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 a knife as a present to give chrysanthemums to the hostess at a party to give small-sized edible presents to your host or hostess unwrapping presents in the presence of other guests

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? falcons kestrels cormorants seagulls

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

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

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

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

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? red green blue 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'? Mrs. Smith and/or Miss Smith Young Mr. Smith Miss Smith Mr. Smith and/or Mrs. Smith

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

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

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)? baseball politics gardening martial arts

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

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

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