[For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
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!”
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- [Brain Training] Lively Word Quiz for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Have Fun with Wordplay Characters! A Collection of Funny Puzzles
- [For Seniors] Fun and Educational True-or-False Quiz
- [For Seniors] Fun Riddles That Stimulate the Brain
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- For seniors: Fun, crowd-pleasing word association game ideas
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- [For Seniors] Perfect Brain Training! Fun Trivia
- [For Seniors] Recommended and Exciting! Brain-Teaser Quiz Collection
- [For Seniors] Recommended Trivia Quizzes & Fun Facts for November
Showa Retro: Nostalgia Quiz (11–20)
What was the summer women’s clothing that became popular from the late Taisho period to the early Showa period?
The name of the easy-to-throw-on women’s summer garment that was popular from the late Taisho to the early Showa period was “appappa.” It’s said to come from an Osaka dialect word that describes a skirt flaring out with a “pah.” These days, most fashion-related buzzwords trace their origins to foreign languages, so you can really feel the change of the times in the fact that this one comes from a domestic dialect.
In 1929, when Tokyo was hit by its worst heat wave in 40 years, the appappa also became wildly popular.
My grandmother still calls it an “appappa,” so there may still be people who use the term even now…
Around 1955 (Showa 30), what were the cafes in Japanese urban areas—where everyone sang together—called?
Songs that have always been close to people’s hearts are loved in various ways depending on the era.
Before karaoke boxes appeared, what were the cafes called—popular around the mid-1950s and spreading mainly in Japanese cities—where everyone would sing together? The name clearly evokes the scene of people layering their voices along with various instruments.
The answer is “utagoe kissa” (singing voice cafes).
It is said that as people layered their voices, a sense of solidarity grew, which had a significant impact on student and labor movements.
From a TV drama in 1958 (Showa 33), the hero ○○ Kamen appeared. This hero, who was popular among children at the time, is which ‘-Kamen’?
Speaking of heroes born from television dramas in 1958 (Showa 33), it has to be Gekko Kamen, who enjoyed overwhelming popularity among children at the time! Known as the pioneer of Japanese hero shows, its style—combining period-drama elements with detective storytelling—is said to have had a major influence on the hero programs that followed.
Gekko Kamen is a champion of justice who gallantly appears on a white motorcycle and fights evil organizations alongside the police.
It’s said that, inspired by this image, people later began calling police motorcycle units “Gekko Kamen.”
On the tables of cafés and eateries in the Showa era, there were small roulette-style vending machines. What kind of vending machines were they?
Back in the Showa era, many coffee shops and eateries had small roulette-style vending machines on their tables.
And what did they dispense? Fortune-telling results! You’d insert a coin and pull the lever, the roulette inside would spin, and a rolled-up slip of paper would come out.
In the late Showa 50s (the late 1970s to early 1980s), thanks to the combined boom of horoscopes and coffee shops, annual production of these mini machines reportedly exceeded 200,000 units.
I even remember seeing them in old Chinese restaurants after the Heisei era began, but nowadays they’ve become a rare sight.
What is the official name of the marble inside a bottle of ramune?
Ramune in glass bottles is a quintessential symbol of summer.
Drinking a well-chilled bottle of ramune on a hot summer day can blow the heat away.
Speaking of bottled ramune, its hallmark is the glass marble inside.
The official name of this marble is the “A-dama” (A marble).
Marbles that met the standard—specifically, those without any distortions that could be used as the bottle’s stopper—were called A-dama.
Those that didn’t meet the standard were called B-dama and became the toy marbles known as “bīdama.” Back when bottled ramune was first sold, many B-dama were produced, and shops that sold ramune would hand them out to children.
Which singer performed “Nagasaki no Kane” and served as the White Team’s final act in the first Kōhaku Uta Gassen?
The first ever Kōhaku Uta Gassen took place on January 3, 1951 (Showa 26).
The honor of closing for the White Team in this landmark first event went to Ichirō Fujiyama, who performed one of his signature songs, “Nagasaki no Kane” (The Bells of Nagasaki).
Other performers included Hamako Watanabe with “San Francisco no Chinatown” and Toshiro Oumi with “Yunomachi Elegy,” among others.
Popular songs can vividly bring back memories of events from that time.
Along with using them in a quiz, it might be nice to play a few songs and reminisce together.
In the late 1980s, it became popular to wear flashy outfits outdoors and dance “step dance” to disco sounds. What were these people called as a ‘tribe’?
Since the Heisei era, many dance-vocal groups have emerged, but even before that, there was a large dance collective! They were reportedly seen near Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, as well as in Kichijoji, Ikebukuro, and even Nagoya.
What were these people called? Here’s a hint: they share their name with a vegetable.
The answer is the Takenoko-zoku! There were many groups among those known as the Takenoko-zoku, and some members were even scouted and made their entertainment industry debut.
Showa Retro: Nostalgic Quiz (21–30)
Who was the first heroine of the Showa-era flagship series “It’s Tough Being a Man” (Otoko wa Tsurai yo)?
The film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo is a quintessential representation of the Showa era, depicting the protagonist Tora-san, played by Kiyoshi Atsumi, and the commotion that unfolds around him.
Speaking of Otoko wa Tsurai yo, the relationship between Tora-san and the heroine is also a key element that adds excitement to the story.
Among the various heroines who appear, who played the first heroine, Fuyuko Tsubouchi? With the hint that she’s Tora-san’s childhood friend and appears in later installments as well, some of you may already have her image in mind.
The answer is Sachiko Mitsumoto, who also appears in Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Funtō-hen and Tora-san’s Matchmaker.
Sakurada Junko and Mori Masako were called part of the “Hana no Chūsan Trio.” Who was the third member?
Showa-era idols are sometimes given special nicknames depending on when and how they debuted.
One such nickname is the “Hana no Chūsan Trio” (the Blossoming Ninth-Graders Trio).
Alongside Junko Sakurada and Masako Mori, who is the third member people think of? Some may immediately recall her knowing that all three were of the same generation and debuted from the audition program Star Tanjō! The answer is Momoe Yamaguchi—a legendary idol who famously retired from show business upon getting married.
Which band held the first rock concert at the Budokan, known as the sacred site of Japanese martial arts?
While the Nippon Budokan is a venue for martial arts tournaments, it also hosts many music events.
As for the band that first held a rock concert there—the very act that helped make the Budokan beloved by musicians—who could it be? Here’s a hint: they were an overseas act whose visit to Japan became such a major event that it’s remembered as part of the nation’s history.
Many might guess the answer from that alone.
It’s the Beatles—their arrival and performances are passed down as a page in history.