[For Seniors] Fun and Exciting! Difficult Kanji Quiz

hijiki (a type of edible brown seaweed)

This is pronounced “hijiki.” With its distinctive black appearance, hijiki might make you wonder, “Is it really tasty?” But in fact, it’s a popular ingredient enjoyed by both children and adults, and it’s considered good for you because it’s rich in calcium and dietary fiber.

Hijiki is a type of seaweed, and it’s originally a yellowish-ochre color.

It turns blackish when dried.

As for why it’s written with the characters meaning “deer tail greens” (鹿尾菜), it’s said to be because the short, black pieces resemble a deer’s tail.

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sasashina

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kiwifruit (kiwi)

It’s written as “彌猴桃” and pronounced “kiwi.” The formal name is “kiwifruit.” It’s a fruit known for its sweetness and refreshing tartness.

Although it originated in China, it was selectively bred and cultivated in New Zealand, and when it was later exported to the United States, it was named after New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi.

“彌猴桃” is a name of Chinese origin: 彌猴 refers to the rhesus macaque and 桃 means fruit, so it likely means “a fruit that rhesus macaques like to eat.”

seaweed (mozuku)

You might vaguely imagine something found underwater, but this kanji is tricky to read.

A hint to reach the answer may be to picture what the kanji describes: something that spreads and drifts like a cloud in the water.

Still, that alone doesn’t give it away, does it? The correct answer is “mozuku.” The kanji was assigned by likening its appearance in the sea to a cloud.

Incidentally, the name “mozuku” is said to come from the fact that it lives attached to other seaweeds.

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Hane Keisuke

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indigo blueberry

It’s hard to arrive at the answer just by reading the kanji, but if you think about the meanings of each character, you can gradually get closer.

Ai (indigo) represents a color and gives an impression close to blue, and if you notice how to rephrase ichigo, more people will likely figure it out.

The answer is “blueberry.” By splitting the kanji and thinking about them, the key is how to get people to notice that it represents a blue berry.

It’s a fruit strongly associated with katakana, and the fact that it’s often used for jam could also be a big hint.

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kappamaki

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