Question 1
The sweet called karumeyaki is often sold at food stalls at Japanese festivals. What is it made of?
① rice ② bread
③ sugar ④ chocolate
③ sugar
Omikuji are random fortunes written on strips of paper that you can try at shrines in Japan. If the paper strip says "吉 (kichi)," it means good fortune. What do you call bad fortune? ① 悪 (aku) ② 凶 (kyō) ③ 没 (botsu) ④ 黒 (kuro)
② 凶 (kyō)
How many hiragana can be written with a single stroke like つ, そ and ん?
There are 11 Hiraganas
Which one of the following songs has been sung by the singer Hibari Misora?
① Omatsuri Mambo ② Omatsuri Samba
③ Omatsuri Rock ④ Omatsuri Waltz
① Omatsuri Mambo
There is a "lantern plant" market held on July 10th at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo. If you visit the temple on that day, it is said to be equivalent to how many days of visits? ① 460 days ② 4600 days ③ 46,000 days ④ 460,000 days
③ 46,000 days
What do people who carry omikoshi portable shrines wear on their feet?
① geta ② zōri
③ waraji ④ jikatabi
④ jikatabi
What do you call the lanterns used at night during a festival?
① tōrō ② andon ③ rōsoku ④ chōchin
④ chōchin
What is the Ainu festival "Iomante" in Hokkaido dedicated to?
① bear ② deer ③ salmon ④ Ezo red fox
WHat is positive emotion?
Which prefecture performs a traditional dance called "Eisā" during the festival of Obon (to honor the departed spirits of one's ancestors)?
① Okinawa ② Hokkaido ③ Kyoto ④ Fukuoka
① Okinawa
Toyama Prefecture has a festival in early September where dancers silently dance their way through town for three days. What is the name of the festival?
① Owara Yama Bon Festival (Mountain)
② Owara Kaze Bon Festival (Wind)
③ Niji Bon Festival (Rainbow)
④ Tsuki Bon Festival(Moon)
② Owara Kaze Bon Festival (Wind)
What do you call the traditional Japanese coat that people who carry omikoshi portable shrines at festivals wear?
① yukata ② happi
③ samue ④ jinbē
② happi
What do people wear on their head when they carry omikoshi portable shrines?
① hachimaki ② tasuki ③ fukin ④ obi
① hachimaki
Approximately how many traditional festivals are there in Japan? (according to the Association of Shinto Shrines)
① about 300,000 ② about 30,000
③ about 3,000 ④ about 300
① about 300,000
Which vegetable is not allowed to be eaten during the Yamagasa Festival in Fukuoka?
① daikon radish ② garlic ③ cucumber ④ onion
③ cucumber
Which of the following fish is given out at an autumn festival in Tokyo's Meguro ward?
① Sanma ② Iwashi ③ Maguro ④ Maguro
① Sanma
How many katakana can be written with a single stroke like フ ?
① 2 ② 4 ③ 6 ④ 8
② 4
What do you call the dance usually performed during summer festivals in Japan in which many people gather in a circle and dance to music such as local folksongs?
① kagura ② bon odori
③ natsu odori ④ nenbutsu odori
② bon odori
When is the annual Sumida River Fireworks Festival in Tokyo held?
① end of July ② end of August
③ end of September ④ end of October
① end of July
What is the name of the dance that is held in Tokushima in August in which groups of people dance through the streets?
① Awa Odori ② Miyako Odori
③ Uchiwa Odori ④ Tosa Odori
① Awa Odori
Which of the following plants is commonly sold at the Iriya Kishimojin festival in July?
① a sunflower ② a morning glory
③ a hydrangea ④ a balloonflower
② a morning glory
Which one of the following kanji was made in Japan? ① 遊 ② 働 ③ 書 ④ 読
② 働
What is the name of the popular game at Japanese festivals in which you catch goldfish with a scoop?
① kingyo sukui ② kingyo kakoi
③ kingyo tsuri ④ kingyo tori
① kingyo sukui
At fireworks festivals in Japan, what do people shout when the fireworks are set off?
① sorayā ② hanayā ③ tamayā ④ miroyā
③ Tamayā
Which one of the following festivals in Tokyo is not among "the three major festivals of Edo"?
① Fukagawa Festival ② Sanja Festival
③ Sanno Festival ④ Kanda Festival
② Sanja Festival
A Kyoto festival held in May is named after a plant. Which of the following plants is it named after?
① Fuji (Wisteria) ② Ayame (Iris)
③ Aoi (Hollyhock) ④ Hasu (Lotus)
③ Aoi (Hollyhock)