[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.
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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 Quiz Everyone Can Enjoy! Learn surprising fun facts with multiple-choice questions (51–60)

Speaking of New Year’s Eve, it’s soba, but which type of noodles is good to eat on New Year’s Day?

udon
ramen
somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles)

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udon

It’s said that a good food to eat at New Year’s is udon. While it isn’t a traditional New Year’s dish, udon has long been considered an auspicious food that symbolizes longevity because the noodles are thick and long. In recent years, starting the year by eating “toshiake udon” (New Year’s udon) has been spreading. How about enjoying some udon with your family this New Year?

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When is the era in which Fukuwarai is said to have been born?

Nara period
Heian period
Edo period

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Edo period

Fukuwarai is said to have started in Japan during the Edo period. That said, it seems it didn’t really take root as a staple New Year’s game until the Meiji era. Why not try playing it with your child while imagining how people in Japan enjoyed it back then?

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What is the origin of the word ‘karuta,’ a game that parents and children can enjoy together?

Latin
Portuguese
French

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Portuguese

The word karuta comes from the Portuguese carta, which means card or paper. It originated from the card games brought by the Portuguese at the time. It’s a little-known fun fact, so be sure to share it with your friends!

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How many times is the New Year’s Eve bell struck?

108 times
100 times
88 times

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108 times

The New Year’s Eve bell is struck 108 times. This number is based on the count of human earthly desires, or defilements, in Buddhism. These defilements refer to mental impulses that trouble the human mind, such as desire and anger. By striking the bell 108 times, each defilement is symbolically removed, expressing the intention to welcome the New Year with a pure heart.

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[For Elementary School Students] New Year’s Quiz Everyone Can Enjoy! Learn Fun Little-Known Facts with Multiple Choice (61–70)

Why do we eat toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve?

Actually, there’s no reason.
For wishing for health and longevity
Because it's warm and delicious.

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For wishing for health and longevity

There are several theories about why we eat toshikoshi soba (year-crossing noodles), and one of the most famous is that the noodles’ thin, long shape symbolizes a wish for longevity. Eating soba is imbued with the hope for a healthy, long life. Additionally, because soba noodles break easily, they are also said to signify cutting off the misfortunes of the past year. Let’s enjoy delicious soba and pray that the new year will be a good one.

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In conclusion

Through the New Year quiz, you may have discovered little-known facts—like the customs of welcoming the Toshigami deity, the origins of kagami mochi, and how to interpret your first dream of the year.

The charm of the New Year quiz is that people of all ages can enjoy it together while naturally learning about Japanese traditional culture.

Try using it for New Year gatherings or as an easy conversation starter.