[Challenge] Stimulate your intellectual curiosity with a general knowledge quiz you might not know!

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Japan has a wide variety of historical events, historic buildings, traditions, and culture.

There’s a lot you learn in school, but it’s nearly impossible to know everything about Japan just from classes alone.

Still, there are bits of Japanese trivia and common knowledge we’d love for you to know! In this article, we’ll present quizzes on Japanese trivia and general knowledge.

Some of it overlaps with what you learn in class, but we also cover related events and things that have become common knowledge over Japan’s long history.

Try the quizzes and get to know Japan even better!

Lifestyle, Culture, and Entertainment Common Knowledge Quiz (11–20)

Why doesn’t Hello Kitty have a mouth drawn?

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To increase the freedom of facial expressions

Hello Kitty is not drawn with a mouth because she was designed so that her expression changes depending on the viewer’s emotions. As a result, it’s said that she appears to be smiling to someone who is happy, and to be empathizing with someone who is sad.

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Hoshino Takashi

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What is Godzilla’s name a combination of along with gorilla?

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whale

The name “Godzilla” was born from combining “gorilla” and “kujira” (whale). When Toho’s 1954 film Godzilla was being made, a planning meeting cited the gorilla as a symbol of strength and the whale as a symbol of size, and it’s said that parts of those names were merged to create “Gojira,” known in English as “Godzilla.”

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kappamaki

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How many kilometers is a full marathon?

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42.195km

The distance of a full marathon is 42.195 km. This distance is said to originate from the 1908 London Olympics, where the start and finish points were adjusted to make it easier for the British royal family to watch, resulting in 42.195 km. While the word “marathon” is derived from the legendary roughly 40 km run of a messenger from the Battle of Marathon in ancient Greece, 42.195 km is the official distance of a full marathon.

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mutō

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What kind of dishes does the term “à la carte” refer to?

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Dishes ordered à la carte from the menu

“À la carte” comes from French and refers to a dining style where, instead of a fixed course or set, you choose and order individual dishes from the menu. Typically, it’s used when you want to add specific dishes to a course meal.

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SAKI