Features of Life in Japan

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. Three of these four types of behaviour are "not the done thing" in Japan". Which is the remaining one that is "common practice"? to give chrysanthemums to the hostess at a party to give a knife as a present unwrapping presents in the presence of other guests to give small-sized edible presents to your host or hostess

2. Which of these types of trains is the fastest? Tokkyu Nozomi Kyuko Kaisoku

3. In the area of Gifu there is a local tradition that fishermen train a certain type of bird for the catching of such fish as trout and 'ayu'. Which birds are used? kestrels falcons seagulls cormorants

4. Who was the author of the famous story of Genji (manuscript from 12th century)? Lady Murasaki Shikibu Fujiwara Sadaie Sei Shonagon Ki Tsurayuki

5. What kind of game is pachinko? Japanese billiards open air bowling popular card-game pinball

6. 'Washi' is a very special quality of paper in Japan. Which of these is not a characteristic of 'washi'? hand-made watermark petals are mixed in bright colours

7. In which art did all of these earn themselves a great reputation: Hokusai, Harunobu, Hiroshige, Kiyonaga? music ceramics block printing sculpture

8. A very frequent sight in Japan are the so-called 'Inaari-foxes', a kind of religious statue. Those foxes wear bibs! What colour are those bibs? blue red green orange

9. Which of these Japanese words is a synonym for 'samurai'? seppuku daimyo bushi ninja

10. What is the English equivalent of the Japanese phrase: 'Smith-san'? Mr. Smith and/or Mrs. Smith Miss Smith Mrs. Smith and/or Miss Smith Young Mr. Smith

11. Which of these Japanese foodstuffs is actually a type of young fern? miso wasabi tofu sansai

12. There are various varieties of noodles. Which of them is the buckwheat variety? soba somen udon ramen

13. What type of music instrument is the samisen? a wooden drum a long bamboo flute Japanese-style bagpipes a 3-stringed lute

14. Alongside roads in Japan, especially in the North Nagano area you time and again may find so-called 'Dosojin stones'. What do they represent? Buddhist monks in prayer samurai members of the Imperial Court a woman pouring out sake for a man

15. Which of these types of behaviour is the only one that is not frowned upon in Japan? to keep your shoes on inside the house to slurp while you eat soup to touch food from a common bowl and then not to eat it to publicly blow your nose

16. Which of these types of behaviour is the only one that is socially acceptable in Japan? keeping on your slippers when walking on a tatami mat stretching your legs when sitting down at a table men patting each other on the shoulder kissing in public

17. Which of these is not a typical subject of Japanese manga (cartoons)? gardening martial arts politics baseball

18. Of which of these Japanese martial arts does the name literally mean (fighting with the) empty hand? kyudo karate aikido judo

19. With what part(s) of their bodies may sumo-wrestlers touch the ring during their fight? footsoles and hands footsoles and knees footsoles only footsoles and elbows

20. With what does the 'gyoji' or referee of a sumo wrestling match signal the start of the fight? a gong a drum a bell a fan