shaved ice

It’s generally written as “kakigōri” in kana, but kakigōri refers to ice that’s shaved or crushed finely and topped with syrup or sweet sauces. For that reason, when written in kanji it can be “欠氷” or “欠き氷.” These days, from the traditional style to versions as fluffy as cotton candy, kakigōri has become a very popular dessert.

9 pieces

Octopuses are a familiar food to many Japanese people, enjoyed as sashimi or in takoyaki. Interestingly, octopuses actually have nine brains: one central brain in the head that controls the whole body, plus one independent brain in each of their eight arms, making a total of nine. Among invertebrates, octopuses are known for being highly intelligent.

one bird

Rabbits are not counted as one “hiki” but as one “wa.” There are various theories about why, such as “because their skeleton resembles that of birds” or “to avoid violating Buddhist teachings that prohibit eating four-legged animals, people treated them as birds and ate them,” but the exact reason is unclear. Nowadays, more people might count them as ‘hiki.’

Priority seat

It’s said that the reason people began calling older adults “silver” comes from the fact that priority seats were silver-colored. As a service for seniors on Respect for the Aged Day in 1973, the then Japanese National Railways created priority seating. To distinguish them from other seats, they made them silver and named them “Silver Seats.” It seems that referring to elderly people as “silver” is unique to Japan.

green onion

The answer is “green onion.” It’s said that a compound in green onions called allicin helps fight off cold viruses. It’s even more effective if you crush or slice the green onion and wrap it around your neck with gauze. It’s an easy method to try when you’re out of your usual medicine, though the downside is you’ll smell a bit like green onions…!

Sato

It’s said that about 2 million people have the surname Sato! Next come Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka, and Ito. Among those taking on this quiz, there might be someone with a top-five surname!

Hideyo Noguchi

The 1,000-yen bill is the most familiar of all banknotes, isn’t it? Various figures have been portrayed on the 1,000-yen note. The answer to this question is Hideyo Noguchi. Others who have appeared include Prince Shōtoku, Hirobumi Itō, and Sōseki Natsume. In addition, the new 1,000-yen bill introduced in 2024 features Shibasaburō Kitasato.

under the nose

The command to expel a foreign object from the nose is sent from the brain and travels via the trigeminal nerve, resulting in a sneeze. But this trigeminal nerve is also located beneath the nose. By pressing that area, the command gets blocked and it seems you can stop a sneeze. If you’re curious, give it a try!

Osaka

In the Edo period, the place called the “nation’s kitchen” was Ōsaka—present-day Osaka—which was then the hub of logistics and commerce. As a merchants’ city located at a key transportation crossroads, and because many daily necessities were gathered in Ōsaka and then shipped out again across the country, it came to be known as the “nation’s kitchen.”

staple bread

It’s said that because bread was considered a staple food overseas, it was named “bread for staple use.” When bread was introduced to Japan, that term was shortened, and today it’s called “shokupan,” which has firmly taken root as a staple food in Japan as well.