Shiritori

Lions and giraffes have names that end with “n,” don’t they? In shiritori, you lose if your word ends with “n,” so “raion” (lion) and “kirin” (giraffe) make you lose. To win at shiritori, you need to know more words than your opponent! It’s a good idea to get familiar with books and stories so you can be exposed to lots of vocabulary.

Thailand

The answer is “sea bream” (tai). Many of you may have noticed it when you slowly say the word taiko out loud. It doesn’t mean it’s living inside an actual drum; the point is that it’s hidden within the word. It seems like this could be fun with other words too, so give it a try!

crybaby

Crybaby is a word that refers to someone who cries all the time or bursts into tears easily, and it even has the word “bug” (mushi) attached in Japanese. Because it involves tears, it’s often taken negatively, but you could also say it means the person is highly sensitive! People with strong sensitivity are often able to be kind to those around them—they’re wonderful people, aren’t they?

rice cracker

If you stick out your tongue and go “beh” 1,000 times, that’s “sen” times “beh,” so the answer is “senbei.” Senbei are traditional Japanese rice crackers made by kneading non-glutinous rice, rolling it thin, and baking it on an iron plate. They’re often round and come in many flavors, such as soy sauce and salt.

lips

When you talk, you use your mouth, right? Since there are “buildings” (biru) on the mouth, the correct answer is kuchibiru (lips). The lips, which move when you speak, play an important role. Because lips are delicate, be sure to care for them with lip balm and protect them from dryness!

light

The answer is lights. By lights, I mean sources of illumination! I think many households turn on the lights at night. Do you know how many different kinds of lights you have at home? When you get home, please try counting them! You might discover that the numbers are the same or different, and find something interesting.

duct tape

Gaffer tape is a tape made by applying an adhesive substance to paper or cloth, and it is characterized by being often used to secure objects. Since it has the word “gum” in its name, some people might wonder if it’s edible. However, gaffer tape is not something you can eat. Even if you have it at school or at home, please make sure not to put it in your mouth!