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Japan trivia: 44 questions and answers

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History

  1. In 794 the emperor moved his court to Heian-kyō. What is this city called today?

    1. A. Kyoto
    2. B. Nara
    3. C. Osaka
    4. D. Kamakura
    Show the answer

    Kyoto. Heian-kyō is today's Kyoto. It stayed the home of the emperors until the move to Tokyo after 1868.

  2. Which American naval officer sailed into Edo Bay with 'black ships' in 1853 and pushed Japan to open its ports?

    1. A. Douglas MacArthur
    2. B. Matthew Perry
    3. C. George Dewey
    4. D. John Paul Jones
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    Matthew Perry. Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, and a treaty the following year ended Japan's long isolation.

  3. In 1868 the city of Edo was given a new name. What is it?

    1. A. Kyoto
    2. B. Tokyo
    3. C. Osaka
    4. D. Yokohama
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    Tokyo. Edo was renamed Tokyo, meaning eastern capital, at the start of the Meiji era in 1868.

  4. What was the title of the top military rulers who governed Japan in the emperor's name from the 1100s to the 1860s?

    1. A. Shogun
    2. B. Samurai
    3. C. Ninja
    4. D. Geisha
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    Shogun. The shogun was the supreme military ruler. The last shogun gave up power in 1867, before the Meiji Restoration.

  5. The Mongols tried to invade Japan twice in the 1200s, and both attempts failed.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The attacks of 1274 and 1281 both failed, the second when a typhoon wrecked much of the Mongol fleet.

  6. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first Olympic Games held in Asia.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Tokyo 1964 was the first Olympics in Asia, and the first bullet train opened just before it.

  7. During Japan's centuries of isolation, the Portuguese kept trading from the island of Dejima in Nagasaki.

    True or false?

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    False. False. Dejima was first built for the Portuguese, but they were expelled in 1639. For the rest of the isolation it was the Dutch who kept a trading post there.

Food and drink

  1. What is tempura?

    1. A. Raw fish on vinegared rice
    2. B. Seafood and vegetables fried in a light batter
    3. C. Grilled chicken on skewers
    4. D. Cold buckwheat noodles
    Show the answer

    Seafood and vegetables fried in a light batter. Tempura is seafood and vegetables fried in a light batter, an idea thought to have come with the Portuguese in the 1500s.

  2. Oyakodon means 'parent and child bowl'. Which two ingredients give it this name?

    1. A. Chicken and egg
    2. B. Tuna and tofu
    3. C. Beef and onion
    4. D. Pork and cabbage
    Show the answer

    Chicken and egg. Chicken and egg are the parent and child, simmered together and served over rice.

  3. What is inside a takoyaki ball?

    1. A. Chicken
    2. B. Red bean paste
    3. C. Octopus
    4. D. Cheese
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    Octopus. Tako means octopus. Takoyaki are balls of batter with a piece of octopus inside.

  4. In Japan, slurping ramen or soba noodles is considered rude.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Slurping noodles is normal and shows you are enjoying them.

  5. Standing your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is a polite way to show you have finished.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. It is avoided because it recalls incense sticks at funerals. Lay them on the chopstick rest instead.

  6. Mochi, eaten especially at New Year, is made by pounding which ingredient?

    1. A. Wheat flour dough
    2. B. Steamed sticky rice
    3. C. Soybeans
    4. D. Sweet potatoes
    Show the answer

    Steamed sticky rice. Mochi is made from steamed sticky rice, pounded with wooden mallets. Cut it small and chew well, as it can cause choking.

  7. What did UNESCO add to its list of intangible cultural heritage for Japan in 2013?

    1. A. Kabuki theatre
    2. B. Washoku, traditional Japanese food culture
    3. C. Sumo wrestling
    4. D. Karaoke
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    Washoku, traditional Japanese food culture. Washoku, traditional Japanese food culture, was listed by UNESCO in 2013. Kabuki had been listed earlier, and sumo and karaoke are not on the list.

  8. Miso, the base of miso soup, is a paste made mainly from which fermented ingredient?

    1. A. Soybeans
    2. B. Fish
    3. C. Seaweed
    4. D. Mushrooms
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    Soybeans. Miso is a paste of fermented soybeans, stirred into dashi stock to make miso soup.

