, also -"nai") and negative imperative form -"nasan'na" or -"nahan'na" has comparatively survived because -"haru" lacks an imperative form. In more honorific speech, "o- yasu", a transformation of "o- asobasu", is used especially in Kyōto and its original form is same to its imperative form, showing polite invitation or order. "Oide yasu" and "okoshi yasu" (more respectful), meaning "welcome", are the common phrases of sightseeing areas in Kyōto. -"Te okun nahare" (also -"tokun nahare", -"toku nahare") and -"te okure yasu" (also -"tokure yasu", -"tokuryasu") are used instead of -"te kudasai" in standard Japanese.


title: Kansai dialect

text: There is some difference in the particles between Kansai dialect and standard Japanese. In colloquial Kansai dialect, are often left out especially the accusative case "o" and the quotation particles "to" and "te" (equivalent to "tte" in standard). The ellipsis of "to" and "te" happens only before two verbs: "yū" (to say) and "omou" (to think). For example, "Tanaka-san to yū hito" ("a man called Mr. Tanaka") can change to "Tanaka-san yū hito". And "to yū" is sometimes contracted to "chū" or "tchū" instead of "te", "tsū" or "ttsū" in Tokyo. For example, "nanto yū koto da!" or "nante kotta!" ("My goodness!") becomes "nanchū kotcha!" in Kansai.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The "na" or "naa" is used very often in Kansai dialect instead of "ne" or "nee" in standard Japanese. In standard Japanese, "naa" is considered rough masculine style in some context, but in Kansai dialect "naa" is used by both men and women in many familiar situations. It is not only used as interjectory particle (as emphasis for the imperative form, expression an admiration, and address to listeners, for example), and the meaning varies depending on context and voice intonation, so much so that "naa" is called the world's third most difficult word to translate. Besides "naa" and "nee", "noo" is also used in some areas, but "noo" is usually considered too harsh a masculine particle in modern Keihanshin.


title: Kansai dialect

text: "Kara" and "node", the meaning "because," are replaced by "sakai" or "yotte"; "ni" is sometimes added to the end of both, and "sakai" changes to "sake" in some areas. "Sakai" was so famous as the characteristic particle of Kansai dialect that a special saying was made out of it: ". However, in recent years, the standard "kara" and "node" have become dominant.


title: Kansai dialect

text: "Kate" or "katte" is also characteristic particle of Kansai dialect, transformation of "ka tote". "Kate" has two usages. When "kate" is used with conjugative words, mainly in the past form and the negative form, it is the equivalent of the English "even if" or "even though", such as "Kaze hiita kate, watashi wa ryokō e iku" ("Even if [I] catch a cold, I will go on the trip"). When "kate" is used with nouns, it means something like "even", "too," or "either", such as "Ore kate shiran" ("I don't know, either"), and is similar to the particle "mo" and "datte".


title: Kansai dialect

text: The used in Kansai differ widely from those used in Tokyo. The most prominent to Tokyo speakers is the heavy use of "wa" by men. In standard Japanese, it is used exclusively by women and so is said to sound softer. In western Japanese including Kansai dialect, however, it is used equally by both men and women in many different levels of conversation. It is noted that the feminine usage of "wa" in Tokyo is pronounced with a rising intonation and the Kansai usage of "wa" is pronounced with a falling intonation.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Another difference in sentence final particles that strikes the ear of the Tokyo speaker is the "nen" particle such as "nande ya nen!", "you gotta be kidding!" or "why/what the hell?!", a stereotype tsukkomi phrase in the manzai. It comes from "no ya" (particle "no" + copula "ya", also "n ya") and much the same as the standard Japanese "no da" (also "n da"). "Nen" has some variation, such as "neya" (intermediate form between "no ya" and "nen"), "ne" (shortened form), and "nya" (softer form of "neya"). When a copula precedes these particles, "da" + "no da" changes to "na no da" ("na n da") and "ya" + "no ya" changes to "na no ya" ("na n ya"), but "ya" + "nen" does not change to "na nen". "No da" is never used with polite form, but "no ya" and "nen" can be used with formal form such as "nande desu nen", a formal form of "nande ya nen". In past tense, "nen" changes to "-ten"; for example, "I love you" would be "suki ya nen" or "sukkya nen", and "I loved you" would be "suki yatten."


title: Kansai dialect

text: In the interrogative sentence, the use of "nen" and "no ya" is restricted to emphatic questions and involves interrogative words. For simple questions, "(no) ka" is usually used and "ka" is often omitted as well as standard Japanese, but "no" is often changed "n" or "non" (somewhat feminine) in Kansai dialect. In standard Japanese, "kai" is generally used as a masculine variation of "ka", but in Kansai dialect, "kai" is used as an emotional question and is mainly used for rhetorical question rather than simple question and is often used in the forms as "kaina" (softer) and "kaiya" (harsher). When "kai" follows the negative verb ending -"n", it means strong imperative sentence. In some areas such as Kawachi and Banshu, "ke" is used instead of "ka", but it is considered a harsh masculine particle in common Kansai dialect.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The emphatic particle "ze", heard often from Tokyo men, is rarely heard in Kansai. Instead, the particle "de" is used, arising from the replacement of "z" with "d" in words. However, despite the similarity with "ze", the Kansai "de" does not carry nearly as heavy or rude a connotation, as it is influenced by the lesser stress on formality and distance in Kansai. In Kyoto, especially feminine speech, "de" is sometimes replaced with "e". The particle "zo" is also replaced to "do" by some Kansai speakers, but "do" carries a rude masculine impression unlike "de".


title: Kansai dialect

text: The emphasis or tag question particle "jan ka" in the casual speech of Kanto changes to "yan ka" in Kansai. "Yan ka" has some variations, such as a masculine variation "yan ke" (in some areas, but "yan ke" is also used by women) and a shortened variation "yan", just like "jan" in Kanto. "Jan ka" and "jan" are used only in informal speech, but "yan ka" and "yan" can be used with formal forms like "sugoi desu yan!" ("It is great!"). Youngsters often use "yan naa", the combination of "yan" and "naa" for tag question.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In some cases, Kansai dialect uses entirely different words. The verb "hokasu" corresponds to standard Japanese "suteru" "to throw away", and "metcha" corresponds to the standard Japanese slang "chō" "very". "Chō," in Kansai dialect, means "a little" and is a contracted form of "chotto." Thus the phrase "chō matte" "wait a minute" by a Kansai person sounds strange to a Tokyo person.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Some Japanese words gain entirely different meanings or are used in different ways when used in Kansai dialect. One such usage is of the word "naosu" (usually used to mean "correct" or "repair" in the standard language) in the sense of "put away" or "put back." For example, "kono jitensha naoshite" means "please put back this bicycle" in Kansai, but many standard speakers are bewildered since in standard Japanese it would mean "please repair this bicycle".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Another widely recognized Kansai-specific usage is of "aho". Basically equivalent to the standard "baka" "idiot, fool", "aho" is both a term of reproach and a term of endearment to the Kansai speaker, somewhat like English "twit" or "silly". "Baka", which is used as "idiot" in most regions, becomes "complete moron" and a stronger insult than "aho". Where a Tokyo citizen would almost certainly object to being called "baka", being called "aho" by a Kansai person is not necessarily much of an insult. Being called "baka" by a Kansai speaker is however a much more severe criticism than it would be by a Tokyo speaker. Most Kansai speakers cannot stand being called "baka" but don't mind being called "aho".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Standard first-person pronouns such as "watashi", "boku" and "ore" are also generally used in Kansai, but there are some local pronoun words. "Watashi" has many variations: "watai", "wate" (both gender), "ate" (somewhat feminine), and "wai" (masculine, casual). These variations are now archaic, but are still widely used in fictitious creations to represent stereotypical Kansai speakers especially "wate" and "wai". Elderly Kansai men frequent use "washi" as well as other western Japan. "Uchi" is famous for the typical feminine first-person pronoun of Kansai dialect and it is still popular among Kansai girls.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In Kansai, "omae" and "anta" are often used for the informal second-person pronoun. "Anata" is hardly used. Traditional local second-person pronouns include "omahan" ("omae" + "-han"), "anta-han" and "ansan" (both are "anta" + "-san", but "anta-han" is more polite). An archaic first-person pronoun, "ware", is used as a hostile and impolite second-person pronoun in Kansai. "Jibun" () is a Japanese word meaning "oneself" and sometimes "I," but it has an additional usage in Kansai as a casual second-person pronoun.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In traditional Kansai dialect, the honorific suffix "-san" is sometimes pronounced -"han" when -"san" follows "a", "e" and "o"; for example, "okaasan" ("mother") becomes "okaahan", and "Satō-san" ("Mr. Satō") becomes "Satō-han". It is also the characteristic of Kansai usage of honorific suffixes that they can be used for some familiar inanimate objects as well, especially in Kyoto. In standard Japanese, the usage is usually considered childish, but in Kansai, "o-imo-san", "o-mame-san" and "ame-chan" are often heard not only in children's speech but also in adults' speech. The suffix "-san" is also added to some familiar greeting phrases; for example, "ohayō-san" ("good morning") and "omedetō-san" ("congratulations").


