[For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia!

Rape blossoms have cancer-preventive effects.

In spring, we see more and more fields—and these days even riverbanks—covered with blooming rapeseed flowers.

Rapeseed blossoms are known for their cute, small yellow petals, and it’s said they may help prevent cancer.

In fact, “nanohana” refers to the flowers of cruciferous vegetables such as leaf mustard, daikon radish, and cabbage.

Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds called isothiocyanates, which have antioxidant properties.

Isothiocyanates are believed to suppress cancer cells and may be effective in cancer prevention.

Rapeseed flowers evoke the image of “spring,” don’t they? Even older adults might enjoy talking about rapeseed blossoms as a way to feel the season.

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Nakajima Junko

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Difficult-to-read kanji related to spring

[Difficult Kanji Related to Spring] 20 Questions! A quiz of tricky kanji readings for flowers, plants, birds, foods, and more [For Seniors]

Spring is a season when we feel warmth, and many people strongly associate it with plants and animals becoming active.

This is a quiz that challenges you to read kanji related to spring, including springtime plants and animals.

It can be hard to give the reading from the kanji alone, so it may be easier if you use the kanji used and the season to make an educated guess.

You might find that there are words you know in speech but have never had a chance to write in kanji, so this quiz could lead to new discoveries.

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kappamaki

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The model for the children’s song “Spring Brook” was Tokyo’s Kōbotsu River.

The children’s song “Haru no Ogawa” (Spring Brook) is something almost every Japanese person knows, as it’s taught in elementary school.

In fact, it is said to have a model brook.

That model is believed to be the Kotsubogawa, a stream that once flowed along today’s Odakyu Line in Tokyo.

One reason for this belief is that the lyricist, Tatsuyuki Takano, is said to have lived near the Kotsubogawa.

Although land development led to the stream being buried underground and repurposed as part of the sewer system—so we can no longer see it—the fact that such a river once existed in Tokyo, now lined with skyscrapers, will likely continue to be passed down along with this song.

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kojifumi

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The Japanese bush warbler has the alternate name ‘hanami-bird’ (flower-viewing bird).

Have you ever heard the beautiful song of the Japanese bush warbler? That soothing voice you hear around the time the plums bloom—did you know it’s also nicknamed the “hanamitori,” the flower-viewing bird? The bush warbler’s call, which heralds the arrival of spring, starts off a bit clumsy but gradually becomes more skillful.

It’s lovely to enjoy that growth, too.

Hearing its song makes you feel the beginning of a new season.

It’s also said to be called the “utayoidori,” the poetry-singing bird.

As spring arrives, why not lend an ear to the bush warbler’s song?

Spring Plant Quiz

Plant quiz to learn by flowers: 2024 Spring summary

When it comes to flower names, we can quickly recognize the ones we often see or that are famous, but the less common ones can be hard to identify—especially if it’s just a photo of a bud.

Here’s a quiz where you try to guess the names of such flowers.

Each question is multiple choice with three options, and all of them sound plausible, so it can be tricky.

Don’t worry about getting answers wrong—just keep tackling the questions with the goal of learning more.

Trying to remember and expanding your knowledge is one of life’s joys, so please keep that spirit no matter how old you are.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Quiz about cherry blossoms

2022 Cherry-Blossom Viewing & Sakura Quiz! 12 Questions

Cherry blossoms, which can be said to represent Japan, are so familiar and ever-present that we rarely have chances to learn much about them.

How about picking up various trivia about sakura through a quiz and renewing your sense of closeness to these flowers around you? Because they are such a traditional motif, they appear in many kinds of design, so questions that focus on that aspect are also recommended.

By appreciating not only the cherry blossoms themselves but also the surrounding knowledge, you’ll come to see just how important sakura are to the Japanese people.

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kappamaki

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Strawberries are actually vegetables.

When I was a kid, every summer there was that rumor going around like “watermelon isn’t a fruit, it’s a vegetable.” Looking back, it’s kind of cute and charming how it came up year after year.

Come to think of it, strawberries are also classified as vegetables by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

It feels odd to call something that sweet and delicious a vegetable, doesn’t it? Surprisingly, bananas and pineapples are also categorized as vegetables.

That said, these are nowadays sometimes referred to as “fruit-type vegetables,” and are treated a bit differently from ordinary vegetables.

If it’s a sweet, tasty fruit, I just want to call them all fruit already.