[For Seniors] Fun Riddles That Stimulate the Brain

Which prefecture would make you happy when shopping if you put the character for “metropolis” (都) in front of “prefecture” (県)?

The process of navigating the knowledge stored in memory and considering the sound of words is an important issue.

Since this is a quiz asking for a prefecture, the speed at which you arrive at the answer depends on how many prefectures come to mind.

Above all, it’s crucial to understand the meaning of the problem, which involves inserting “to” (metropolis) before “ken” (prefecture).

As long as the phrase “XX-to-ken” comes to mind, you can slot in different prefectures and pronounce them to derive the answer.

Because “Gifu-to-ken” sounds the same as “gift certificate” (gifuto-ken), the answer is Gifu Prefecture.

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From a box of 20 candies, I took out 5. How many do I have?

Since you took 5 candies out of 20, you might think “there are 15 left.” However, this problem isn’t asking for the number of remaining candies, but rather the number of candies you are holding.

You are holding 5 candies.

The key is to think about the problem calmly.

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Nakajima Junko

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What is something that a younger brother has two of, but a younger sister has only one of?

People with siblings have probably felt various forms of unfairness in long-lasting relationships.

This riddle evokes that kind of relationship and asks: what is something that two younger brothers and one younger sister each have? Since it’s a wordplay riddle, it’s not actually about real sibling unfairness; the key is to think about what exactly is being asked.

The hint is to think of each word as text: if you convert the kanji into hiragana, the answer appears.

The answer is the hiragana character “と”; when you write “おとうと” (younger brother) and “いもうと” (younger sister) in hiragana, it becomes obvious.

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Famous for defeating demons, Momotaro took three animals with him. Who was the first one he met?

In most versions of the Momotaro story, the companions join in the order of the dog, the monkey, and the pheasant.

Hearing the question, you might be tempted to answer “the dog,” but that’s incorrect.

When Momotaro is born from the peach, the first ones he meets are the old man and the old woman.

So the answer isn’t one of the animal companions, but “the old man and the old woman.” Incidentally, it’s said that the three animals come from the zodiac signs positioned opposite the kimon (the unlucky, northeastern direction).

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Nakajima Junko

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Who is the biggest among the doctor, the teacher, and the detective?

Here’s a riddle that challenges you to think in terms of rephrasing! Among a doctor, a teacher, and a detective, who is the biggest? If you think simply, many would say, “It depends on the person, so we can’t know.” But if you consider rewording, you might find the answer.

The answer is the detective.

In Japanese, a detective can be rephrased as “deka,” which also sounds like “big”! Once you get it, it’s a humorous riddle that makes you go, “Ah, I see.” And when you know the answer, you’ll want to share it with someone!

When did the monk buy clothes?

This is a problem where it’s important to imagine an occupation from the word and clearly picture its appearance.

Also, rephrasing words that express time is a key point for reaching the answer, so be mindful of switching your thinking and using creativity.

If you vividly picture a Buddhist monk and read out the names of his garments, you might notice the answer.

The garment a monk wears is called “kesa,” and by rephrasing it into a word that expresses time, the answer becomes “kesa,” meaning “this morning.”

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