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

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.

Have you ever found it hard to keep a conversation going with an older adult, or wondered what to talk about?

At times like that, why not incorporate some fun trivia into your communication?

It can liven up the conversation, help you learn things you didn’t know before, and make for an enjoyable time together.

There’s trivia that feels familiar to older adults, as well as tidbits with surprising answers.

Trivia quizzes are also great as ideas for recreational activities.

They can be done while seated and are suitable for all genders, so many people can enjoy them.

Quizzes stimulate the brain and can help prevent dementia or slow its progression.

Try incorporating trivia quizzes while having fun!

[For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Introducing Trivia and Quizzes (11–20)

What do you call an athlete who has competed in the Olympics?NEW!

Athletes who have competed in the Olympics are called “Olympians.” The word “Olympian” originally referred to residents of Olympia, the Greek city known as the site of the ancient Olympic Games, but today it is commonly used to refer to Olympic athletes.

The term “Olympian” is also said to evoke the gods of Greek mythology and carry the sense of being “majestic and imposing.” That meaning perfectly overlaps with the image of Olympians who take on the challenge of competition while carrying their nation on their shoulders.

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Which country leads the parade of nations at the Olympic opening ceremony?NEW!

As for the order of the opening parade, it has actually changed over time.

In fact, even in Japan, the 1964, 1972, and 1998 Games used the alphabetical order, but in 2021 it switched to the Japanese syllabary order.

However, despite such changes, the country that enters first has remained the same.

The correct answer is Greece, because it is the birthplace of the modern Olympics.

In recent years, the country hosting the next Olympics is also often placed near the end.

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Which country marches last in the Olympic Parade of Nations?NEW!

Some of you may be curious about how the order of the Olympic parade of nations is determined.

In recent years, the order has generally followed the host country’s language, but since it used to be based on the Latin alphabet, it could change again in the future.

However, there are fixed rules for the first and last countries to enter.

The first to enter is the country considered the birthplace of the modern Olympics.

And the last to enter, which is the answer to this question, is the host nation.

At the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Japan, as the host country, marched in last.

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What bird always appears at the Olympic opening ceremony?NEW!

This is an issue that ties into the staging specified in the Olympic Charter.

The answer is “doves.” As many of you know, doves are recognized as a symbol of peace, and at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, doves were always released after the lighting of the Olympic flame.

However, due to a tragic accident at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, real doves no longer appear in the staging today.

That doesn’t mean doves have disappeared from the Olympics altogether—each country incorporates doves into their staging in different ways, so please keep an eye out for them.

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sasashina

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What foods won’t freeze even if you put them in a household freezer?

People who work with cooking or are interested in it might know this! Here’s a fun fact: What food won’t freeze even when you put it in a typical household freezer? When we think of a freezer, it’s a device for freezing foods and storing frozen items or ice, right? But it turns out there are things that won’t freeze even in a cold freezer.

The answer is miso.

That’s because miso contains a lot of components other than water, such as salt and sugars.

It’s also said that freezing miso helps prevent changes in its flavor and color.

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Not only the first spring storm exists, but there are also the second and third.

Personally, I have the impression that strong gusts often blow in spring—how about you? The so-called “haru-ichiban” is something I vaguely think of as “a strong wind that blows in spring,” but borrowing the Japan Meteorological Agency’s wording, it’s defined as “a warm, somewhat strong southerly wind observed over a wide area between the beginning of spring (Risshun) and the spring equinox.” In fact, this haru-ichiban is sometimes followed by what people call haru-niban, haru-sanban, and so on.

However, these aren’t official JMA terms; they’re more at the level of expressions used on news programs.

I mean, if someone said “haru-gojuuban (spring number 50),” you’d be like… really?

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Taki no namida pin ku

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[For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Introducing Trivia and Quizzes (21–30)

What is ‘moshi moshi’ on the phone short for?

When answering the phone, we casually say “moshi moshi,” but what is it short for? The answer is “moushimasu, moushimasu” (“I speak, I speak”).

When telephones were introduced in Japan in 1890 (Meiji 23), calls were connected by telephone operators.

Many operators were women at the time, and they would say “moushimasu, moushimasu,” meaning “I’m about to speak,” which was shortened to “moshi moshi.” Incidentally, men would call out “oi, oi,” and the conversation would begin with responses like “hai, you gozansu” (“yes, very well”).

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