[General Knowledge] Summary of Kanji Quizzes Representing Country Names

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

In Japan and China, the names of various countries around the world are sometimes written using kanji.

So, can you read each country name correctly when it’s written in kanji?

In this article, we’ll quiz you on country names written in kanji.

We’ve gathered questions at a general-knowledge level, so you should see many forms you’ve come across before!

Since kanji for country names are often ateji (phonetic or borrowed characters), even if you can’t read them at a glance, sounding out the characters one by one can lead you to the answer.

Whether you’re confident with kanji or not, give it a try!

[General Knowledge] Kanji Quiz for Country Names (11–20)

How do you read “露西亜”?

See the answer

Russia

Russia was initially written as 「魯西亜」, but because the character 「魯」 suggested foolishness, a protest was lodged by the Russian side, and the notation was changed to the current 「露西亜」. During the Edo period, it was also referred to as 「オロシャ」 or 「をろしや」, forms closer to Chinese or Mongolian.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In conclusion

We’ve been presenting a quiz with country names written in kanji—how many did you get right? Even if it’s a country you love or have visited, seeing it in kanji rather than in English can make you think, “Huh?” The kanji you learned through this quiz—be sure to remember them from now on!