[For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Spring-Themed Quiz

Who is the protagonist of the old folktale that became the motif for the May dolls?

Children’s Day is one of the holidays that arrives in May; we display carp streamers and samurai dolls while wishing for children’s growth.

So, what are the motifs behind those samurai dolls, the iconic decorations of Children’s Day? Here’s a big hint: it comes from a folktale.

Let’s think of something that fits the strong, powerful image of these dolls.

The answer is Kintaro.

His story—living energetically alongside animals—made him a symbol of health, and from there, the dolls came to be used as a way to pray for children’s well-being.

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When is it considered best to avoid putting out the May dolls?

Gogatsu-ningyo, the traditional decorations for Children’s Day, are imbued with the wish for children to grow up healthy.

So, when is the time you should avoid putting them out? The hint lies in Japan’s notions of bad luck—especially those inescapable unlucky observances and how they’re scheduled.

The answer is the day before Children’s Day.

Hastily preparing everything at the last minute evokes a funeral, which is considered inauspicious, so it’s best to display them before then.

It’s also avoided because rushing suggests a lack of sincerity toward the Gogatsu-ningyo.

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Japan’s three most famous teas are Uji tea, Sayama tea, and what is the third tea?

Tea is cherished throughout Japan, and there are regions renowned as production areas.

Among teas produced in these famed regions, the three most celebrated are known as the “Three Great Teas”: Uji tea, Sayama tea, and—what is the third one? Since these are teas from the three major production regions, you might figure it out just by thinking of a place strongly associated with tea.

The answer is Shizuoka tea from Shizuoka Prefecture.

As the tea-plucking song passes down: “In color, Shizuoka; in aroma, Uji; and in taste, Sayama.” It’s a historic tea, also known for being a favorite of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

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Kanji Quiz: Flowers

Surprisingly Unknown? 20 Tricky Flower Kanji Quiz Questions [Elderly Care • Senior Brain Training • Whiteboard Recreation • Preventive Care]

Every time I see flowers blooming with the changing seasons, I think, “I’m so glad I was born in Japan, a country with four seasons.” How about you? Thanks to advances in cultivation techniques, you can now buy popular flowers at florists year-round.

But when those flower names are written in kanji, they can be surprisingly hard to read.

A “Flower Kanji Quiz” is great for a quick activity and works well as the main entertainment at a party.

Strangely enough, it gets lively even if no one gets the right answers.

It’s a brain-training game that makes everyone smile—I highly recommend it!

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.

Hina-arare is made by crushing hishi-mochi.

In March, during the Peach Festival (Hinamatsuri), many places likely display Hina dolls and hold events.

For Hinamatsuri, the dolls are sometimes displayed together with hina-arare (sweet rice puffs) and hishi-mochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes).

There are various reasons for displaying them together, but a prominent theory says that hina-arare originated from crushing hishi-mochi.

This is closely connected to an Edo-period custom called hina no kunimise.

In hina no kunimise, people would take the Hina dolls outdoors—to fields, hills, or riverbanks—and enjoy the spring scenery with them.

They are said to have brought along crushed hishi-mochi at that time, which became the origin of hina-arare.

Indeed, the colors of hishi-mochi and hina-arare are similar, aren’t they?

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Nakajima Junko

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Asparagus was originally used for ornamental purposes.

Asparagus has a slightly different form compared to other vegetables.

I’ve heard it takes at least three years from sowing the seeds to harvesting.

I’ve tried growing it a few times myself, but I never made it to harvest…

If you manage it properly, you can keep harvesting for about ten years.

Interestingly, asparagus was originally imported as an ornamental plant and only later became a food.

The curiosity of the person who thought, “Maybe I’ll try eating that plant that looks like a horsetail,” is pretty incredible, isn’t it?