Hirokazu Kore-eda is an unequivocal master of portraying heart-wrenching family dynamics, and a prime example is his 2014 film Like Father, Like Son. The Japanese title is「そ して、父になる」」which roughly translates to “And now, I’ve become your father." This film is a great representation of the typical Japanese family expectation opposed to a more unorthodox family. This is juxtaposed by not only visual representations of economical disparity and color, but also by using different dialects.
The Miyamotos
In this film, a hardworking and serious salaryman Ryōta Miyamoto strives to create the best life for his son Keita, by working as much as possible and pushing Keita to be the best he can be. He, his wife Midori, and Keita live in a penthouse apartment in the middle of Tokyo. Even though they are more formal, they still shower Keita with affection and attention. However, their world is turned upside down when a blood test taken in order to be admitted into primary school indicates that Keita is actually not Ryōta or Midori’s child. His actual parents are in possession of Ryūsei, the Miyamoto's blood child. Ryōta goes through many stages, at one point believing he should be in possession of the two children, since he can provide the best life money-wise. But why does he think that? Partly because he was raised with the belief that providing for your children and disciplining them to be independent is the best thing a father can do. But his interactions with Yūdai push him to think differently.
The Saikis
The Saikis live in a small town outside of Tokyo, where Midori originally comes from. Yukari works a part-time job at a bento restaurant, and Yūdai runs a hardware shop that is connected to their home. They also have two other children, Ryūsei being the oldest. Even though Maebashi (where they live) is part of the Kantō region just as Tokyo is, Yūdai has a distinct Kansai dialect, which informs a strong part of his character. The Kansai dialect is most popularly associated with Ōsaka and Kyoto and is very different from the standard Tokyo dialect. Not only does he have this accented dialect, but he also appears very differently than Ryōta. He is not a well groomed salaryman but a shop owner who drives a van, wears flannels and comfortable clothes, and prioritizes having fun with his children over all else. Yukari and Yūdai banter with each other in situations where it would be otherwise awkward, like when the four parents met with the hospital representative and lawyer.
Expression of Kansai Dialect in Like Father, Like Son
Kansai dialect is known to have a harsher sound than standard Japanese, and I have found examples throughout the movie that highlight this juxtaposition. Instead of the standard short form/casual ending da, he uses the Kansai ya. Even though men typically use the masculine daro, he uses verb-teyaro. When using volitional verbs such as “let’s go,” he uses the ending of ra to say「行こうら」 ikoura instead of 「行こうよ」ikouyo. When complaining about being tired, instead of the usual 「疲れる」tsukareru, he says 「ああ、しんど。」“aa, shindo.” Not only does Yūdai speak in this dialect, but he also uses more casual speech in situations where it is considered impolite. When Yukari and Yūdai are late to the meeting with the lawyer and the Miyamotos, he greets them all with a casual 「どうも」doumo instead of 「こんにちは」konnichiwa, which would be similar to saying a casual “Hey” in English. However, it is important to keep in mind that Japanese is a far more formal language than English, and Americans tend to be much more casual.
Most importantly, when the Miyamoto’s try to take in Ryūsei, Ryōta tells him that he should now call them Papa and Mama. Ryūsei says simply, 「なんで？パパちゃうよ。」“Nande? Papa chau yo,” which means “Why? You’re not my papa.” However, the term chau is a great example of Kansai dialect. Even though the Saikis live in Kantō, near Tokyo, because he lived with his father for so long, the dialect rubbed off on him as well. This is a great way to display the divide between Ryōta and his biological son.
These are only a few examples that I pulled as a Japanese learner, whereas Japanese native speakers can probably tell all of these nuances right away. However, I think it is important to understand this divide when watching the movie, so I think everyone should try to listen for these differences, whether you know Japanese or not!