Recommended in March! A collection of surprising, little-known trivia that elementary school students will want to share
What comes to mind when you think of March? There are so many events unique to this season, like graduation ceremonies, the Doll’s Festival, and the song of the bush warbler announcing the arrival of spring.
In fact, March has many beautiful alternative names besides Yayoi, such as Sakura-zuki and Hanami-zuki, and there are lots of fun tidbits you’ll want to share—like how the flavor of hina-arare differs between the Kanto and Kansai regions! In this article, we’ll introduce March trivia and topics that even elementary school students can enjoy.
Share them with family and friends, and you might just become a little trivia expert!
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Recommended in March! A collection of surprisingly little-known trivia that elementary school kids will want to share (21–30)
The river that served as the model for the children’s song “Spring Stream” is located in Tokyo.NEW!
It is said that the model for the children’s song “Spring Brook” may have been a tributary of the Shibuya River, near where the lyricist Tatsuyuki Takano lived.
The poem is believed to have been inspired by the image of a clear stream with small fish and blooming flowers.
In spring, the water would sparkle, and tiny fish and frogs would swim about lively— it was a very beautiful river.
The words in the song directly express the sounds of the water and the behavior of the creatures.
People in the past composed songs while looking at rivers like this, enjoying the arrival of spring and the beauty of nature.
When you walk along a riverbank, try to feel nature while imagining the world of the children’s song.
People who suffer from hay fever should visit a hospital before the pollen starts to spread.NEW!
In spring, cedar and cypress pollen begins to spread, and some people experience sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes.
This is hay fever.
For those who suffer from hay fever, it’s considered best to visit a doctor before symptoms appear—that is, before the pollen starts to spread.
The reason is that starting medication in advance can lessen the body’s reaction to the pollen.
There are medications that prevent itching in the nose and eyes, as well as ones that suppress the body’s internal reaction to pollen.
If you consult a doctor and prepare before spring arrives, you may be able to get through pollen season a bit more comfortably.
Uguisu color and the actual color of the Japanese bush warbler are different.
The song of the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu) feels like a sign that spring has arrived, doesn’t it? In spring, you also see more treats and breads in “uguisu” color.
That bright yellow-green hue often evokes the fresh feeling of new foliage.
However, it seems there’s a difference between the actual color of the uguisu and what we call “uguisu color.” The real bird is brownish, and depending on the light it can appear greenish.
By contrast, “uguisu color” is a vivid yellow-green.
There are various theories about how this mismatch arose; one suggests people confused the uguisu with the Japanese white-eye (mejiro), a bird with vivid yellow-green plumage and a distinctive white eye-ring.
When you hear the uguisu’s call, try sharing this fun bit of trivia!
Bamboo shoots can grow more than 1 meter in a single day.
Bamboo shoots are one of the tastes of spring.
They’re also made into a famous chocolate snack, so even elementary school kids can easily picture them.
The bamboo shoots used in cooking look cute and plump, but the ones growing out of the ground can reportedly grow more than a meter in a single day.
As the young shoots of bamboo, their growth rate is incredibly fast.
By the way, when they first emerge above the surface, they grow from a few centimeters to several tens of centimeters per day, and their growth speed increases day by day.
Because horsetail resembles a writing brush, it is written in kanji as '土筆' (tsukushi).
Horsetails that pop their cute heads out of the ground and grow.
In kanji, tsukushi is written as “土筆.”
Neither the character for “soil” (土) nor “brush” (筆) is read that way in relation to tsukushi.
It’s a uniquely Japanese ateji (phonetic borrowing), said to come from the way tsukushi grows—looking as if a writing brush is sprouting from the earth, hence “soil brush.” These days, there may be regions where people don’t often see tsukushi.
Along with some spring trivia, it’s also fun to look them up in a field guide or take a trip to the suburbs to find them.
Hishimochi is said to mimic the shape of a heart.
In March, some households display Hina dolls for the Doll Festival.
With the Hina dolls, people offer and enjoy treats like hishi-mochi, hina-arare, and amazake.
Among these, hishi-mochi is notable for its diamond shape and three colors: green, white, and pink.
There is actually a theory that hishi-mochi is modeled after the shape of the heart.
In feng shui, which originated in China, the heart is said to be diamond-shaped.
By eating hishi-mochi shaped like the heart—an organ symbolizing life—it was believed that one could gain strong vital energy.
Since the Doll Festival is a celebration wishing for children’s health, hishi-mochi, considered auspicious, also came to be displayed.
Giving marshmallows on White Day sends the message “I don’t like you.”
March 14 is White Day, when people give return gifts for Valentine’s Day.
Stores sell sweets and other items for reciprocating, don’t they? Marshmallows are a classic return gift, but it’s said that giving marshmallows can imply “I don’t like you” or “no, thank you.” Marshmallows melt away in your mouth, and because they disappear, it’s associated with the idea that “the relationship won’t last.” However, if you learn about the origins of White Day, your image of giving marshmallows may change.
In fact, the treat that inspired White Day was the marshmallow.
Originally, marshmallows were used to wrap chocolate, carrying a warm meaning of “gently wrapping the chocolate you received with kindness.”