Why do textbooks teach が as "but" when けど is more common?


I personally learned beginner Japanese using the Genki textbooks, though I
think this is similar for other beginner textbooks. In these textbooks, they
teach が to mean "but", as in "日本料理が好きです **が** 、生卵が嫌いです。" However, when I was
in Japan this past summer, I don't believe I ever heard people use が this way.
けど was so much more common, and when people wanted to be formal, they used けれど
or けれども. (I was in Nagoya, so it may be a regional thing.)

Why do textbooks teach が when けど seems so much more commonly used?




Just my personal opinion but as I am living in Tokyo now, I've only heard
people saying が very few times too. In my textbooks, I was taught that けど is
the informal form of が so in the beginning I didn't dare to use it until I
heard most people do. けど is much more frequently used in daily conversations,
regardless of the circumstances. In terms of けれども, I hear it very often during
speeches or formal meetings, so I believe it is neither uncommon nor regional,
but of course awkward if you use it in casual conversations.




Just my personal opinion but as I am living in Tokyo now, I've only heard
people saying が very few times too. In my textbooks, I was taught that けど is
the informal form of が so in the beginning I didn't dare to use it until I
heard most people do. けど is much more frequently used in daily conversations,
regardless of the circumstances. In terms of けれども, I hear it very often during
speeches or formal meetings, so I believe it is neither uncommon nor regional,
but of course awkward if you use it in casual conversations.

