[For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Trivia and Quizzes Introduced

There are three katakana characters hidden in the giraffe mark of Kirin Beer. What do the characters spell?

Kirin Beer, sold by the major beer manufacturer KIRIN.

On the cans and bottles of Kirin Beer, a mythical creature called a kirin is depicted.

So what are the three katakana characters hidden within the illustration of the kirin? When combined, these three characters form a word.

答えは――キリン！文字がとても小さく周りの線と馴染んでいるので一見わかりにくいですが、よく見ると「キリン」という語がはっきり見つかります。各文字は別々に配置されているので、ぜひ探してみてください！

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SAKI

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What does the term “zenchi” (as used when someone is injured) mean?

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utatane

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In “cream puff,” the word choux comes from French and means a vegetable. Which vegetable is it?

A sweet and delicious cream puff filled with plenty of cream.

The “chou” in chou cream (cream puff) actually comes from the French word for a vegetable.

Hints for the vegetable: it’s a round, hefty leafy vegetable; you put it in yakisoba; and there’s a dish called “cabbage rolls.” The answer is, of course, cabbage! It’s said that the resemblance between the round shape of a cream puff and a cabbage is also related.

Incidentally, in French a cream puff is called “chou à la crème.”

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SAKI

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Mr. Shojiro Ishibashi, the founder of a tire manufacturer, named the company after his surname. What is the name of the tire manufacturer?

Shojiro Ishibashi’s surname is “Ishibashi,” but the company name is not simply “Ishibashi” or “Ishibashi” in katakana.

He converted his surname into other words and used that as the company name.

The answer is Bridgestone.

“Bridji” comes from the English word “bridge,” corresponding to the “hashi” (bridge) in “Ishibashi,” and “stone” comes from the English word for “ishi” (stone).

Combining them gives “Bridgestone.” It’s said that using the original order, “Stonebridge,” sounded a bit awkward in Japanese, so he reversed it to “Bridgestone.”

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SAKI

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What is the name of the event, mainly held in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, in which the spirits of ancestors and Obon offerings are placed on a boat and floated down a river?

One interesting aspect of the traditional Japanese custom of Obon is that the events vary by region.

Among these Obon events, what is the name of the ceremony, practiced mainly in Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures, in which ancestors’ spirits and Obon offerings are placed on boats and sometimes actually set adrift down a river? The answer is “Shōrō-nagashi” (Spirit Boat Procession).

Because of Masashi Sada’s hit song, it is often associated with a fleeting, melancholy image, but in reality it’s a lively event.

The boats are gorgeously decorated with family crests and lanterns, and the finale echoes with the loud crackle of firecrackers—an event that truly stirs the emotions.

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kappamaki

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Like humans, do dogs also lose their baby teeth and grow permanent teeth?

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utatane

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What kinds of emotions are considered beneficial for health?

The answer is “laughter.” There’s a saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” or literally, “Laughter is the chief of all remedies.” When you laugh, the excitement is transmitted to the diencephalon, which controls immunity, leading to active production of neurotransmitters.

These flow throughout the body via the blood and lymph, activating natural killer cells that eliminate harmful substances, thereby boosting immunity.

Laughing also stimulates brain activity, and the deep, abdominal-like breathing that occurs when you laugh heartily is similar to deep or diaphragmatic breathing—making it especially beneficial for older adults as well.