[For Seniors] Recommended for Brain Training! Nostalgic Showa-Era Quiz

What became widespread in Japan as a result of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics?

In 1964, the 18th Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo.

Along with that, something became widespread in Japan.

What was it? The answer is pictograms.

Simply put, pictograms are symbols that convey meanings or concepts.

They are also called picture words.

Examples include the figures indicating men’s and women’s restrooms, and the emergency exit sign.

For the Tokyo Olympics, pictograms for sports events and facilities were created as part of the hospitality effort.

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What was the event called in which artworks on sports themes competed for rankings, which once used to be an Olympic discipline?

Although it is no longer an official event because preserving the quality of artworks and establishing objective scoring criteria are difficult, there used to be competitions in past modern Olympics in which artworks were ranked.

They were called “art competitions.” Japanese participants also took part in the Los Angeles and Berlin Olympics.

Starting with the Helsinki Olympics, instead of a competition, art exhibitions have been included as part of the cultural program, as stipulated by the Olympic Charter.

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In what era is the film Seven Samurai set?

Along with cultural development, the Showa era gave birth to many masterpieces in film and beyond.

Among those Showa classics, Seven Samurai is a work deeply etched into film history.

So, which period is its setting? Naturally, it’s an era when samurai existed, and from the way the characters live, you can infer the approximate time as well.

The answer is the Sengoku period.

Although the characters and events are fictional, the film explicitly states that it takes place in Tenshō 14 (1586).

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There was a game board that became popular among children in the 1950s and 60s (Showa 30s). What sport was turned into the board game?

Various kinds of toys have been created both in the past and present, bringing joy to children.

They range from simple ones where the outcome is decided in a single move to those that require strategy, and some people may even have played with original rules or custom variations.

Among such toys, when you think of board-style games themed around sports that were popular around the mid-1950s (Showa 30s), what comes to mind? Some might guess it just from the phrase “sports-themed board.” The answer is the baseball board game—known as yakyūban—which came in many versions, differing in size and how they were operated.

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At the Tokyo Olympics held in 1964, a rakugo storyteller ran as a torchbearer. Who was that rakugo performer?

One highlight of the Olympic torch relay is that a wide variety of people run, including athletes and celebrities.

At the Tokyo Olympics held in 1964 (Showa 39), a certain rakugo storyteller ran as a torchbearer.

Who was it? Here’s a hint: a long-beloved rakugo performer you often see on TV—someone who might not fit the strict image of representing the nation.

The answer is “Sanyutei Koyuza.” At the time, he didn’t run as a rakugo performer; he was selected as a torchbearer as a high school table tennis player.

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