title: Kansai dialect

text: Since Kansai dialect is actually a group of related dialects, not all share the same vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammatical features. Each dialect has its own specific features discussed individually here.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Here is a division theory of Kansai dialects proposed by Mitsuo Okumura in 1968; ■ shows dialects influenced by Kyoto dialect and □ shows dialects influenced by Osaka dialect, proposed by Minoru Umegaki in 1962.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Osaka-ben () is often identified with Kansai dialect by most Japanese, but some of the terms considered to be characteristic of Kansai dialect are actually restricted to Osaka and its environs. Perhaps the most famous is the term "mōkarimakka?", roughly translated as "how is business?", and derived from the verb "mōkaru" (儲かる), "to be profitable, to yield a profit". This is supposedly said as a greeting from one Osakan to another, and the appropriate answer is another Osaka phrase, "maa, bochi bochi denna" "well, so-so, y'know".


title: Kansai dialect

text: The idea behind "mōkarimakka" is that Osaka was historically the center of the merchant culture. The phrase developed among low-class shopkeepers and can be used today to greet a business proprietor in a friendly and familiar way but is not a universal greeting. The latter phrase is also specific to Osaka, in particular the term "bochi bochi" (L-L-H-L). This means essentially "so-so": getting better little by little or not getting any worse. Unlike "mōkarimakka", "bochi bochi" is used in many situations to indicate gradual improvement or lack of negative change. Also, "bochi bochi" (H-L-L-L) can be used in place of the standard Japanese "soro soro", for instance "bochi bochi iko ka" "it is about time to be going".


title: Kansai dialect

text: In the Edo period, Senba-kotoba (船場言葉), a social dialect of the wealthy merchants in the central business district of Osaka, was considered the standard Osaka-ben. It was characterized by the polite speech based on Kyoto-ben and the subtle differences depending on the business type, class, post etc. It was handed down in Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa periods with some changes, but after the Pacific War, Senba-kotoba became nearly an obsolete dialect due to the modernization of business practices. Senba-kotoba was famous for a polite copula "gowasu" or "goasu" instead of common Osakan copula "omasu"　and characteristic forms for shopkeeper family mentioned below.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Southern branches of Osaka-ben, such as Senshū-ben () and Kawachi-ben (), are famous for their harsh locution, characterized by trilled "r", the question particle "ke", and the second person "ware". The farther south in Osaka one goes, the cruder the language is considered to be, with the local Senshū-ben of Kishiwada said to represent the peak of harshness.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kyōto-ben (京都弁) or Kyō-kotoba () is characterized by development of politeness and indirectness expressions. Kyoto-ben is often regarded as elegant and feminine dialect because of its characters and the image of Gion's "geisha" ("geiko-han" and "maiko-han" in Kyoto-ben), the most conspicuous speakers of traditional Kyoto-ben. Kyoto-ben is divided into the court dialect called "Gosho kotoba" (御所言葉) and the citizens dialect called "Machikata kotoba" (町方言葉). The former was spoken by court noble before moving the Emperor to Tokyo, and some phrases inherit at a few monzeki. The latter has subtle difference at each social class such as old merchant families at Nakagyo, craftsmen at Nishijin and geiko at Hanamachi (Gion, Miyagawa-chō etc.)


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kyoto-ben was the "de facto" standard Japanese from 794 until the 18th century and some Kyoto people are still proud of their accent; they get angry when Tokyo people treat Kyoto-ben as a provincial accent. However, traditional Kyoto-ben is gradually declining except in the world of "geisha", which prizes the inheritance of traditional Kyoto customs. For example, a famous Kyoto copula "dosu", instead of standard "desu", is used by a few elders and "geisha" now.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The verb inflection "-haru" is an essential part of casual speech in modern Kyoto. In Osaka and its environs, "-haru" has a certain level of politeness above the base (informal) form of the verb, putting it somewhere between the informal and the more polite "-masu" conjugations. However, in Kyoto, its position is much closer to the informal than it is to the polite mood, owing to its widespread use. Kyoto people, especially elderly women, often use -"haru" for their family and even for animals and weather.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Tango-ben () spoken in northernmost Kyoto Prefecture, is too different to be regarded as Kansai dialect and usually included in Chūgoku dialect. For example, the copula "da", the Tokyo-type accent, the honorific verb ending -"naru" instead of -"haru" and the peculiarly diphthong such as for "akai" "red".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Hyōgo Prefecture is the largest prefecture in Kansai, and there are some different dialects in the prefecture. As mentioned above, Tajima-ben () spoken in northern Hyōgo, former Tajima Province, is included in Chūgoku dialect as well as Tango-ben. Ancient vowel sequence /au/ changed in many Japanese dialects, but in Tajima, Tottori and Izumo dialects, /au/ changed . Accordingly, Kansai word "ahō" "idiot" is pronounced "ahaa" in Tajima-ben.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The dialect spoken in southwestern Hyōgo, former Harima Province alias Banshū, is called Banshū-ben. As well as Chūgoku dialect, it has the discrimination of aspect, "-yoru" in progressive and "-toru" in perfect. Banshū-ben is notable for transformation of "-yoru" and "-toru" into "-yō" and "-tō", sometimes "-yon" and "-ton". Another feature is the honorific copula "-te ya", common in Tanba, Maizuru and San'yō dialects. In addition, Banshū-ben is famous for an emphatic final particle "doi" or "doiya" and a question particle "ke" or "ko", but they often sound violent to other Kansai speakers, as well as Kawachi-ben. Kōbe-ben () spoken in Kobe, the largest city of Hyogo, is the intermediate dialect between Banshū-ben and Osaka-ben and is well known for conjugating "-yō" and "-tō" as well as Banshū-ben.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Awaji-ben () spoken in Awaji Island, is different from Banshū/Kōbe-ben and mixed with dialects of Osaka, Wakayama and Tokushima Prefectures due to the intersecting location of sea routes in the Seto Inland Sea and the Tokushima Domain rule in Edo period.


title: Kansai dialect

text: The dialect in Mie Prefecture, sometimes called Mie-ben (), is made up of Ise-ben () spoken in mid-northern Mie, Shima-ben () spoken in southeastern Mie and Iga-ben () spoken in western Mie. Ise-ben is famous for a sentence final particle "ni" as well as "de". Shima-ben is close to Ise-ben, but its vocabulary includes many archaic words. Iga-ben has a unique request expression "-te daako" instead of standard "-te kudasai".


title: Kansai dialect

text: They use the normal Kansai accent and basic grammar, but some of the vocabulary is common to the Nagoya dialect. For example, instead of -"te haru" (respectful suffix), they have the Nagoya-style -"te mieru". Conjunctive particles "de" and "monde" "because" is widely used instead of "sakai" and "yotte". The similarity to Nagoya-ben becomes more pronounced in the northernmost parts of the prefecture; the dialect of Nagashima and Kisosaki, for instance, could be considered far closer to Nagoya-ben than to Ise-ben.


title: Kansai dialect

text: In and around Ise city, some variations on typical Kansai vocabulary can be found, mostly used by older residents. For instance, the typical expression "ōkini" is sometimes pronounced "ōkina" in Ise. Near the Isuzu River and Naikū shrine, some old men use the first-person pronoun "otai".


title: Kansai dialect

text: Kishū-ben () or Wakayama-ben (和歌山弁), the dialect in old province Kii Province, present-day Wakayama Prefecture and southern parts of Mie Prefecture, is fairly different from common Kansai dialect and comprises many regional variants. It is famous for heavy confusion of "z" and "d", especially on the southern coast. The ichidan verb negative form "-n" often changes "-ran" in Wakayama such as "taberan" instead of "taben" ("not eat"); "-hen" also changes "-yan" in Wakayama, Mie and Nara such as "tabeyan" instead of "tabehen". Wakayama-ben has specific perticles. "Yō" is often used as sentence final particle. "Ra" follows the volitional conjugation of verbs as "iko ra yō!" ("Let's go!"). "Noshi" is used as soft sentence final particle. "Yashite" is used as tag question. Local words are "akana" instead of "akan", "omoshai" instead of "omoroi", "aga" "oneself", "teki" "you", "tsuremote" "together" and so on. Wakayama people hardly ever use keigo, which is rather unusual for dialects in Kansai.