Cities

  1. Kyoto was the home of Japan's emperors for more than 1,000 years.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The emperors lived in Kyoto from 794 until they moved to Tokyo after 1868.

  2. Which city hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Games held in Asia?

    1. A. Nagano
    2. B. Sapporo
    3. C. Tokyo
    4. D. Kanazawa
    Show the answer

    Sapporo. Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. Nagano hosted Japan's second Winter Games, in 1998.

  3. Which port city, just south of Tokyo, has the second-largest population of any city in Japan?

    1. A. Nagasaki
    2. B. Kanazawa
    3. C. Yokohama
    4. D. Himeji
    Show the answer

    Yokohama. Yokohama, in Kanagawa, is Japan's second-largest city by population.

Landmarks

  1. How high is Mount Fuji?

    1. A. 1,776 m
    2. B. 2,776 m
    3. C. 3,776 m
    4. D. 4,776 m
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    3,776 m. Mount Fuji is 3,776 m high, the highest mountain in Japan.

  2. The Golden Pavilion you can see in Kyoto today is the original building from the 1300s.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. A young monk burned the original down in 1950, and the pavilion was rebuilt in 1955.

  3. Which shrine has a great red torii gate standing in the sea that seems to float at high tide?

    1. A. Fushimi Inari Taisha
    2. B. Itsukushima Shrine
    3. C. Meiji Shrine
    4. D. Kasuga Taisha
    Show the answer

    Itsukushima Shrine. Itsukushima Shrine, on the island of Miyajima near Hiroshima, has the famous floating torii.

  4. Which Kyoto shrine is famous for mountain paths lined with thousands of red torii gates?

    1. A. Fushimi Inari Taisha
    2. B. Kinkaku-ji
    3. C. Tōdai-ji
    4. D. Sensō-ji
    Show the answer

    Fushimi Inari Taisha. Fushimi Inari Taisha has thousands of torii gates, each given by a business or person. Kinkaku-ji, Tōdai-ji and Sensō-ji are Buddhist temples.

  5. Himeji Castle survived the bombing of the city in 1945.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. A firebomb that hit the top floor failed to explode, and the White Heron Castle came through almost untouched.

  6. Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, with its giant red lantern at the Thunder Gate, is in which district?

    1. A. Shibuya
    2. B. Asakusa
    3. C. Shinjuku
    4. D. Ginza
    Show the answer

    Asakusa. Sensō-ji is in Asakusa, in the old downtown of Tokyo.

Fun facts

  1. What does Nihon, the Japanese name for Japan, literally mean?

    1. A. Land of islands
    2. B. Origin of the sun
    3. C. Eastern sea
    4. D. Great harmony
    Show the answer

    Origin of the sun. Nihon means origin of the sun, which is why Japan is called the Land of the Rising Sun.

  2. Japan is made up of just four islands.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. There are four main islands, but a survey in 2023 counted 14,125 islands in all.

  3. What did Momofuku Ando invent in Japan in 1958?

    1. A. The karaoke machine
    2. B. Instant noodles
    3. C. The bullet train
    4. D. The Walkman
    Show the answer

    Instant noodles. Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles in 1958 and Cup Noodles in 1971.

  4. Nintendo was founded in Kyoto in 1889. What did it make at first?

    1. A. Playing cards
    2. B. Bicycles
    3. C. Radios
    4. D. Wooden toy trains
    Show the answer

    Playing cards. Nintendo started out making hanafuda, traditional Japanese playing cards.

  5. The first bullet train line opened in 1964, just before the Tokyo Olympics.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The line between Tokyo and Osaka opened on 1 October 1964, nine days before the Games began.

  6. As of 2026, Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. At 634 m, Tokyo Skytree is the world's tallest tower, although some skyscrapers are taller.

  7. As of 2026, which title is held by Japan's monarch and by no other monarch in the world?

    1. A. King
    2. B. Sultan
    3. C. Emperor
    4. D. Prince
    Show the answer

    Emperor. Emperor Naruhito is the only monarch in the world with the title of emperor.

  8. Which Japanese script is used mainly to write foreign words, such as 'toire' for toilet?

    1. A. Kanji
    2. B. Hiragana
    3. C. Katakana
    4. D. Hangul
    Show the answer

    Katakana. Katakana is used mainly for foreign words and names. Hangul is the Korean alphabet.

