How about quiz games like wordplay and riddles during recreation time at day service centers and other senior facilities? Puzzles that hide meanings in the arrangement, color, or orientation of letters, as well as riddles, are enjoyable brain teasers.
The answers often draw on familiar folk tales or everyday events, so seniors can experience that delightful “I get it!” moment of surprise and accomplishment when inspiration strikes.
The process of thinking stimulates the brain, and smiles and conversation naturally arise when the answer is revealed.
This time, we’ll introduce clever wordplay and riddle quizzes that are sure to get seniors excited and thinking, the kind that make you say, “Wow, that’s clever!”
If Obon arrives before the 49th day (after the passing), when will the first Obon (shinbon) be?
The period from the date of death through the forty-ninth day is called “kicho” (a time of mourning), during which one grieves for the deceased and observes mourning.
If Obon occurs before the forty-ninth day, when this mourning period ends, when is the first Obon (hatsu-bon)? The answer is: during the Obon of the following year after the person’s death.
It is customary not to hold the first-Obon memorial that same year.
If someone brings offerings thinking it is the first Obon, it is generally acceptable to receive the offerings and explain that the first Obon will be held the following year.
This is one of the points of knowledge about Obon, including how to handle such situations.
From which era does the summer event ‘Kimodameshi’ (test of courage) originate as a cultural practice?
The test of courage (kimodameshi) was often held on summer nights.
Nowadays, many places, such as amusement parks, have kimodameshi areas as attractions.
It is said that kimodameshi began in the Heian period.
In the historical tale Ōkagami (The Great Mirror), there is a story resembling a “test of courage,” in which Emperor Kazan sends his vassals, including Fujiwara no Michinaga, to places reputed to be frightening to test their nerve.
Among the aristocrats of the Heian period, it was widely believed that spirits and demons truly existed, and ominous events were thought to arise from them.
It is said that, for people in those times, a test of courage was a life-risking undertaking.
What is the food offering that symbolizes a rope for tying up the belongings that the returned ancestors will take back with them?
Somen noodles, which we often enjoy in the peak of summer, are connected to an Obon-related custom.
Let’s liven things up with an Obon quiz featuring somen! Please ask: “What food is offered as a symbol of a cord for tying up the luggage that returning ancestors will take back with them?” The surprising answer is somen.
During Obon, ancestors who return to this world receive many offerings.
There’s a legend that somen is used as the cord to bundle those offerings.
With this bit of Obon trivia, you’ll have something to proudly share with your family!
Children’s Day, a holiday that wishes for children’s healthy growth, is perhaps the most representative holiday of May.
On this day, we express our celebratory feelings with various foods such as kashiwa mochi, chimaki, and chirashi-zushi.
These foods are not only seasonally appropriate, but also carry meanings connected to Children’s Day.
Even kashiwa mochi, the quintessential Children’s Day sweet, has a special significance.
Because oak trees and their leaves are said not to shed old leaves until new buds emerge, kashiwa mochi symbolizes meanings such as “unbroken family lineage” and “prosperity of descendants.”
This event, held in Kyoto every year on August 16th, involves lighting fires on the mountains in the sequence of “Daimonji,” “Myoho,” “Funagata,” “Hidari Daimonji,” and “Toriigata.” What is this event called?
What is the name of the event in which fires are lit on the mountains in Kyoto every year on August 16, in the order of “Daimonji,” “Myōhō,” “Funagata,” “Hidari Daimonji,” and “Toriigata”? The answer is “Gozan no Okuribi.” It is a famous traditional summer event in Kyoto, held to send off the spirits of Obon.
Every year, many people visit Kyoto as tourists to see this event.
It is often broadcast on television, and the characters of fire flickering in the darkness are beautiful and feel very powerful.
It’s an Obon event that many would want to see at least once.
What is the moon-viewing event called where one observes a moon slightly waning from full—also known as “Mame Meigetsu” (Bean Harvest Moon) or “Imo Meigetsu” (Potato Harvest Moon)?
What do you call the moon-viewing custom of observing the moon just slightly waning from full—also known as the “Bean-Viewing Moon” or “Taro-Viewing Moon”? The answer is “Jūsan-ya,” or the Night of the Thirteenth Moon.
When it comes to moon viewing, the fifteenth night in September is well known, but there is actually another moon-viewing tradition around October—this is Jūsan-ya.
The fifteenth night custom came from China, while Jūsan-ya is a Japanese tradition.
Both involve enjoying the beauty of the moon, but Jūsan-ya carries the meaning of giving thanks for the autumn harvest.
If you missed the September moon viewing, why not enjoy Jūsan-ya instead?
May 2 is the anniversary of a beverage familiar to Japanese people. What anniversary is it?
Among the days of Golden Week, focusing on the parts that aren’t national holidays might help us feel more connected to the break.
Let’s think about the commemorative day that falls on the day before those clustered holidays—May 2.
Considering that this is the season when greenery gradually deepens, and that about three months have passed since the time called Risshun (the beginning of spring), you might guess the answer.
The timing 88 days after Risshun marks the new tea season, and since May 2 falls close to that period, it has been designated as Green Tea Day.
What anniversary is the anniversary of the popular menu on May 6?
May 6 often ends up being a day off, coming right after a string of holidays, sometimes falling on a weekend or becoming a substitute holiday.
Let’s learn about the commemorative days on May 6—which can feel like a bit of an add-on—and deepen our interest in this date.
Since there are food-related observances, it could be fun to incorporate them into your menu for the day.
With the wish that families enjoy the dish during the outing season, and by playing on the way the numbers 5 and 6 are read in Japanese, May 6 has been designated as “Croquette Day.”
What do you call the practice of changing uniforms according to the season, which often takes place in June and October?
Japan has four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—and we switch between short sleeves and long sleeves depending on the weather.
Many people also swap out the clothes in their closets and dressers in June, when it gets hotter, and in October, when it gets colder.
Here’s a question: what do you call the practice of changing uniforms according to the season, often done in June and October? The answer is “koromogae,” or seasonal wardrobe change.
October is the time when we transition from summer uniforms to winter uniforms.
Let’s make sure to do koromogae properly so we don’t catch a cold during the change of seasons.
“Health and Sports Day” was renamed in 2019. After the renaming, what is the name of the public holiday on the second Monday of October?
Health and Sports Day is a national holiday established to commemorate the 1964 Olympics held in Japan.
In fact, it was renamed in 2019.
Do you know what the new name is? The correct answer is “Sports Day.” The reason for the change is that the word “sports” has a broader meaning than “physical education” and conveys a greater sense of enjoyment.
The date of the holiday also changed from October 10 to the second Monday of October.
On Sports Day, be sure to engage in sports or exercise that you enjoy.