title: Kansai dialect

text: Shiga Prefecture is the eastern neighbor of Kyoto, so its dialect, sometimes called Shiga-ben (滋賀弁) or Ōmi-ben () or Gōshū-ben (江州弁), is similar in many ways to Kyoto-ben. For example, Shiga people also frequently use "-haru", though some people tend to pronounce "-aru" and "-te yaaru" instead of "-haru" and "-te yaharu". Some elderly Shiga people also use "-raru" as a casual honorific form. The demonstrative pronoun "so-" often changes to "ho-"; for example, "so ya" becomes "ho ya" and "sore" (that) becomes "hore". In Nagahama, people use the friendly-sounding auxiliary verb "-ansu" and "-te yansu". Nagahama and Hikone dialects has a unique final particle "hon" as well as "de".


title: Kansai dialect

text: The dialect in Nara Prefecture is divided into northern including Nara city and southern including Totsukawa. The northern dialect, sometimes called Nara-ben () or Yamato-ben (大和弁), has a few particularities such as an interjectory particle "mii" as well as "naa", but the similarity with Osaka-ben increases year by year because of the economic dependency to Osaka. On the other hand, southern Nara prefecture is a language island because of its geographic isolation with mountains. The southern dialect uses Tokyo type accent, has the discrimination of grammatical aspect, and does not show a tendency to lengthen vowels at the end of monomoraic nouns.


title: Babe Paley

text: Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American socialite, whose second husband William S. Paley was the founder of CBS. Known by the nickname "Babe" for most of her life, she was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958.


title: Babe Paley

text: Born Barbara Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of brain surgeon Harvey Cushing, professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, Harvard and Yale, and Katharine Stone (née Crowell). Barbara grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her older sisters Mary and Betsey both married into money and prestige: Mary Cushing was the second wife of Vincent Astor, and Betsey Cushing married James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and then later John Hay Whitney. Together, they were known by the public as by the media as the "fabulous Cushing sisters."


title: Babe Paley

text: As a student at the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut, Paley was presented as a debutante in October 1934 in Boston, with Roosevelt's sons in attendance. Her debut drew attention during the Great Depression and marked the beginning of her social career. She graduated from Winsor School in Boston in 1934.


title: Babe Paley

text: In 1938, Paley began working as a fashion editor for "Vogue" in New York City. Her position at "Vogue" gave her access to designer clothes, often given in exchange for Paley's high-profile image. In 1941, "Time" magazine voted her the world's second-best dressed woman after Wallis Simpson and before Aimée de Heeren. She was also named to the best-dressed list in 1945 and 1946.


title: Babe Paley

text: Paley set about to curate an ideal social world for herself. The couple had an apartment at the St. Regis and hired interior designer Billy Baldwin to decorate. She and Paley lived there during the week, while weekends were spent at Kiluna Farm, on in Manhasset, Long Island, where a succession of landscape architects and garden designers beautified the grounds. The more distant retreat, Kiluna North, on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, was purchased in 1957; there they entertained celebrities who welcomed the privacy.


title: Babe Paley

text: Though the antisemitic prejudices of society excluded the Paleys from a number of important social functions and exclusive clubs, the Paleys nevertheless kept a circle of high-society friends that included author Truman Capote and fellow socialite Slim Keith. Capote included Paley and Keith in his group of "swans" (a group of New York socialites) along with Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli, and C.Z. Guest. Paley famously dropped Capote as a friend when he published excerpts of his much-touted work in progress, "Answered Prayers", a tell-all of New York's elite.


title: Babe Paley

text: In addition to entertaining, Paley maintained her position on the best-dressed list fourteen times before being inducted into the Fashion Hall of Fame in 1958. She regularly bought entire haute couture collections from famed fashion houses like Givenchy and Valentino SpA. Her style influenced many women, but as Bill Blass once observed, "I never saw her not grab anyone's attention, the hair, the makeup, the crispness. You were never conscious of what she was wearing; you noticed Babe and nothing else."


title: Babe Paley

text: Her personal, unconventional style was enormously influential. A photograph of Paley with a scarf tied to her handbag, for example, created a trendy tidal wave that millions of women emulated. She often mixed extravagant jewelry by Fulco di Verdura and Jean Schlumberger with costume pieces and embraced letting her hair go gray instead of using dye.


title: Babe Paley

text: While working at "Vogue", she met and married oil heir Stanley Grafton Mortimer Jr. (1913–1999), the brother of Katharine Mortimer and both of an old and prominent New York family, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, New York, in 1940. Before their marriage ended by 1946, she and Mortimer had two children:


title: Babe Paley

text: Several retrospectives have claimed that Babe neglected her children while in pursuit of social status and depended upon the wealth of her husbands to support her lavish lifestyle. Her daughter Amanda has admitted that their relationship was "virtually nonexistent" and that the distance "was her choice, not mine".


title: Babe Paley

text: After her divorce from Mortimer, she received a settlement based on a trust fund. In 1946, she met William "Pasha" Paley (1901–1990), who was estranged from his wife Dorothy Hart Hearst (1908–1998), herself the former wife of John Randolph Hearst. Paley was wealthy, with an interest in the arts and a desire to be a part of New York's café society. With Babe's social connections, Paley stood a greater chance of being granted entrée into a society which, until that time, had effectively shut him out. For Babe, Paley offered wealth, security, and worldliness. Following Paley's divorce on July 24, 1947, Babe and Paley were married (the following year, her ex-husband also remarried to Kathleen Harriman, the daughter of W. Averell Harriman). Together, Babe and Bill had two additional children:


title: Babe Paley

text: By many biographers' accounts, Paley was lonely and frustrated as William Paley carried on a chain of extramarital affairs. This psychological battering took its toll on her and her family. She was constantly under the scrutiny of society and the media, who pressed her to maintain the unrealistic image of a social and fashion goddess. These external pressures, as well as a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit, finally affected her health.


title: Babe Paley

text: A heavy smoker, Paley was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974. In preparation for her impending death, she planned her own funeral, including the food and wine selections that would be served at the funeral luncheon. She allocated her jewelry collection and personal belongings to friends and family, wrapped them in colorful paper, and created a complete file system with directions as to how they would be distributed after her death.


title: Babe Paley

text: Paley died of lung cancer on July 6, 1978, a day after her 63rd birthday. She was buried in the Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Church, Cold Spring Harbor, New York. On his death in 1990, Bill Paley was buried next to her.


title: Babe Paley

text: Long after her death, Paley remains iconic in the world of fashion and style. "Babe Paley had only one fault," commented her one-time friend Truman Capote. "She was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect."


title: Babe Paley

text: Many fashion designers and interior decorators continue to reference Paley's style in their own creations.


title: Babe Paley

text: The 1969 Jacqueline Susann novel "The Love Machine" includes the characters Judith and Gregory Austin, a socialite and television network CEO, purportedly based on Babe and William Paley. Dyan Cannon portrayed Judith in the 1971 film adaptation.


title: Babe Paley

text: The 2016 Melanie Benjamin novel "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" depicts Paley alongside Truman Capote and Slim Keith.


title: IGG Inc.

text: IGG Inc. (I Got Games, also previously known as Internet Gaming Gate) is a Chinese video game developer and publisher. The company was founded in 2006 in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. IGG is now headquartered in Singapore, namely "IGG Singapore Pte. Ltd." (formerly "Sky Union Pte. Ltd."), since 2009 and has branches in China, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Belarus, Thailand, Philippines and Hong Kong.


title: IGG Inc.

text: IGG is best known for the development of mobile games such as "Lords Mobile", "Castle Clash", "Clash of Lords", and for formerly publishing various massively multiplayer online games in North America.


title: IGG Inc.

text: IGG primarily focuses on the research and development of video games and software, but is also not limited to its other functions of business such as operations, product promotions and e-commerce. Mobile games are by far IGG's biggest products, which include Lords Mobile. MMORPGs include GodsWar Online, Voyage Century Online, Wonderland Online, Tales of Pirates, Myth War Online. IGG has also developed multiple streaming platforms such as WeGamers and Pocketlive.


title: IGG Inc.

text: On October 18, 2013 IGG was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, followed by an official transfer on July 7, 2015 from being on the GEM board to the Main Board with the current stock number of 799.HK.


title: IGG Inc.

text: In January 2016 IGG was voted as the "Most Promising HKEx Listed Companies" in the 13th China's Financial Annual Champion Awards. In the selection of Top 50 Global Mobile Game Company held by Pocket Gamer, IGG ranked the 17th. In May, it launched new game "Lords Mobile" in North American, ranked TOP 2 in American IOS F2P list.


title: IGG Inc.

text: Free-to-play, also known as F2P or FtP, refers to video games which give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying. Since the company's creation, games of IGG has traditionally followed a freemium model where players can play a fully functional game for free, but also have the opportunity to upgrade their gaming experience through a variety of microtransactions. While supporters argue that F2P games give the players more financial freedom as to how much each individual player wants to play, critics of the system have claimed that the F2P model unfairly favors players who spend more on each game as shown by all games of this type across all the available platforms.


title: IGG Inc.

