[General] Surprisingly unknown? Test your geography skills with a three-choice quiz on Japan’s prefectures

Mie Prefecture

Located in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Suzuka Circuit is known as Japan’s first full-scale international racing course and attracts many motorsports fans. It’s also popular as an amusement park, offering a variety of attractions for everyone from children to adults.

Tokushima Prefecture

Held every year during the Obon season, the Awa Odori is a major event in Tokushima Prefecture, known as one of Japan’s three great Bon dances. The sight of huge crowds parading through the streets while dancing in unison is breathtaking! These days, Awa Odori festivals are also held in places like Tokyo and Saitama.

Okinawa Prefecture

On May 15, 1972, Okinawa Prefecture, which had long been under American occupation since World War II, was returned to Japan. While under U.S. occupation, it is said that a passport was required to travel between Okinawa and mainland Japan as with international travel, and cars drove on the right side of the road as in the United States.

Iwate Prefecture

Wanko soba is a local specialty centered around Morioka and Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture. It’s known for its unique style in which a server keeps adding bite-sized portions of soba into your bowl one after another, and it doesn’t end until the diner signals they’re full by placing a lid on the bowl. “Wanko” means “bowl” in the Iwate dialect, and this traditional food culture grew from the spirit of hospitality—serving warm soba to many guests at once.

Nagasaki Prefecture

Glover Garden in Nagasaki Prefecture is the site where the residences of Scottish merchants, centered around Thomas Blake Glover, once stood. The stylish Western-style buildings remain to this day, and many tourists visit as it is a popular sightseeing spot.

Aomori Prefecture

“Ōma tuna” refers to wild Pacific bluefin tuna (hon-maguro/kuro-maguro) landed in Ōma Town on the Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, located at the northernmost tip of Japan’s main island, Honshu. Battled by the fierce currents of the Tsugaru Strait, these tunas develop firm flesh with superb marbling, earning them the reputation of a top-tier brand known as the “Black Diamond.” At the first auction of the New Year held annually, individual fish can fetch prices in the hundreds of millions of yen, drawing nationwide attention as a quintessential winter tradition.

Aichi Prefecture

According to statistics such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Religious Yearbook, there are over 4,500 temples in Aichi Prefecture, and it has maintained the top position nationwide for many years. One reason for the large number of temples is that the Owari and Mikawa regions have historically seen a great deal of movement and interaction among people. As various people gathered, the diversity of Buddhist sects may also have increased.

Okayama Prefecture

This prefecture is the one most widely known as the birthplace of the folktale Momotaro. In this area stands an ancient mountain fortress called Kinojo, and a legend remains that Prince Kibitsuhiko slew a demon named Ura who was tormenting the people. It is said that this became the model for the story of Momotaro.

Kagoshima Prefecture

Sakurajima, which belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture, often makes the news for its eruptions. However, it’s also a very popular tourist destination, and you can get there from Kagoshima City by ferry in just 15 minutes! You can enjoy a variety of activities that make the most of nature, including the volcano itself.

Wakayama Prefecture

At Kishi Station on the Wakayama Electric Railway’s Kishigawa Line, a calico cat named Tama once served as stationmaster, becoming a worldwide sensation. She is known as the key figure who saved the local line, which had been facing the risk of closure. After Tama passed away, her successors “Nitama” and “Tama II” worked at Kishi Station.