How many can you get right? Toyama Prefecture Local Quiz! A Fun Question Book for Elementary School Students

dam

The Kurobe Dam in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture, is the tallest dam in Japan. In summer, a “sightseeing water release” is conducted, sending out powerful jets of water that attract many visitors. The force of the water and the spray are impressive, and lots of people take photos. Kurobe Dam is also famous as a tourist attraction, where you can feel the greatness of both nature and engineering. You can enjoy it together with the beautiful scenery of Tateyama.

Buri-to-kun

Kito-Kito-kun, a character from Toyama Prefecture, is a lively boy inspired by Mount Tateyama. His best friend is Burito-kun, who is shaped like the yellowtail fish (buri) for which Toyama is famous. The two are friendly mascots of Toyama Prefecture and are active in tourism and events. They were created to share Toyama’s nature and local specialties in a fun way.

coffee creamer

There’s a popular bread made by “Sawayaka Shokuhin” in Toyama Prefecture called Coffee Snack. It’s coffee-flavored bread filled with coffee cream. You can buy it at supermarkets around Toyama, and it’s loved as a local specialty bread. It’s perfect for people who like coffee flavors and is popular for breakfast or as a snack. This is a uniquely Toyama bread with a sweet, toasty aroma you can enjoy.

It's hard.

In Toyama Prefecture, there is a dialect word “ui.” This “ui” expresses feelings like being reluctant or finding something tough. For example, when there’s something you don’t want to do or something difficult, people say “ui naa.” It’s a word that has long been used among people in Toyama, and it’s a uniquely Toyama expression that isn’t widely understood by people from other prefectures.

Problem 1 / Problem 2

People in Toyama Prefecture refer to the first and second verses of a song as the “first topic” and “second topic.” This way of counting is unique to Toyama. Some people only realize they’re the only ones who say it this way when they talk with people from outside the prefecture. It remains as a distinctive local language habit in Toyama, such as when singing at school or at town festivals.