[For Seniors] Perfect Brain Training! Fun Trivia

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

When working at a senior care facility, you may sometimes need to come up with recreation activities or topics for conversations with older adults.

Do you ever struggle with ending up with similar recreation activities all the time or having the same conversations over and over?

So this time, we’ll introduce some fun trivia for older adults that can liven things up.

As people age and accumulate abundant knowledge and experience, they tend to have fewer opportunities to encounter new things and information.

However, incorporating new information such as trivia can evoke surprise and enjoyment, which is said to stimulate the brain.

After a long time, discovering something new and fun can make them want to share it with other seniors or their family members.

Trivia also helps promote communication by encouraging conversations with others.

[For Seniors] Perfect for Brain Training! Fun Trivia (21–30)

Why the sweet bean paste in wagashi is sweet

In the Kamakura period, red-bean paste (anko) was initially seasoned with salt.

At that time, sugar was extremely precious, and sweetness was treated almost like medicine.

That healthful sweetness was presented to people of high status and was added to anko as well.

Later, in the Muromachi period, sugar began to be imported from overseas, such as from Portugal, and by the Edo period, sugar was being produced domestically.

As a result, Japanese sweets made with sweet anko spread among common people, and the kind of anko we imagine today became the norm.

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What is the reason monks strike a wooden fish (mokugyo) when chanting sutras and the like?

The mokugyo (wooden fish drum) produces a pleasant, gently tapping sound, but what is the original reason monks strike it while chanting sutras? Surprisingly, it’s “to keep the monks from getting drowsy.” In the past, many monks and trainees would nod off during long recitations, so they used a drum shaped like a fish—an animal said to keep its eyes open at all times—to embody the idea of “keeping one’s eyes open like a fish and diligently engaging in practice.” It’s also said that the sound of the mokugyo helps dispel worldly desires.

If you get the chance, try listening with that in mind!

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hiyori

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[For Seniors] Perfect for Brain Training! Exciting Trivia (31–40)

What should you do with one hand to sing in a high voice at karaoke?

Have you ever wished you could sing just a little higher at karaoke? It feels great when you can hit those high notes cleanly, doesn’t it? So what should you do with one of your hands to help with that? The answer is: hold something heavy in one hand.

When you sing, it’s important to use diaphragmatic breathing.

If your center of gravity is above your chest, you end up singing only with your mouth.

By holding something heavy, your center of gravity drops and you engage your core, which is said to help you reach higher notes than usual.

Give it a try!

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hiyori

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In Japan, which of the following has the greatest number of stores?

dentist
convenience store

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dentist

Convenience stores are often thought to be everywhere in every city, but in fact, there are more dental clinics! According to a 2019 survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, there were actually 10,000 more dental clinics than convenience stores. Now that you know that, you might start noticing dental clinics more often from now on.

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utatane

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These days, “ganmodoki” is made with tofu, but in the past a different ingredient was used. What ingredient was it?

When you hear “ganmodoki,” most people only think of tofu, but what on earth was it originally made from? Here are some hints: it’s a food that’s still commonly eaten today, it’s made from a processed tuber, and it’s often used as a prop for test-of-courage events.

The answer is konnyaku (konjac)! It was originally eaten as part of shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), and through adding various ingredients and experimenting with seasonings, it eventually evolved into the tofu-based ganmodoki we know today.

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SAKI

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Hypertension, which can easily lead to serious illnesses. Which of the following are symptoms of high blood pressure?

I have almost no subjective symptoms.
There are subjective symptoms such as headaches and dizziness.

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I have almost no subjective symptoms.

If you develop high blood pressure, it can lead to various conditions such as subarachnoid hemorrhage and myocardial infarction. If hypertension persists over the long term, it can also damage the kidneys. Despite these risks, high blood pressure typically has no noticeable symptoms. Be sure to check your blood pressure regularly and aim for a diet low in salt!

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utatane

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Why home plate changed from a square to a pentagon

Watching baseball is fun, isn’t it? By the way, do you know why home plate is a pentagon? It’s curious because first through third bases are square, but only home plate is different.

We don’t often think about it, but there’s a clear reason.

It’s to make it easier for the umpire to judge whether a pitch is a strike.

Originally it was a square, but it was later changed to a pentagon.

Since a pitch that passes over the corners counts as a strike, it’s easy to understand.

If you draw it on paper, it becomes obvious at a glance.

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yamamoto