[For Seniors] Brain-training quizzes for January: Let’s have fun with New Year and winter trivia
January, the month that welcomes a brand-new year, is the perfect time to reset and give your brain a good workout.
In this article, we’ve prepared plenty of January-only quizzes: fun trivia about the New Year, spot-the-difference puzzles themed around winter scenery, and even tricky winter-related kanji.
As you tackle these seasonally rich challenges, you may find nostalgic memories resurfacing and catch yourself saying “I see!” at newfound insights—there’s a delightful time waiting for you.
Enjoy some brain-boosting stimulation in a warm, friendly atmosphere with your family and friends.
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[For Seniors] Brain Training with January Quizzes: Get Excited with New Year and Winter Trivia (1–10)
Shadow Play Story: Silhouette Quiz

It’s a silhouette quiz where you look at shadow pictures and guess what they are.
Many of the questions can be identified at a glance, making it easy for children and seniors to enjoy.
Is the theme sports? It looks like it features equipment used in sports that everyone knows well.
Since we usually recognize things in color, we can get thrown off when they’re in black and white, but if you stay calm and think it through, the answer should come into view.
Pay close attention to the finer details of the silhouettes and try to figure out the answers.
Ultra-difficult Spot the Difference: Winter Winter Sports Special

Compare the two pictures and find all the differences.
There are four stages—Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Challenge—so it’s perfect for testing your skills.
As you go, keep count of how many differences you can spot in each puzzle.
Your rank will be determined by the number you find: Ordinary, Master, Superhuman… So, which rank did you get? All the illustrations shown have a wintry theme, so enjoy the quiz while getting a feel for the season.
New Year Trivia Quiz

Here’s a quiz about New Year’s! Most things associated with the New Year carry meanings that are fitting for the moment we welcome it.
However, many people may not fully understand them, even if they have a vague sense that there’s meaning behind things like kite flying, what you must not do on New Year’s Day, or the wishes imbued in kuri-kinton (sweet chestnut and mashed sweet potato).
If you enjoy learning through a quiz, it can serve not only as brain training but also as a chance to deepen your understanding of Japanese customs.
[For Seniors] Brain-training quizzes for January: Have fun with New Year and winter trivia (11–20)
A quiz to help with winter life

How about a quiz packed with tips to enjoyably get through the winter cold? It’s designed so older adults can join in, too.
It’s full of practical wisdom for everyday life, like preventing static electricity and keeping indoor air from getting too dry.
Solving the quiz can also prompt you to recall your own experiences.
Focusing on the answers can help stimulate your brain as well.
It might even give you conversation topics to share with your grandchildren.
Precisely because it’s a cold season, let’s keep both mind and body lively with a warm, enjoyable quiz that helps you learn.
Hard-to-read kanji in season in winter

There are so many delicious foods in winter, like ingredients you put in hot pots.
This time, we’re introducing a kanji quiz themed around foods that are in season during winter! It helps to make it easier to answer by starting with simpler questions—like one about mikan (mandarin oranges).
Also, showing pictures or illustrations of the foods when reviewing the answers makes things easier to understand.
It’s also a good idea to ask older adults about their favorite winter foods and include those in the quiz.
To boost motivation, consider preparing a small prize for anyone who gets all the answers correct.
Word-scramble quiz: “Speaking of New Year’s…”

This is a game where you rearrange hiragana to complete words related to New Year’s! Even a simple four-letter word like “takoage” (kite flying) can be confusing when the order is scrambled, like “geakota.” Start with shorter words and gradually increase the length.
If you want to raise the difficulty further, we recommend mixing the hiragana from two words and having players form two words from the jumbled characters.
You can also tailor the challenge to the situation—for example, by specifying the first letter.
A quiz on the names of things related to New Year’s (Oshogatsu)

This is a quiz to recall the names of New Year–related items that you surely see at least once a year! We’ll show photos and illustrations and have you provide their official names.
In everyday life, when you say things like “Pass me that!” or “How do you use this?”, the exact names of things can slip your mind.
New Year items in particular come up less often in conversation, so they’re even easier to forget.
This makes for an effective brain-training exercise to revive fading memories.