text: "WeGamers" is a social app launched in June 2016 to help players of IGG games to become more connected. Players can use this app as a way to discuss game strategies, to call for other players when in battle, or to simply chat like any other social app. "Link Messenger" is a messenger app launched in December 2015. Contrary to WeGamers, this app is similar to other messaging apps and not specifically targeted for the gaming community.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Gravity Rush, known in Japan as Gravity Daze, is a 2012 action-adventure video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Gravity division and published worldwide by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. Gravity Rush Remastered, a high definition remaster developed by Bluepoint Games for the PlayStation 4 was released in 2015 in Japan and 2016 in the West. In "Gravity Rush", players control Kat, an amnesiac with the power to manipulate how gravity affects her, and uses her powers to help the people of Hekseville against the mysterious Nevi, helping its people against threats and uncovering the mystery behind her past. Gameplay has Kat exploring the open world of Hekseville, completing missions for townsfolk and defeating Nevi. Navigation and combat heavily involve Kat's gravity-altering abilities.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Beginning development for PlayStation 3 in 2008 under the title "Gravité" before moving to the Vita, "Gravity Rush" was conceived by director Keiichiro Toyama prior to his work on "Silent Hill" and the "Siren" series. The team overcame technical challenges due to the gameplay and chosen hardware. The world, story and artistic style drew from Japanese and Western comics including the work of French artist Jean Giraud. The music was composed by Kohei Tanaka, who worked on the project from an early stage. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews; praise went to the art style and Kat's portrayal, but aspects of gameplay and control issues were criticized. The game went on to sell 200,000 copies worldwide. The remaster also released to positive reviews, focusing on its successful upgrade. A sequel, "Gravity Rush 2", was released in 2017.


title: Gravity Rush

text: "Gravity Rush" is an action-adventure video game in which players take the role of Kat, a young woman who can manipulate how gravity affects her, allowing her to walk on walls and fly through the air. Kat navigates the game's open world of Hekseville both on foot using roads and walkways, and using her powers; activating Kat's abilities, the player tilts the PlayStation Vita, aiming Kat and allowing her to "fall" in that direction. Kat can use her abilities to walk on vertical surfaces or areas such as ceilings and the underside of structures. Kat's gravity-based abilities are tied to an energy meter which decreases when her powers are active. When fully depleted, Kat's powers deactivate until the meter recharges.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Combat takes place either on the ground or with Kat using her powers against enemies. When on the ground, Kat attacks by kicking enemies in their weak spots. When using her powers, Kat can rotate and aim at those weak spots. Increasing Kat's distance before using her powers increases the amount of damage. Some abilities used in combat, such as the ability to locate and lock onto weak points, are tied to a cooldown timer which must replenish before being used again.


title: Gravity Rush

text: During navigation, Kat can find three types of pick-ups; blue cubes which restore her energy and allow prolonged use of her gravity powers; green crystals which restore health; and pink crystals which act as the game's currency. These gems are rewarded by completing quests given by non-player characters (NPCs), and can be used to buy and upgrade new abilities for Kat, or attributes such as health and energy. Quests include escorting NPCs, fighting packs of enemies, and making deliveries. During these and other types of quest, Kat can use a particular ability to pick up objects and carry them with her as she navigates Hekseville. Some areas require Kat to navigate platforming sections, which grant access to new abilities tied to the story.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The game opens with an amnesiac Kat waking up in Hekseville, a floating city around a structure called the World Pillar. Kat is accompanied by a mysterious cat named Dusty; in saving a boy from being swept up in a gravity storm, she discovers that Dusty has the ability to manipulate how gravity affects her, enabling her to help people fight monsters spawned from the storms called Nevi. After saving Syd, a police officer who becomes her friend, she learns that those with her powers are dubbed "Shifters" by Hekseville's people. As she begins helping the city's denizens, she is confronted by fellow Shifter Raven, who sees her as an enemy. Kat becomes involved in operations to catch Alias, a criminal linked to the Nevi — she eventually defeats him, sending him into a garbage crusher where he is killed. Alongside this, Kat helps restore sections of Hekseville swallowed by spatial rifts with the aid of Gade, a man who claims to be a "Creator". Kat restores all of Hekseville despite further interference from Raven, who apparently dies during a fight with Kat. Her exploits earn her the name "Gravity Queen". Following Alias' defeat and the return of the final missing part of Hekseville, Kat is offered a place in the city's military if she will follow orders of its commander, Yuri Gerneaux, but she refuses.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Kat then meets a woman who dropped the last letter she received from her deceased boyfriend over the edge of Hekseville. To find it, she travels inside the World Pillar, a gigantic column that supports Hekseville and stretches from the sky to below the clouds. On her way down, her Shifter powers fade, and she is confronted by Raven, but the two are attacked by Nushi, a giant Nevi. Kat wakes to find herself captive in Boutoume, a city beneath the Pillar, where a group of children are living under the protection of their leader Zaza. Kat and Raven help protect the children from Nushi, but they learn that the dark sea beneath Boutoume is slowly rising. One of the children, Cyanea, later confronts Kat — in a trance, while possessed by a being called a Dream Guardian, she reveals herself to be the Creator of the world through her dreams, and sends Kat into a dream where she learns that she is from a higher part of the World Pillar where she held a powerful position and suffered due to a great burden.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Having regained some of her forgotten power, Kat activates a ship called the Ark, which can transport everyone back to Hekseville. As the Ark launches after Kat beats back Nushi, Kat learns that Raven was originally one of the children trapped in Boutoume, and that she had been told by Hekseville's city alderman D'nelica not to retrieve them. On the way up, Kat succumbs to exhaustion and is separated from the Ark. Making her way back up the World Pillar, she ends up receiving the letter she was sent for from the boyfriend's ghost. Returning to Hekseville, she finds that a whole year has passed due to the temporal distortions experienced in the lower parts of the World Pillar—under constant Nevi attacks, Hekseville has come under martial law and D'nelica has become its mayor. Kat is forced to fight Nushi one last time, before it is destroyed by an enhanced military operative called Yunica. Syd has become part of the military after its absorption of the civilian police forces. Offered a second chance to join the military efforts against the Nevi, Kat again refuses. She is then asked by a scientist to help gather data about the Nevi, but it is a ruse to find out more about her Shifter powers.


title: Gravity Rush

text: After suffering from a nightmare about Alias, Kat wakes to find that Cyanea has reappeared, although Raven and the rest of the children are still missing. Attending a rally with Gade and Syd where D'nelica unveils the Nevi-destroying weapon Sea Anemone, Kat responds to a Nevi attack and is captured by Yunica together with Dusty. As Syd attempts to free her, the Sea Anemone — which was constructed with a Nevi core as part of D'nelica's plan to control both Hekseville and the Nevi — goes berserk and begins attacking the city. Cyanea's Dream Guardian self decides to intervene and frees Dusty, who subsequently frees Kat. Kat manages to damage the Sea Anemone, first with help from Yunica, who uses her mechanical weapons to damage its armor; then from Cyanea and Gade as they combine their powers with Kat's to summon the Ark as a missile. D'nelica activates the Sea Anemone's self-destruct function, heedless of the collateral damage, but Kat, Raven and Yunica are able to stop it before that happens, and fling it at Neu Hiraleon, where it explodes. The people hail Kat as their savior, while calling for the wounded D'nelica's resignation for his part of the fiasco. The children within the Ark remain in stasis, with Cyanea saying they will wake to help restore light to the world; D'nelica learns Kat's original identity through a red crystal in his possession; and Gerneaux remembers a prophecy about a harbinger of catastrophe falling from the world above, referring to Kat's appearance.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The initial concept for "Gravity Rush" came to Keiichiro Toyama during the beginning of his video game career when he joined Konami. His initial idea was a vague image of people floating in space, with later concepts and ideas forming over time. Due to his work first at Konami as director for "Silent Hill", Toyama was labelled as a horror game director, leading him to work for Sony Computer Entertainment on the "Siren" series working out of the company's Japan Studio development team. As "" was nearing completion, and noting the combination of increasing costs and decreasing revenue for horror games, Toyama decided to prove his ability to design outside the horror genre and turn his concept for "Gravity Rush" into a video game. Toyama pitched "Gravity Rush" to Sony in April 2008 as a "gravity action" game for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) under the title "Gravité". It was a title aimed at hardcore gamers which would be expanded with downloadable content (DLC). The main staff were made up of veterans of Toyama's "Siren" series.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Full production began following the completion of "Siren: Blood Curse" in mid-2008. When creating the project, the team combined the concepts of gravity manipulation and a protagonist flying through the air, with the gameplay being inspired by Toyama's experience with the Sixaxis wireless controller prior to the PS3's retail release. When creating the first prototype, the team used character models from "Siren: Blood Curse" to test the gravity-based physics. Development on the PS3 version ran between 2008 and 2009, with a concept video to help the team finalize the art style and gameplay being put together using Autodesk Maya during 2008. The team were implementing the Sixaxis controller as part of the gameplay. During 2009, Toyama received information about the Vita—then in development and known internally as "Next Gen Portable"—so he could test its capabilities. Impressed by the Vita's gyroscope system and its potential application to the gravity-based action of "Gravity Rush", and further encouraged by SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida, Toyama decided to shift development to the Vita.


