Differences between Kanto and Kansai.
Language aside, even within the same country of Japan, there are various differences between Kanto and Kansai in food, customs, and more.
One thing I personally found unique was "the difference in meat used for nikujaga (meat and potato stew)."
Apparently, many households in Kanto use pork while Kansai uses beef (incidentally, since I am from Yamanashi, it is pork for me), and I remember having a fun debate about it with someone from Kansai.
Now, regarding these differences between Kanto and Kansai, there also seem to be various differences when it comes to alcohol.
In fact, the other day, the market research company ASMARQ Co., Ltd. announced the results of their "Alcohol Survey: East vs. West Comparison - Preferences Edition."
According to the findings, people in Kanto showed a tendency to actively enjoy food alongside alcohol.
Japanese wine fans are surely interested in the differences between Kanto and Kansai as well...
Here, based on the company's survey, I would like to consider the values and attitudes toward alcohol in Kanto and Kansai.
A Tendency in Kanto to Enjoy Food with Alcohol?!
This survey was conducted as an online questionnaire targeting men and women (in their 20s to 50s) in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures) and the Kansai region (two urban prefectures and two rural prefectures).
Various survey items related to alcohol were administered via questionnaire, and the summarized results were published.
First, what caught my eye was the survey question: "Types of meals usually eaten alongside alcohol."
It suggests that compared to Kansai, people in Kanto tend to actively enjoy food alongside alcohol.
In particular, there was a high tendency to have "meat-based meals" as snacks with alcohol (Kanto 83.1%, Kansai 69.8%). Notably, Kanto women tended to enjoy alcohol alongside a wide range of foods: not just meat, but fish dishes, dried snacks and confectionery, vegetables, kamaboko fish cakes, eggs, dairy products, and more.
From a wine perspective, "wine and food pairing" is the very fundamental of fundamentals, and meat and wine are an unbeatable marriage.
Although this data does not reveal which alcohol they are drinking, the habit of drinking alcohol after eating meat to cleanse the palate might be more established in Kanto than in Kansai.
Moreover, while women in Kanto tend to enjoy meals well-roundedly, it is conceivable that they are not merely health-conscious, but inherently enjoy pairing various foods with their drinks.
Also Pay Attention to the Types of Alcohol Liked in Kanto!
In this survey, questions were also asked regarding the types of alcohol people like.
While beer remains popular regardless of Kanto or Kansai, what is intriguing is the "wine" category.
Overall Kanto stood at 46.3%, compared to 36.3% for overall Kansai.
Looking at region and gender, Kanto men were at 37.0% compared to 31.5% for Kansai men, and Kanto women were at 55.5% compared to 41.0% for Kansai women, showing that according to this survey, people in Kanto indeed seem to like wine.
We should also look at the survey results for people who like wine broken down by region and age group.
While 38.0% of respondents in their 20s in Kanto liked wine, only 20.0% did in Kansai, showing a significant difference.
Furthermore, in the champagne and sparkling wine category, while Kanto respondents in their 50s stood at 45.0%, Kansai respondents in their 50s were at 37.0%; these results make one feel that many people in Kanto may have more opportunities to come into contact with wine.
That said, although Kansai often evokes an image of Japanese sake, there was not much difference between Kanto and Kansai on this front, resulting in people in Kanto also drinking it frequently and with fondness.
As an aside, respondents in their 50s in Kanto far outpaced others with 22.0% liking brandy, while other age groups in both Kanto and Kansai remained in single-digit percentages.
As you know, brandy is a distilled liquor made from wine.
From these results as well, it may be that there are many wine lovers in Kanto.
Young People in Kanto Unexpectedly Like Alcohol?!
Various other survey findings were published, but lastly, let us share the results regarding the degree of affinity for alcohol.
For both Kanto and Kansai respondents, many replied with "like it very much" and "like it somewhat," but looking at the results where the "like it very much" item stood at 45.3% in Kanto and 35.5% in Kansai, it can be seen that those in Kanto had a stronger tendency to answer that they "like alcohol very much."
Additionally, what stood out was that compared to other age groups in Kanto and Kansai, the figure for "like it very much" among respondents in their 20s in the Kanto area was remarkably high at 51.0%. (For Kansai respondents in their 20s, "like it very much" was 31.0%.)
Although young people moving away from alcohol is widely discussed these days, one might consider the possibility that those in their 20s who do drink genuinely love alcohol.
What Regional Differences Reveal
Even though these are results from a survey conducted under broad categories like Kanto and Kansai, it goes without saying that they are fascinating findings for wine (and general alcohol) fans.
From data like this, various things about differences in lifestyles between Kanto and Kansai, as well as attitudes toward alcohol, should become clear.
Moreover, this data allows us to imagine the reasons behind the differences between Kanto and Kansai.
Perhaps people in Kanto like alcohol because there are many restaurants and retailers serving drinks, or perhaps people in Kansai consume more coffee than alcohol because of a strong café culture... (personal opinion).
In any case, while this survey was categorized under "alcohol," personally I hope they conduct a survey for Kanto and Kansai under the theme of "Japanese wine"!
Source
Alcohol Survey: East vs. West Comparison - Preferences Edition
Research Organization