[For Seniors] Quizzes related to April. Perfect for brain training.

Quiz on Unbelievably Hard-to-Read Kanji Readings

[Kanji Quiz] April 1 is April Fools' Day! Kanji readings that seem like lies [Difficulty: ★★★・・]

April 1 is April Fools’ Day.

It’s said to be a day when it’s okay to tell lies… but there are various rules and differing theories about it.

Here’s a quiz themed around “lies”: a collection of kanji with readings that seem unbelievable—like a lie.

Lies can sometimes hurt people, but with this “readings that seem like lies” quiz, you can have fun without anyone getting hurt, guaranteed! It features difficult-to-read kanji and characters whose readings are often mistaken.

It also introduces the meanings of the words, so be sure to pay attention to those and enjoy!

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utatane

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Strawberries are actually vegetables.

When I was a kid, every summer there was that rumor going around like “watermelon isn’t a fruit, it’s a vegetable.” Looking back, it’s kind of cute and charming how it came up year after year.

Come to think of it, strawberries are also classified as vegetables by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

It feels odd to call something that sweet and delicious a vegetable, doesn’t it? Surprisingly, bananas and pineapples are also categorized as vegetables.

That said, these are nowadays sometimes referred to as “fruit-type vegetables,” and are treated a bit differently from ordinary vegetables.

If it’s a sweet, tasty fruit, I just want to call them all fruit already.

Asparagus was originally used for ornamental purposes.

Asparagus has a slightly different form compared to other vegetables.

I’ve heard it takes at least three years from sowing the seeds to harvesting.

I’ve tried growing it a few times myself, but I never made it to harvest…

If you manage it properly, you can keep harvesting for about ten years.

Interestingly, asparagus was originally imported as an ornamental plant and only later became a food.

The curiosity of the person who thought, “Maybe I’ll try eating that plant that looks like a horsetail,” is pretty incredible, isn’t it?

About 20% of elementary school students wear uniforms.

It’s said that about 20% of elementary school students wear uniforms.

The wearing rate varies by region, with higher rates in western Japan, Shikoku, and the Chugoku region.

Some parents point out benefits of having uniforms, such as not having to worry about what to wear and avoiding differences caused by casual clothes.

However, since elementary school children are in a period of rapid growth, uniforms can quickly become too small.

Replacing them can also be costly.

Incidentally, uniforms were introduced in elementary schools during the Meiji era.

The topic of uniforms also seems likely to lead into discussions with older adults about what they wore in their own elementary school days.

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Nakajima Junko

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There’s an unusual surname that’s written with the characters for April 1st but read as “Watanuki.”

When April comes, we often get a spell of pleasantly warm weather, don’t we? So here are some fun facts related to the springtime mood.

There are people whose surname is written with the characters for “April 1” (四月一日) and read as Watanuki.

It’s an unusual surname, but it has an origin that’s very fitting for April.

As it gets warmer in April, people used to switch from winter kimono padded with cotton to ones with the cotton removed.

Because the cotton (wata) was taken out (nuku) on April 1, the name became Watanuki.

Japan has many other rare surnames as well.

It might be fun to look for them together with older people.

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Nakajima Junko

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Spring cabbage refers to cabbage that was sown in autumn.

Neoruby SP, Suzusora, Ayari, Okina SP—do you know what they refer to? The answer is cabbage.

If you’ve always thought “Aren’t all cabbages the same?”, try looking them up and check out their colors and shapes.

What we commonly call “spring cabbage” actually refers to cabbage sown in autumn and grown over the winter.

Instead of a vivid green, it tends to be more yellowish-green, and its leaves are tender.

Stir-fry it with ham and cheese and it becomes a main-worthy side dish.

It’s also delicious raw with dressing!

Tokyo’s cherry blossom opening is declared based on the blossoms at Yasukuni Shrine.

When you think of spring, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Graduation ceremonies, company entrance ceremonies, the Doll Festival, Golden Week—but isn’t cherry-blossom viewing the number one event? In Japan, where there are fewer parties compared to the West, it’s a precious party occasion.

But how is the official cherry blossom “blooming declaration” decided? In fact, Tokyo’s declaration is based on a specific cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine.

Each prefecture has a designated “standard tree,” and officials judge the bloom status by visually inspecting these trees.

Apparently, if about five or six blossoms open, it’s considered to have bloomed.

Surprisingly few, right?