[For Elementary School Kids] A New Year’s Quiz Everyone Can Enjoy! Learn surprising fun facts with multiple-choice questions

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

When it comes to New Year’s in Japan, there’s so much to enjoy—osechi cuisine, New Year’s money (otoshidama), and the first shrine visit of the year (hatsumode).

But why is there a mandarin orange placed on top of kagami mochi? And what should you do after drawing an omikuji fortune? Have you ever been stumped when your child asked you about these unexpected New Year’s tidbits? Here, we’ve gathered a collection of New Year-themed quizzes that both kids and adults can enjoy together.

From the New Year deity (Toshigami-sama) to the proper timing of the first dream (hatsuyume) and the origins of ozoni soup, this is full of Japanese traditions you might think you know—but don’t.

Challenge yourselves as a family over the New Year holidays and savor Japanese culture more deeply!

[For Elementary School Students] A New Year’s Quiz Everyone Can Enjoy! Learn fun and surprising trivia with multiple-choice questions (41–50)

Why did the Chinese zodiac come to have twelve animals?

Because one year has 12 months
Because 12 animals were chosen for the race.
Because twelve kinds of feast dishes were served for the celebration.

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Because one year has 12 months

The fact that there are twelve zodiac signs is related to the old calendar, which counted a year as twelve months. Because of that, one animal was assigned to each month, creating the twelve signs. Later, familiar animals were chosen to make them easier for people to remember, and the system came to be widely used in farming and daily life.

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What is the meaning indicated by the New Year’s decoration “shimenawa”?

A wish for the family to spend time together in harmony
To prevent bad things from coming in
To pray for a good harvest

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To prevent bad things from coming in

A shimenawa indicates a pure place where the gods are welcomed and is used to keep evil from entering the home. It is displayed to show that the place is pure so that the Toshigami deity can descend with peace of mind.

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What is the black ball attached to the shuttlecock for hanetsuki?

black soybean
A rhinoceros beetle ball
Soapberry seed

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Soapberry seed

The black bead attached to the shuttlecock in hanetsuki is the seed of a tree called mukuroji (soapberry). Mukuroji seeds are hard and round, making them perfect for hanetsuki shuttlecocks. In the past, hanetsuki was played as a way to ward off evil and was also an event to pray for children’s growth.

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Which tool is used for kagami-biraki?

hammer
kitchen knife
scissors

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hammer

During Kagami-biraki, it is considered inauspicious to cut the kagami mochi with a knife, so it is broken apart using a hammer or wooden mallet. Using blades is avoided because the act of cutting is deemed unlucky, and in the samurai era it was prohibited as it evoked the idea of “cutting down an enemy.” The positive term “to open” was chosen to emphasize good fortune. The broken mochi is eaten in dishes like ozoni or zenzai as a ritual to receive the deity’s blessing.

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What does the round shape of kagami mochi symbolize?

Sun
mirror
Earth

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Sun

It’s said that the round shape of kagamimochi represents the sun, which has long been believed to be where the gods descend from. It also embodies wishes for harmony and family bonds. Far from being a mere decoration, it is a symbolic New Year’s item that has held sacred meaning since ancient times.

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