[For Seniors] Enjoyable Brain Training! Liven Up with a Local Three-Choice Quiz

Alaska pollock

<ご飯の上にのせて食べるとピリッと辛い明太子。スケトウダラの卵を辛い調味料と塩で漬け込んだ物です。実は、スケトウダラは世界で最も漁獲高が多い魚なんですよ。日本ではスケトウダラの身は、かまぼこやちくわなど練り物に多く使われています。

Wakayama Prefecture

Nachikatsuura Town is located in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture and is famous for sights like Nachi Falls, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes, and the Nanki-Katsuura hot springs. It’s also well known as a port town boasting one of the highest fish catches in the prefecture, where you can enjoy fresh seafood such as alfonsino (kinmedai), spiny lobster (ise-ebi), and skipjack tuna (katsuo).

Nagano Prefecture

Of Japan’s grape harvest, Yamanashi Prefecture accounts for 21%, followed by Nagano Prefecture at 20%. Incidentally, Yamagata and Okayama each account for 9%, indicating a significant gap. Nagano has been a grape-growing region since the Edo period, and varieties such as Kyoho, Nagano Purple, and Shine Muscat are particularly popular.

Chiba Prefecture

Some people mistakenly think it’s in Tokyo because its name includes the place name “Tokyo,” but it’s actually located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture. The English pronunciation of “Chiba” closely resembles words that mean drugs like marijuana or heroin overseas, so they chose to use “Tokyo” in the name instead of Chiba.

Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama Prefecture has the highest mandarin orange production. It is followed by Ehime, Shizuoka, and Kumamoto. Many people may know that Wakayama and Ehime produce a lot of mandarins, but in fact, Shizuoka and Kumamoto each account for over 10% of Japan’s total harvest as well.

Nagasaki Prefecture

Because Hokkaido is so large, it’s easy to imagine that it has a long coastline. Nagasaki, however, doesn’t have a strong image of size, so its coastline length might come as a surprise. The reason for its long coastline is the large number of islands—about 40 in total, including Tsushima and Iki. You could say it’s a prefecture that has developed alongside the sea, with each of these islands being popular tourist destinations.

Dogo Onsen

Dogo Onsen, Japan’s oldest hot spring, is located in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. It is said that famous historical figures such as Natsume Soseki, Prince Shotoku, and Masaoka Shiki once bathed there. The shopping street adjacent to Dogo Onsen, Dogo Haikara-dori, is also well known. By the way, Dogo Onsen, Arima Onsen, and Shirahama Onsen together are called the “Three Ancient Hot Springs of Japan.”