[For Seniors] Surprising Facts! Multiple-Choice Trivia Quiz (4 Options)

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.

tsun

It’s well known that Takamori Saigo loved dogs. His beloved dog’s name was Tsun. There’s a statue of Saigo in Tokyo’s Ueno Park with a dog, but I’ve heard that the dog depicted in the statue isn’t Tsun—it was modeled after a different dog.

January 31

The period from the 1st to the 3rd is called “Sanganichi,” and up to the 7th is called “Matsunouchi,” and nowadays this span is referred to as the New Year’s holidays. The definition also varies by region: in the Kanto area it often runs through January 7, while in the Kansai area it’s often through January 15. However, originally, “Oshogatsu” refers to the first month of the year—that is, the entire month of January.

Japanese bush warbler

When it comes to the Japanese bush warbler’s call, “hoo-hokekyo” is famous, but in fact it sings differently in other seasons. As spring approaches and the weather warms, it begins calling “hoo-hokekyo.” Many people probably sense the arrival of spring in that sound.

Because the light is reflecting and it's hard to see.

There is a theory that, in postwar schools, the surge in student numbers due to the baby boom led to overcrowded classrooms, and because the blackboard was hard to see from the front row where light from the windows caused glare, it was changed to green. Nowadays, more and more schools are using whiteboards and monitors for lessons, but many people still probably picture a blackboard when they think of a school classroom.