title: Gravity Rush

text: When the project was being designed for PS3, the team felt confident they could match their concept video as the console had been out for two years prior to "Gravity Rush" beginning development, the team saw and encountered little difficulty working with the established hardware. The main issues faced by the team were the size of the game world, the amount of content, and how to program the game. When development shifted to the Vita, which was still in development and had no set hardware specifications, the staff size dropped and the team had to reassess their priorities as they needed to help demonstrate the platform's unique features with the game. Initially the Vita was expected to have similar capabilities to the PS3, allowing the team to carry over their previous development experience. When they realized that the Vita had far less power than the PS3, they needed to reassess the project, leading to their previous work being scrapped. Difficulties with the Vita's still-fluctuating hardware specifications during the first year of development forced Project Siren to develop the game on Microsoft Windows personal computers, a rarity for first-party Sony developers. By January 2011, the game was running on the Vita hardware and the team focused on polishing the graphics and gameplay. The pressure to create a first-party Vita title in time for the platform's year of release put a large burden on the development team. A moment Toyama remembered later was when the Vita was publicly revealed, which saw "Gravity Rush" announced as part of the platform's launch line-up; due to the game suffering from unresolved frame rate problems, Toyama felt anxious about completing the game.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Toyama's greatest inspiration on the gameplay of "Gravity Rush" was "Crackdown", influencing the upgrade system and open world. During early stages, the team contemplated giving players safe areas within which the gravity manipulation would play out similar to a puzzle, but test player feedback led to the gravity-based navigation being applied to an open world. The team discarded the concept of fall damage. Toyama had the team watch the film "Hancock" as a reference for Kat's "sluggish" movement through the air. The lack of a targeting reticle or automated aiming was included partially to focus player attention on the Vita's gyroscope functions and to prevent the game from being too easy. The touchscreen controls were intended to play a larger role in combat, but Toyama found the result more difficult to control and so restricted it to dodging. The map design, which used a simple 2D design, was meant to ease navigation for players exploring the city from above using Kat's powers. The most difficult gameplay move for the team was the Gravity Slide.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The decision to have an open world town caused the gravity manipulation mechanic to become the basis of nearly all gameplay elements. During early testing, the team created small test areas such as enclosed rooms and tunnels, first determining what cues to give players about which was up and down when manipulating gravity. To this end, they included flying vehicles, distinct architectural styles with clear tops and bottoms, and other elements such as the movements of people and how Kat's clothing behaves. A major issue with the gameplay was ensuring the environments had proper collision detection; while most games had multiple inaccessible areas which lacked collision detection, the gravity mechanic meant that the player could navigate a larger number of surfaces in the game, necessitating increased focus on ensuring collision detection for all surfaces worked as intended. During this period, the team used Havok software when testing both collision and the behavior of destructible elements. Kat's moveset during her navigation and combat used a combination of hand-animated and physics-based movements. The game used Sony's in-house PhyreEngine.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The game was designed to run consistently at 30 frames per second, with lower resolution graphics being used to allow both a consistent frame rate and quicker loading for environments. The team worked with Sony to create several graphical tricks, such as false reflections from character eyes during real-time cutscenes and transparent elements in the scenery, to keep the frame rate high while not compromising the game's graphical quality. The final game featured 300,000 polygons per frame, sitting between the standard polygon counts of the PlayStation 2 and the PS3; including shadow elements and other aspects, the polygon count expanded to the point that the team feared they could not maintain a steady frame rate. In response, they devises a type of polygon culling where graphics hidden by other nearer objects had their polygon count greatly decreased, with separate layers of culling for both the in-game camera perspective and its peripheral area, which was further enhanced using the game's ambient occlusion. A version of this system was also applied to the lighting engine, controlling where light and shadow effects needed to be during movement through the environment. Due to the game's graphics and its platform limitations, a special shader system was used for character model lighting so as to preserve both realistic lighting and the cel shaded graphics. Another unique shader was used for the game's pickups, giving them a translucent quality. The result enabled graphical quality comparable to the PS3, as the culling and shader technology worked around the Vita's hardware limitations.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The scenario was written by Naoko Sato. The basic story and the script for some scenes were written by Toyama. The central story concept of two rival characters with similar superpowers was taken from comic books of the 1970s, with Toyama comparing the scenario to "Hancock", "The Bionic Woman" and "Majokko Megu-chan". The shift to Vita and the consideration of the game's Western market drastically impacted the game's story and presentation. To appeal to as broad a market as possible, the narrative and presentation were modeled after both Japanese anime and Western comic book narratives, in addition to the comic book influences. Despite being a direct shift from the dark tone of the "Siren" series, Toyama used the similar premise of a protagonist getting involved in a crisis in a strange town. The world's fictional language was seen as another potential problem when appealing to the Western market. A central theme in the story was Kat's growth as a character through her hardships, acting as a metaphor and medium for commentary on the modern class system and examining a stagnating world system. The Japanese title "Gravity Daze" was designed to both communicate the game's gravity-based premise and give an impression of strangeness. The long subtitle was meant to be impressive, with Toyama using the subtitle for "Dr. Strangelove" for inspiration. Due to production deadlines, the team had to cut much of the intended later narrative.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Toyama based the main protagonist on characters from American comic books such as Batman. The choice of a female protagonist proved difficult to implement, as research at the time showed games with female leads selling less in the West. Kat's personality was based on Toyama's own view of the world and ways of talking with people. Kat's young age factored into this; while young protagonists were a norm in Japan partially due to the culture of purity surrounding them, in the West having a young protagonist was contentious for multiple reasons. After consulting with Western Sony staff, it was decided to keep the female Kat as the main protagonist, with Sato designing Kat so she would appeal to a wide audience. To make Kat more appealing, Sato chose simple and well-known story tropes for Kat's storyline—such as her amnesia, solving a central mystery, and helping Hekseville's people—in addition to allowing players to hear Kat's inner thoughts during conversations and story cutscenes. Sato greatly decreased the amount of violence from the first draft while preserving the meaning of story scenes. A cited example of this was a scene where Sid came upon Kat bathing; while in the game Sid slipped and fell, in the original draft Kat would have kicked him, a style of physical humor common in Japanese anime but seen as unpopular overseas. The Nevi were designed to combine geometric shapes with the "feeling of life". The minor characters of Kat's cat and Raven's crow companions were intended to evoke history through their appearance and lack of expressive features.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The art director for "Gravity Rush" was Yoshiaki Yamaguchi, who had previously worked on the "Siren" series. Yamaguchi created the initial drafts of the game's planned female protagonist before Kat was created. When creating the town of Hekseville, Yamaguchi drew directly from comics, using line drawing to exaggerate building outlines and choosing unusual environmental colors. The core concept for the game's environments was "Living Background", presenting the game's comic book influences within a moving background. The effect was created using multiple shaders and different environmental effect layers. The process was draining for the relatively small team assigned with creating the graphics. The main characters were designed by Shunsuke Saito. Kat's design reflected the wish to appeal to Western players; her proportions, face and hair were more realistic than what many expected of Japanese character designs. The key words for Kat's design were "ninja", "strong woman" and "unknown nationality". Kat went through multiple drafts, with her final design meant to have no exact origin and hold an exotic quality similar to popular female game heroine Lara Croft. Enemy designs were by Takeshi Oga, while NPC designs are being handled by Yukiko Itano. The game's concept and cover art were created by Oga. When creating the cover art, Oga worked to convey the setting and gameplay elements of "Gravity Rush".


