Japanese Culture
Ikebana is a popular Japanese art of arranging which items?
A. Fruits
B. Flowers
B. Flowers!
The practice, which roughly translates to “making flowers come alive,” uses carefully selected blossoms, greenery and other flora to convey a specific feeling or emotion to an observer – just as a painting or sculpture might.
Koreans are the largest drinkers in Asia.
True or False
True!
South Korea has a strong drinking culture compared to its neighboring countries in Asia.
There are ______ minorities in China.
A. 50
B. 56
B.56
The largest of them is the Han ethnicity, taking up over 90% of the population in China.
India is currently home to_____ post offices.
A.154,965
B.155,965
A. 154,965
The postal service in India has been running for over 150 years. It is considered the most widely distributed postal network worldwide.
40% of the Vietnamese population have the surname ______.
A. Nguyen
B. Tran
A. Nguyen
Nguyen is the name of a revered Vietnamese Dynasty
Kimonos are only worn by women. Men will never wear a kimono.
True or False
False
Both men and women will wear kimonos, although women wear them more often. Nowadays, women will only wear kimonos on special occasions like weddings
One interesting fun fact about South Korea is that ____ is an unlucky number.
A. 7
B. 4
B. 4
Tetraphobia means avoiding the number four.
In Korean, the number “four” means “death.”
It is impolite to ask about salary in China.
True or False!
False!
Talking about money is a taboo behavior for Westerners, but for Chinese people, it is as common as talking about the weather.
India Invented the word ____.
A. Shampoo
B. Soap
A. Shampoo
It’s a little-known fact that India was the first to invent and introduce shampoo to the world. The English word “shampoo” is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word “chämpo” which means to squeeze or massage.
Vietnamese roads are very unsafe. In 2015, the number of deaths was estimated at ___ a day.
A. 27
B. 26
B. 26
There’s a Certain Way You Should Hand Over A Business Card in Japan.
A. Left hand
B. Both hands
B. Both hands
it’s to show respect. You’re supposed to take it with two hands (and a small bow). Then you’re supposed to look at it – study it, almost.
It’s common to be asked about your blood type in South Korean.
True or False
True!
Many Koreans believe that one’s blood type is indicative of his or her personality and it’s used to judge whether someone can get along with you or not, especially in potentially romantic relationships.
The _____ is a symbol of power, status, money, and wisdom.
A. Dragon
B. Tiger
A. Dragon
In ancient China, only emperors could use products with dragon elements. For the Chinese, it is a very auspicious animal.
India has ____ holidays recognized and celebrated at the national level.
A.22
B.26
B.26
Compared to USA with only 11 holidays.
The average salary in Vietnam is only ___ per month.
A.$311
B.$411
A. $311
Not much, right? However, compare that to the year 2000 when the average wage was $300 per year!
Japan Was Vegetarian For 1,400 Years.
True or False
True!
In the 19th century, the Meiji emperor himself broke the taboo and ate meat.
_______ is one of the earliest religions in Korea and one that largely affects the Korean way of life.
A. Buddhism
B. Taoism
A. Buddhism
Chinese monks introduced Mahayana Buddhism to Koreans, which became the predominant religion.
The Chinese language has over ____ Chinese characters.
A.20,000
B.15,000
A.20,000
At first it may seem difficult to learn Chinese because of the absence of an alphabet, but once you get past this fact and adjust to the character based concept of the language then you should be on your way to learning.
Believe it or not, approximately ____ of the world’s spices come from India.
A. 80%
B. 70%
B. 70%
Being the largest producer of spices for the world, some of the most popular ones are Turmeric, Chili Powder, Cumin and Saffron.
If you’re buying flowers, avoid ____. In Vietnamese culture, this is seen as a funeral gift.
A. Chrysanthemums
B. Iris
A. Chrysanthemums
What does the red circle on the Japanese flag represent?
A. Imperial Japanese Army
B. The sun
B. The sun
Japan’s national flag is white with a crimson-red disc at its centre. This flag is officially called Nisshōki the "sun-mark flag"), but is more commonly known in Japan as Hinomaru, the "circle of the sun").
There are over ___ types of kimchi(fermented vegetable) which explains why this iconic Korean food is part of every meal.
A. 200
B. 300
A. 200
Kimchi, for the unoriented, is a fermented dish that uses a variety of vegetables (e.g. cabbage, radishes, leeks, spring onions, etc.) and seasonings.
China has 5 time zones.
True or False
False!
Even though China is such a big country, it has only one time zone.
Rajasthan in India has a Temple of Rats.
True or False
True!
Thousands of rats call the temple home, making it one of the country’s most unique attractions. Many pilgrims visit the temple every year on their own religious journeys.
A traditional Vietnamese drink is snake wine- a fermented rice wine with a dead snake curled around the inside of the bottle.
True or False
True!
Once upon a time, it was thought to decrease hair loss and improve virility. Now it is mainly sold to tourists who want the ‘authentic’ Vietnamese experience.