[Difficult] A compilation of quizzes featured on Toudai-ou (University of Tokyo King)

soba

The answer is “soba.” If you read the first hiragana on the left of each arrow twice, you get words that suggest the words on the right side of the arrow: “ta-taku” (to hit), “sa-saru” (to pierce), and “tsu-tsumu” (to wrap). Applying the same transformation to “suru” yields “su-suru” (to slurp), so the correct answer is “soba,” which is eaten by slurping.

to cry

The answer is “to cry.” If you read each word on the left backwards twice, you get onomatopoeias that link to verbs: 路地 (roji) becomes “jiro-jiro,” which connects to “to look/stare”; イス (isu) becomes “sui-sui,” which connects to “to swim smoothly”; 私語 (shigo) becomes “goshi-goshi,” which connects to “to scrub/polish.” Therefore, 串 (kushi) becomes “shiku-shiku,” and the answer is “to cry.”

6

The answer is “6.” If you insert the number on the left, written in hiragana, into the middle of the word on the right of the arrow, you get a different word: putting “9” into “やぶ” (thicket) makes “やきゅうぶ” (baseball club), putting “2” into “ばら” (rose) makes “ばにら” (vanilla), and putting “3” into “しか” (deer) makes “しさんか” (oxidation). Therefore, inserting “6” into “しま” (island/stripes) makes “しろくま” (polar bear), so the correct answer is 6.

French

The primary official language of the Olympics is French, and the secondary official language is English. Because Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman known as the “father of the modern Olympics,” was instrumental in creating the modern Olympic Games, French is used as the primary official language at the Olympics.

Disappointment Island

There is an island in Iwate Prefecture that is actually named “Disappointment Island.” Disappointment Island is an uninhabited island in the city of Miyako, Iwate. The origin of the name is said to come from the fact that, for some reason, no seafood can be caught at all around the island, and that in the local dialect, the type of rocky area that makes up the island is called “gakkari” (disappointment).

not here; not there; absent; does not exist (for animate beings)

Because the deer in Nara Park—often called “messengers of the gods”—are designated as a Natural Monument, they do not have owners or caretakers. However, capturing them or causing them injury is illegal, so absolutely do not do so. To protect their health, do not feed them anything other than special deer crackers, and do not leave trash behind.

pocket

The phrase “donburi kanjo” refers to doing money calculations and handling cash carelessly. Here, “donburi” actually refers to the ‘pocket’ on the apron that craftsmen used to wear. The term is said to come from the practice of moving money around using this pocket instead of a proper container.