title: Gravity Rush

text: The style and cel shaded graphics of "Gravity Rush" was influenced by Franco-Belgian comics, with Toyama citing artists Jean Giraud and Enki Bilal as direct inspiration. The choice allowed a combination of realism and fantastic elements that Yamaguchi felt was unique to the style. Another influence on the world design was the film "The Fifth Element". The concept of "Gravity Rush" stemmed from a scene from "The Incal", a graphic novel series illustrated by Giraud; several scenes showed characters falling through space, scenes which Toyama later emulated within "Gravity Rush". The world's culture was based on modern-day cities, while the buildings and streets of Hekseville were based on towns and cities from Northern and Eastern Europe, combining old buildings with modern transport. Specific influences were the cities of Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Its design began with the World Pillar being at its center, then the rest of the city grew around it around the concept of a fixed time period for the whole city to allow for the creation of interesting locations. The game's spoken dialogue used a constructed language which sounded similar to French; Toyama created the language based on Giraud's bande dessinée work and his observations that Japanese dubs of French movies felt "natural". A constructed writing system, made mainly from English and romanized Japanese with letters removed in certain positions, was used for maps, in-world signage, and visual sound effects.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The music was composed by Kohei Tanaka, noted for his work both in anime and on video games such as the "Sakura Wars" series and "Resonance of Fate". Arrangements were done by Tanaka, Keiji Inai and Yasuhisa Murase. Tanaka was brought on board the project as Toyama felt Tanaka was the only one who could recall the orchestral melodies of animations from the 1970s. Similar to his work on the "Sakura Wars" series, Tanaka began working on the soundtrack from early on in development, resulting in Tanaka's work influencing the development of gameplay. Tanaka used a mixture of acoustic orchestra, electric guitar and bass, drums, and saxophone; in addition, he used a Synthesound board to create more experimental sounds. Rather than sticking to a single musical genre, Tanaka mixed genres to emulate the world and gameplay of "Gravity Rush". While some songs were completed and approved quickly, others required several retakes and Tanaka sometimes had to defend his work from outside criticism. A particular concern for Tanaka was that the looping environmental tracks would not become tiresome for players.


title: Gravity Rush

text: The ending theme "Douse Shinundakara" was composed by Tanaka and arranged by Murase. The lyrics—which used the game's constructed language—were written by Toyama, while the theme was sung by Masako Toda. Toyama wrote the lyrics based on a portion of the game's script which saw Kat transported through an introspective vision about her past. At the time of writing, production was not going smoothly and Toyama was feeling frustrated and more conscious of death in the wake of a severe earthquake in Japan in 2011. Realizing that death was inevitable and that people should enjoy the moment, Toyama wrote the lyrics to imply this message. Toyama was worried during the recording process due to the lyrics being fictional, but Tanaka advised Toda to sing the song as if she were humming a tune in a bar.


title: Gravity Rush

text: An official album release, "Gravity Daze Official Soundtrack", was published by Team Entertainment on March 21, 2012. The album has received positive reviews from music critics.


title: Gravity Rush

text: "Gravity Rush" was announced under its Japanese title "Gravity Daze" as part of the unveiling of the Vita, being announced alongside titles such as "" and "LittleBigPlanet PS Vita". The game released in Japan on February 9, 2012. The game also released in Mainland Asia the following day. Following the game's release, updates were issued which addressed graphical and behavioral problems. Between March and April 2012, "Gravity Rush" received three DLC packs; each includes a new outfit for Kat, two side mission, and two challenge missions.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Sony continued to promote the title in the coming months, including launching a commercial featuring Japanese idol and actress Akari Hayami; the commercial featured Hayami performing the same gravity manipulation as Kat. Hayami filmed the commercial after finishing school one day, although she still had to change into a new school costume despite wearing a uniform. She enjoyed the filming despite having to be suspended from wires for several sequences; after shooting was completed, the staff gave her a Vita and copy of the game.


title: Gravity Rush

text: In the West, the game was originally announced under its Japanese title, later referred to under the title "Gravity" when it was shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011. Its English title "Gravity Rush" was revealed in August of that year. A game demo was released for the West in May 2012. The game released in North America on June 12, in Europe on June 15, and in Australia on June 14. One of the Japanese DLC packs was released as a pre-order bonus, with the other two being post-release paid DLC.


title: Gravity Rush

text: A high definition remaster for PlayStation 4 titled "Gravity Rush Remastered" was announced in September 2015; in addition to generally upgrading the title for the new console, it included all DLC released for the Vita version. The remaster was developed by Bluepoint Games, a studio which had earned a reputation for high-quality remasters such as "The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection". One of the main reasons for making the remaster was Toyama's wish to bring "Gravity Rush" to a wider audience. In addition to increasing the frame rate, the team were able to implement upgrades to the lighting, blur effects, draw distance and graphics engine. The character models were upgraded to the type used in the game's in-development sequel. The game released on December 10, 2015 in Japan; on February 9, 2016 in North America; and on February 10 in Europe. In Australia, the game released on February 3. Originally announced as a digital exclusive in North America, a limited physical edition was released exclusively through Amazon.com.


title: Gravity Rush

text: "Famitsu" called the setting "outstanding"; while Destructoid's Jim Sterling said that while Kat was an "adorable" protagonist, the story became nonsensical by the second half. "Edge Magazine" said the story provided "an engaging blend of eccentric nonsense", providing engaging scenarios for Kat while also praising her for breaking away from the physical superhero norms. Mollie L. Patterson "Electronic Gaming Monthly" praised Kat as a protagonist, while Christian Donlan of Eurogamer praised the writing, narrative, and the light tone adopted to tell the story. GamesRadar's Lucas Sullivan likewise enjoyed Kat as a protagonist and praised the cast, while Dan Ryckert of "Game Informer" felt that the story quickly lost focus and left the player wanting. GameSpots Carolyn Petit felt that the game left too many mysteries unanswered. Greg Miller of IGN greatly enjoyed Kat's characterization and the opening segments of the story, but shared Petit's criticisms of the ending. "Official PlayStation Magazine"s Louise Blain called Kat a "perfect, charmingly reluctant heroine", but said that trying to describe the story would be like "trying to explain five seasons of "Fringe" in one sentence".


title: Gravity Rush

text: Speaking about the gameplay, "Famitsu" enjoyed the sensation of navigating the city, and praised the sense of freedom despite noting control issues. Sterling enjoyed exploring the city, but found the combat cumbersome and mission objectives repetitive. "Edge" likewise enjoyed exploring the city and positively compared the wall walking segments to climbing in "Crackdown", and despite finding aspects of general gameplay and combat weak did not feel this brought down the experience too much. Patterson was positive overall, saying that while there were some elements that seemed underdeveloped, the overall experience was highly enjoyable and left her wanting more. Donlan called combat "simple but satisfying" and praised both the exploration and controls, while Ryckert enjoyed general exploration and combat while finding most side activities "basic". Petit enjoyed exploring the city, but found combat tedious and felt that the game's pacing was bogged down by uninteresting side activities. Sullivan found aspects of the control scheme took some time to master, but generally enjoyed the gameplay. Miller praised the gravity-based gameplay, but called some later missions frustrating. Blain praised the controls and found the gravity-based gameplay generally entertaining.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Both "Famitsu" and "Edge" praised the visuals; "Edge" positively called them a "Ghibli-meets-Dickens" stylistic blend. Sullivan likewise positively compared both the music and the visuals to the work of Studio Ghibli. His one warning was that it was not for people who suffered from motion sickness. Patterson praised the comic book artstyle, technical polish and the music, calling the latter "beautifully produced, [fitting] the fantastical setting" Both Donlan and Ryckert shared praise for the general aesthetic and structure of the game world. Petit praised the cutscenes' comic panel style and called the overall visuals "beautiful". Miller praised the soundtrack and visuals, but found the draw distance was too short. Blain positively noted the structure of the game's city environments, and praised the cutscenes.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Reviewing the Asian English release of "Remastered", Josh Tolentino of Destructoid praised the technical upgrade despite it still being clearly a Vita game, but criticized the lack of new content. Patterson, again reviewing for "Electronic Gaming Monthly", echoed her praise for the original game and said that the upgrade to PS4 and the technical upgrades had made the experience even better for her. IGNs Marty Silva said that the game's art style and smooth framerate allowed it to hold its own despite its age, but did not enjoy the motion control options. He called it the best way of experiencing "Gravity Rush". Justin Towell of GamesRadar also gave the remastering praise, noting its graphics and improved sense of scale, but criticizing persistent camera difficulties experienced in the original. Oli Welsh, writing for Eurogamer, praised "Remastered" as standing among Bluepoint Studio's better efforts, praising its visual and technical upgrades despite the simplistic design dragging down the experience. GameSpot's Peter Brown likewise praised the upgrade to the graphics.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Upon its debut in Japan, "Gravity Rush" reached second place on game charts, selling over 43,400 units and coming in behind the PlayStation Portable (PSP) title "". While a strong start for the game, Vita sales had dropped from the previous week and were behind both the PSP and the Nintendo 3DS. By March, the game had sold over 100,000 units in the region, including both digital downloads and physical shipments. While no exact figures were given, sales in Mainland Asia were also said to be positive. In the United Kingdom, "Gravity Rush" reached ninth place in the "UK Individual Platforms Top 10" in its week of release. By August 2012, "Gravity Rush" had sold 200,000 units worldwide.


title: Gravity Rush

text: "Gravity Rush Remastered" reached tenth place in the charts with just over 25,000 units sold. While low compared to other debuts that week, its status as a remaster with few additions factored into this figure. A different sales estimate placed the game in thirteenth place with a little under 20,000 units. In the United Kingdom, the game failed to reach the top 20 best-selling titles of that week despite a lower price tag than other new releases, coming in at thirty-fourth place.


