[For Seniors] Prevent Dementia with Brain Training! A May-Themed Quiz Collection

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

May is warm, refreshing, and full of beautiful fresh greenery.

Some of you may find your hearts dancing in this invigorating season.

However, there are also seniors who, with age, find it harder to sense the changing seasons.

So this time, we’d like to introduce quizzes suitable for seniors in May.

By working through the questions and answers, they can recall images of May and spend each day feeling the season.

Using their minds also serves as brain training, which can stimulate the brain and help prevent dementia.

Let’s help seniors enjoy the season through fun quizzes!

[For Seniors] Prevent Dementia with Brain Training! May-Themed Quiz Collection (11–20)

May 31 is a day to call attention to something related to health. What is it?

In May, as temperatures shift toward summer and the long holidays disrupt routines, some people may find themselves feeling unwell.

There’s a day on May 31 that calls attention to a particular health issue—what is it? Here’s a hint: it’s about an unhealthy habit embedded in everyday life, and one that has been gradually declining in modern times.

The answer is World No Tobacco Day, established by the World Health Organization to promote making non-smoking the norm.

Why not take this opportunity to think about the various health effects involved?

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Which prefecture has the highest production of melons, a fruit that is in season in May?

Melons are widely seen as a luxury fruit in Japan, and their peak season is said to arrive in May.

So which prefecture produces the most melons that are in season in May? Since melons need well-drained soil and a warm climate to grow vigorously, let’s consider those environmental features as well.

The answer is Ibaraki Prefecture, which enjoys a warm climate throughout the year and ranks first in Japan in both cultivation area and production volume.

Ibaraki also offers original melon varieties, so it’s worth looking those up too.

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What animal returned alive from space on May 28?

Various experiments were repeatedly conducted so that humanity could challenge space.

Among the experiments related to space, let us consider the animals that embarked on a journey into space and returned, which are said to represent a major step forward in place of humans.

If we keep in mind that these were experiments to study rocket launches and the effects of outer space on humans, the patterns in the choice of animals may become apparent.

The animals launched on May 28, 1959, who safely returned, were monkeys—Able, a rhesus macaque, and Baker, a squirrel monkey—who are remembered as animals that made great contributions to humanity’s advance into space.

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What do you call mandarins whose peak season is in May?

In May, when the greenery deepens, it also seems to be the season when the colors of fruits gradually grow richer.

Let’s think about the fruits that come into season in May and deepen our understanding of the time of year.

While mandarins are strongly associated with being in season in winter, there are varieties that reach their peak around this time as well.

These mandarins, known as “natsu mikan” or “summer daidai,” are characterized by their large, yellow appearance.

The fruit is left on the tree to allow the acidity to mellow, finally reaching peak ripeness in early summer.

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What kind of wishes are put into (or imbued in) koinobori?

Koinobori are decorations that are raised high above rooftops and symbolize Children’s Day, aren’t they? They’re an indispensable ornament for this season, but some people might put them up out of habit without thinking about their meaning.

By learning about the significance and origins of koinobori, we may deepen our interest in Children’s Day.

Carp are often treated as auspicious motifs, tied to the legend of the “Dragon Gate,” in which a carp swims up a waterfall and transforms into a dragon.

Because of this, the carp became established as a motif that expresses wishes for growth and success in life.

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Golden Week is a period of consecutive holidays from late April to early May. How many public holidays are there?

During Golden Week, which runs from the end of April to early May, you often hear phrases like “This year you can get up to X consecutive days off.” The public holidays are clustered together, and by combining them cleverly with personal days off, people can create a long break.

So why not take this opportunity to think about the holidays that form the core of Golden Week and consider what each one means? Golden Week consists of four holidays: Showa Day on April 29, followed by Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day from May 3 to 5.

How weekends align with these holidays seems to be the key factor in whether it turns into an extended holiday period.

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[For Seniors] Prevent Dementia with Brain Training! May-Themed Quiz Collection (21–30)

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.

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