Words

  1. What does 'eki' mean?

    1. A. Station
    2. B. Temple
    3. C. Ticket
    4. D. Toilet
    Show the answer

    Station. Eki means station. Temple is tera, ticket is kippu and toilet is toire.

  2. In Japanese, a 'jinja' is a Buddhist temple.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. A jinja is a Shinto shrine. A Buddhist temple is a tera.

  3. Which Japanese word means 'delicious'?

    1. A. Oishii
    2. B. Arigatō
    3. C. Sumimasen
    4. D. Kippu
    Show the answer

    Oishii. Oishii means delicious. Arigatō is thank you, sumimasen is excuse me and kippu is ticket.

Phrases

  1. What do people in Japan say just before they start eating?

    1. A. Gochisōsama deshita
    2. B. Itadakimasu
    3. C. Sayōnara
    4. D. Ohayō gozaimasu
    Show the answer

    Itadakimasu. Itadakimasu is said before eating. Gochisōsama deshita is said when you finish.

  2. 'Arigatō gozaimasu' is a more polite way to say thank you than 'arigatō' on its own.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Adding gozaimasu makes it polite, which is right for shop staff, hosts and strangers.

  3. How do you ask 'Do you speak English?' in Japanese?

    1. A. Ikura desu ka?
    2. B. Toire wa doko desu ka?
    3. C. Eigo o hanasemasu ka?
    4. D. Kore o kudasai
    Show the answer

    Eigo o hanasemasu ka?. Eigo o hanasemasu ka? means do you speak English. Eigo is the English language.

Local customs and tips

  1. In Japan it is customary to leave a tip of 10 to 15 percent in restaurants.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Tipping is not customary in Japan and can cause confusion.

  2. What should you do before getting into the bath at an onsen?

    1. A. Put on a swimsuit
    2. B. Wash and rinse your whole body at the showers
    3. C. Give the attendant a tip
    4. D. Put on bath slippers
    Show the answer

    Wash and rinse your whole body at the showers. Wash and rinse your whole body at the showers first. The bath is for soaking, and swimsuits are not worn.

  3. What are Suica, PASMO and ICOCA?

    1. A. Types of green tea
    2. B. Rechargeable cards for trains and buses
    3. C. Bullet train lines
    4. D. Hot spring towns
    Show the answer

    Rechargeable cards for trains and buses. Suica, PASMO and ICOCA are rechargeable cards for trains and buses, also accepted in many shops.

  4. Talking on your mobile phone on a Japanese train is considered bad manners.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Phone calls on trains and buses are avoided; a quiet conversation is fine.

  5. Where are you normally expected to take off your shoes?

    1. A. In a department store
    2. B. On a train
    3. C. In a Japanese home
    4. D. In a taxi
    Show the answer

    In a Japanese home. Take your shoes off in a Japanese home, as well as in traditional inns, many temples and tatami rooms.

  6. Some small shops and restaurants in Japan, especially in the countryside, do not accept cards and must be paid in cash.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Cards are spreading, but carry some yen in cash, especially outside the big cities.

Answer key

History

  1. A. Kyoto
  2. B. Matthew Perry
  3. B. Tokyo
  4. A. Shogun
  5. True
  6. True
  7. False

Food and drink

  1. B. Seafood and vegetables fried in a light batter
  2. A. Chicken and egg
  3. C. Octopus
  4. False
  5. False
  6. B. Steamed sticky rice
  7. B. Washoku, traditional Japanese food culture
  8. A. Soybeans

Cities

  1. True
  2. B. Sapporo
  3. C. Yokohama

Landmarks

  1. C. 3,776 m
  2. False
  3. B. Itsukushima Shrine
  4. A. Fushimi Inari Taisha
  5. True
  6. B. Asakusa

Fun facts

  1. B. Origin of the sun
  2. False
  3. B. Instant noodles
  4. A. Playing cards
  5. True
  6. True
  7. C. Emperor
  8. C. Katakana

Words

  1. A. Station
  2. False
  3. A. Oishii

Phrases

  1. B. Itadakimasu
  2. True
  3. C. Eigo o hanasemasu ka?

Local customs and tips

  1. False
  2. B. Wash and rinse your whole body at the showers
  3. B. Rechargeable cards for trains and buses
  4. True
  5. C. In a Japanese home
  6. True

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