title: Gravity Rush

text: Keiichiro Toyama expressed interest in developing a sequel to "Gravity Rush". After receiving the Tokyo Game Show 2012 TGS Game of the Year award, and receiving congratulations from fans Toyama said, "I'll do my best on the sequel". The sequel, titled "Gravity Rush 2", was announced on Sony's TGS 2015 press conference and was released in the United States in 2017 for the PlayStation 4.


title: Gravity Rush

text: After the release Kat was added to the "Everybody's Golf 6" roster as downloadable content. Kat, Raven, Alias, and Yunica were added as a costume pack for "LittleBigPlanet 2", "LittleBigPlanet PS Vita", and "LittleBigPlanet Karting". Kat is a playable character in "PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale", available as downloadable content. and made a cameo appearance in "Astro's Playroom" (2020).


title: Gravity Rush

text: A film adaptation directed by Anna Mastro and written by Emily Jerome was reported to be in development at PlayStation Productions and Scott Free Productions.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Turkey in the Straw" is an American folk song that first gained popularity in the 19th century. Early versions of the song were titled "Zip Coon", which were first published around 1834 and performed in minstrel shows, with different people claiming authorship of the song. The melody of "Zip Coon" later became known as "Turkey in the Straw"; a song titled "Turkey in de Straw" with different music and lyrics was published in 1861 together with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" added at the end, and the title "Turkey in the Straw" then became linked to the tune of "Zip Coon".


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: The song is related to a number of tunes of the 19th century and the origin of these songs has been widely debated. Links to older Irish/Scottish/English ballads have been proposed, such as "The Old Rose Tree". The song became highly popular and many variations of the song exist. It was also frequently adapted and used in popular media. A song based the tune of "Turkey in the Straw", "Nigger Love a Watermelon, Ha! Ha! Ha!", has been described as having the "most racist song title".


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Turkey in the Straw" is thought to be originally a tune from 19th century minstrel shows, "Zip Coon" or "Old Zip Coon", published around 1834. The authorship of the song has been claimed by George Washington Dixon who popularized the song, and Bob Farrell and George Nicholls. "Zip Coon" in turn has been linked to a number of 19th folk songs believed to have older antecedents in Irish/Scottish/English folk songs. Songs proposed to be linked to include "Natchez Under the Hill", "The Old Bog Hole", "The Rose Tree", "Sugar in the Gourd", "The Black Eagle", "Glasgow Hornpipe", "Haymaker's Dance", "The Post Office", "Old Mother Oxford", "Kinnegad Slasher" and others.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: Eloise Hubbard Linscott believes that the first part of the song is a contrafactum of the ballad "My Grandmother Lived on Yonder Little Green", published in 1857 by Horace Waters, which is in turn said to be a contrafactum of the Irish/Scottish/English ballad "The Old Rose Tree" published by at least 1795 in Great Britain. The link to "The Old Rose Tree" has been questioned, but a number of musicologists suggest that it may be a composite of "The Rose Tree" and "The (Bonny) Black Eagle". Similar tune was popular with fiddle players as early as 1820, and the tune of "Turkey in the Straw"/"Zip Coon" may have come from the fiddle tune "Natchez Under the Hill" believed to have adapted from "Rose Tree".


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Turkey in the Straw" later became linked to the tune of "Zip Coon" in an unusual way. According to James J. Fuld, Dan Bryant copyright a song with new lyrics and music titled "Turkey in the Straw" on July 12, 1861, but with the wordless music of "Zip Coon" (but titled "Old Melody") attached at the end.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: There are versions from the American Civil War, versions about fishing and one with nonsense verses. Folklorists have documented folk versions with obscene lyrics from the 19th century.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: Another version is called "Natchez Under the Hill". The lyrics are thought to have been added by Bob Farrell who first performed them in a blackface act on August 11, 1834.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: In 1942, a soundie titled, "Turkey in the Straw" was created by Freddie Fisher and The Schnickelfritz Band (directed by Sam Coslow and produced by Josef Berne). There are two versions to the chorus that are sung. The first goes:


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: The title of "Zip Coon" or "Old Zip Coon" was used to signify a dandified free black man in northern United States. "Zip" was a diminutive of "Scipio", a name commonly used for slaves. According to Stuart Flexner, "coon" was short for "raccoon" and by 1832 meant a frontier rustic and by 1840 also a Whig. At that time, "coon" was typically used to refer to someone white, it was only in 1848 when a clear use of the word "coon" to refer to a black person in a derogative sense appeared. It is possible that the negative racial connotation of the word may have evolved from "Zip Coon" and the common use of the word "coon" in minstrel shows. An alternative suggestion of the word's origin to mean a black person is that it was derived from "barracoon", an enclosure for slaves in transit increasingly used in the years before American Civil War, but on the stage, "coon" could have been used earlier as a black character was named Raccoon in a 1767 colonial comic opera.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Zip Coon" was sung to the same tune as "Turkey in the Straw", and it was first performed by Bob Farrell, and popularized by George Washington Dixon in the 1830s. This version was first published between 1829 and 1834 in either New York or Baltimore. Dixon, and Bob Farrell and George Nicholls have separately claimed to have written the song, and the dispute is not resolved. Ohio songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett is sometimes erroneously credited as the song's author.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Zip Coon" has a vocal range of an octave and a minor sixth. Both the verse and the chorus end on the tonic, and both begin a major third above the tonic. In the verse, the highest note is a fifth above the tonic and the lowest is a minor sixth below. In the chorus, the highest note is an octave above the last note, and the lowest is the last note itself. The song stays in key throughout.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Zip Coon" has many different lyrical versions. Thomas Birch published a version in 1834, while George Washington Dixon published a version called "Ole Zip Coon" with different lyrics circa 1835. Both Birch's and Dixon's versions keep the same chorus and the first four stanzas:


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: In subsequent stanzas, both lyricists talk about events in the life of Andrew Jackson, Birch of President Jackson's battle with the Second Bank of the United States and Dixon of General Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. When the Mexican–American War began, Dixon published a new version of "Zip Coon" with updated lyrics pertaining to the war:


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: The chorus "Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day" likely influenced the song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" in Walt Disney's 1946 adaptation of Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus tales, "Song of the South".


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: Another version of "Old Zip Coon" with new self-referencing lyrics by David K. Stevens (1860–1946) was published in the "Boy Scout Song Book" (1920). Stevens' lyrics contain no direct racial references other than the title of the song itself:


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: "Nigger Love a Watermelon, Ha! Ha! Ha!" is a 1916 adaptation of "Turkey in the Straw", performed by Harry C. Browne and produced by Columbia Records. It has since been named as the most racist song title in the United States for its use of watermelon stereotypes.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: The song was released in March 1916. It was performed by the silent movie actor Harry C. Browne. It was released with "Old Dan Tucker" as a B-side. The music for it was based upon "Turkey in the Straw" and performed with Browne singing baritone whilst playing a banjo with orchestral accompaniment. A contemporary review in July 1916 called it: "... a treat to tickle the musical palates of those who love to listen to the old-time slave-day river songs". Columbia Records continued to promote it up to 1925. The song used racist stereotypes in it with Browne describing watermelons as "colored man's ice-cream".


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: Radio DJ Dr. Demento, who had played older songs with racial overtones on the radio, refused to ever play this song because he felt that the title showed it was always intended to be hateful. In 2014, it was asserted that the jingle used by many ice cream trucks in the United States was based upon this song. It has been argued that this allegation is incorrect, as the "Turkey in the Straw" tune had been used long before this song was created. Nevertheless, because of the association, a number of American ice cream truck companies ceased to use the "Turkey in the Straw" melody for their jingles.


title: Turkey in the Straw

text: Artistic and popular use of "Turkey in the Straw" through the years has established the song as an item of Americana.


title: Darshan Raval

text: Darshan Raval is an Indian singer, composer, actor, and songwriter. He sings predominantly in Hindi along with Gujarati and Telugu. He was the first runner-up in the StarPlus music reality show, "India's Raw Star" in 2014.


title: Darshan Raval

text: In his interviews, he has acknowledged Himesh Reshammiya for helping him launch his career in Bollywood.


title: Darshan Raval

text: Raval was ranked in The Times Most Desirable Men at No. 45 in 2017. He has won awards for Transmedia Gujarati Screen and Stage Award for Best Male Singer.


title: Thérèse Dion

text: Thérèse Tanguay-Dion, (20 March 1927 – 17 January 2020), popularly known as Maman Dion ("Mommy Dion" in French), was a Canadian television personality and the mother of singer Celine Dion.


title: Thérèse Dion

text: She was born on the Gaspé Peninsula, in Saint-Bernard-des-Lacs, Quebec, as was her husband, Adhémar-Charles Dion. Her parents were Antoinette (née Sergerie) and Laureat Achille Tanguay.


title: Thérèse Dion

text: Already well known in Quebec as a stage mother involved in her daughter's career, she later launched her own line of food products, Pâtés de Maman Dion, and became host of a cooking show for TVA. She was also a sponsor of the Fondation Maman Dion which was founded in 2006, an educational foundation which provides school supplies, clothing and eyewear to underprivileged children.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions in London, England. Over three successive weekends between 17 and 30 April 1999, homemade nail bombs were detonated respectively in Brixton in South London; at Brick Lane, Spitalfields, in the East End; and at The Admiral Duncan pub in Soho in the West End. Each bomb contained up to 1,500 nails, in holdalls that were left in public spaces. The bombs killed three people and injured 140 people, four of whom lost limbs.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: On 2 May 1999, the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch charged 22-year-old David Copeland with murder. Copeland, who became known as the "London nail bomber", was a Neo-Nazi militant and a former member of two political groups, the British National Party and then the National Socialist Movement. The bombings were aimed at London's black, Bengali and LGBT communities. Copeland was convicted of murder in 2000 and given six life sentences.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: The first bombing, on Saturday, 17 April 1999, was in Electric Avenue, Brixton, an area of south London with a large black population. The bomb was made using explosives from fireworks, taped inside a sports bag, primed and left at Brixton Market. The Brixton Market traders became suspicious, and one of them, Gary Shilling, moved the bag to a less crowded area after seeing perpetrator Copeland acting suspiciously. Two further moves of the bomb occurred by unconvinced traders, including the bomb being removed from the bag, which is when it ended up next to the Iceland supermarket. Concerned traders called the police, who arrived at the scene just as the bomb detonated at 5:25 pm. Forty-eight people were injured, many of them seriously because of the nails that were packed around the bomb. The explosion was strong, sending nails in all directions, blowing windows and blasting a parked car across the street.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: The second bomb, on the following Saturday, 24 April, was aimed at Brick Lane in the East End of London, which has a large Bangladeshi community. There is a street market on Sundays, but perpetrator Copeland mistakenly tried to plant the bomb on Saturday when the street was less busy. Unwilling to change the timer on the bomb, he instead left it in a black Reebok bag on Hanbury Street. There it was picked up by a man who brought it to the police station on Brick Lane, which was shut. The man had placed it in the boot of his Ford Sierra car which was parked outside number 42 Brick Lane, where it exploded. Thirteen people were injured, and surrounding buildings and cars were severely damaged.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: The third and final bomb was planted and detonated on the evening of Friday, 30 April at The Admiral Duncan pub on Old Compton Street in Soho, the heart of London's gay community. At the time the pub and the street outside were crowded because the evening was the start of a bank holiday weekend. The unattended sports bag containing the bomb, which was taped inside, was noticed by patrons of the Admiral Duncan; however, the bomb exploded at 6:37 pm just as the bag was being investigated by the pub manager, Mark Taylor. Three people were killed and a total of seventy-nine were injured, many of them seriously. Four of the survivors had to have limbs amputated.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: At the pub bombing in Soho, Andrea Dykes, 27, four months pregnant with her first child, died along with her friends and hosts for the evening, Nik Moore, 31, and John Light, 32, who was to be the baby's godfather. Andrea's husband, Julian, whom she married in August 1997, was seriously injured. The four friends from Essex had met up in the Admiral Duncan to celebrate Andrea's pregnancy.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Following the Brixton bombing, officials initially emphasised that IRA involvement was unlikely and that it was more likely to be the work of right-wing terrorists following the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry that was released at the time, or a 'copycat' of Edgar Pearce. On 19 April, Combat 18, a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation, claimed responsibility via telephone. By the time of the Brick Lane bombing a week later, which the police linked with the Brixton bombing, it was clear that a racist entity was behind the attacks. It also ignited fears of racial tensions, particularly after the release of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry in February, and as Brixton was the scene of race riots in 1981.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Although these had been described by the police as specifically race-hate attacks, they had issued a warning that a gay bar could potentially be the bomber's next target, and The Yard – a pub in the Soho area – had displayed a poster warning customers to be alert. On Thursday, 29 April, CCTV footage from the Brixton attack was given wide publicity after an image of the suspected bomber was identified on it. This caused Copeland to bring forward his planned bombing of the Admiral Duncan to Friday evening. Paul Mifsud, a colleague of Copeland, recognised him from the footage and alerted the police about an hour and twenty minutes before the third bombing.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: The Admiral Duncan bombing was linked to the previous ones by police, with far-rightists once again the prime suspects. Two hours after the bomb, the neo-Nazi White Wolves organisation claimed responsibility for the attack. It was feared Jews, Chinese and Irish would be targeted next. Some synagogues stepped up security as a result.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Copeland was arrested that night once the police obtained his address, a rented room in Sunnybank Road, Cove, Hampshire. He admitted carrying out the three bombings as soon as he opened the door to the police, telling them, "Yeah, they were all down to me. I did them on my own." He showed them his room, where two Nazi flags were hanging on a wall, along with a collection of photographs and newspaper stories about bombings.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: In May 2021 the informant 'Arthur' who identified Copeland spoke to "The Guardian" about David Copeland and the contemporary threat from the extreme right.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: In July 2021 the handler of the informant 'Arthur' published an article on the work of the Community Security Trust, which included David Copeland and such work continues now.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: David James Copeland was born on 15 May 1976, in Hanworth in the London Borough of Hounslow, to a working-class couple. His father was an engine driver and his mother was a housewife. Copeland lived for most of his childhood with his parents and two brothers in Yateley in Hampshire, attending Yateley School, where he obtained seven GCSEs before leaving in 1992. Journalist Nick Ryan wrote that, as a teenager, Copeland feared he was homosexual; when his parents sang along to "The Flintstones" theme on television—"we'll have a gay old time"—he reportedly believed they were sending him a message. As an older teenager, he began listening to heavy metal bands and earned himself the nickname "Mr Angry". Ryan wrote that the staff at his school have no recollection of him during this period, as if he had become invisible.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: After his arrest following the bombings, Copeland told psychiatrists that he had started having sadomasochistic dreams when he was about twelve years old, including dreams or fantasies that he had been reincarnated as an SS officer with access to women as slaves. He left school for a series of failed jobs, reportedly blaming immigrants for the difficult job market. Copeland became involved in petty crime, drinking, and drug abuse. His father was eventually able to get him a job as an engineer's assistant on the London Underground.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Copeland's father called him "fairly intelligent" as a child. His parents separated when he was aged 19, and his mother told lawyers and psychiatrists after the arrest that he was a "happy lad" and showed no sign of what was to come. According to psychiatrists, Copeland also had a higher than average IQ. One of the doctors believed his behaviour started to change around 1995 when he was 19, isolating himself from friends and family.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Copeland joined the far-right British National Party (BNP) in May 1997, at the age of 21. He acted as a steward at a BNP meeting, in the course of which he came into contact with the party's senior members and was photographed standing next to John Tyndall, the leader of the party at the time. It was during this period that Copeland read "The Turner Diaries", and first learned how to make bombs using fireworks with alarm clocks as timers after downloading a so-called "terrorist's handbook" from the Internet. Copeland left the BNP in 1998, regarding it as insufficiently hardline because it was not willing to engage in paramilitary action, and joined the smaller National Socialist Movement, becoming its regional leader for Hampshire just weeks before the start of his bombing campaign. It was around this time that he visited his family doctor and was prescribed anti-depressants after telling the doctor he felt he was losing his mind.


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: Copeland maintained he had worked alone and had not discussed his plans with anyone. During police interviews, he admitted holding neo-Nazi views and talked of his desire to spread fear and trigger a race war. He told police, "My main intent was to spread fear, resentment and hatred throughout this country; it was to cause a racial war." He said, "If you've read "The Turner Diaries", you know the year 2000 there'll be the uprising and all that, racial violence on the streets. My aim was political. It was to cause a racial war in this country. There'd be a backlash from the ethnic minorities, then all the white people will go out and vote BNP."


title: 1999 London nail bombings

text: After his arrest, Copeland wrote to BBC correspondent Graeme McLagan, denying that he had schizophrenia, and telling McLagan that the "Zog" or Zionist Occupation Government was pumping him full of drugs in order to sweep him under the carpet. He wrote, "I bomb the blacks, Pakis, degenerates. I would have bombed the Jews as well if I'd got a chance." Ryan writes that Copeland's first idea had been to bomb the Notting Hill Carnival after seeing images of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing. When asked by police why he had targeted ethnic minorities, he replied, "Because I don't like them, I want them out of this country, I believe in the master race." Whilst on remand, Copeland also wrote to crime writer Bernard O'Mahoney, who posed as a woman called Patsy Scanlon in the hope of duping Copeland into confessing. According to "The Independent", the letters helped secure a conviction by giving prosecutors evidence about Copeland's state of mind.