AI
dining out
railway enthusiasts
US States
2 letter words
100

AI is an acronym.  The A stands for this, while the I stands for "intelligence"

artificial

100

This Sichuan street food in which skewered or self-selected meats, vegetables, and noodles simmer briefly in a numbing broth seasoned with Sichuan pepper and dried chili has grown in popularity in Japan.

Malatang

100

During rush hour, trains stop every two and half minutes at stations on this line, which is often referred to the heart of Tokyo's railway network.  Traveling all the way around the loop of this line takes about one hour.

Yamanote

100

The white stars on a blue background indicate this number of states.

50

100

You can use thumbs up to indicate "yes."  You can use thumbs down to indicate this.

no

200

This American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley, is known for consumer electronics, software and online services.  It's logo features a bitten fruit.

Apple

200

This sticky traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented are often served at breakfast food with rice.

natto

200

Suica stands for Super Urban Intelligent CArd, but an easier way to remember it might be to think of this fruit.

watermelon

200

This US state, which shares a border with Mexico, has the largest population approaching 40 million.

California

200

It is the short version of the word advertisement, which is commonly used to describe pop ups, banners, and links often found on websites and free streaming services.

ad

300

This Chinese AI company's success against larger and more established rivals has been described as "upending AI."

DeepSeek

300

This Japanese rice dish includes both "parent" and "child" in its name to cleverly indicate two of its main ingredients.

oyakodon

300

If you want to get from Tokyo to Osaka as fast as possible, you must take this Tokaido Shinkansen service, which makes the fewest stops.  Keep in mind that the only thing faster than sound and light is "hope."

nozomi

300

This US state borders Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan. If you can't remember it, just recall the informal Japanese morning greeting.

Ohio

300

When you see a traffic light, red means stop.  Green means this.

go

400

It is the company that developed ChatGPT.

OpenAI

400

Although not customary in Japan, when dining out in the USA and Canada it is common to add this to your bill.  Traditionally it was 15% but recently customers have been paying between 18 and 20%.

tip

400

As you depart Hachioji Station, listen for the melody of this folk song by the lyricist Nakamura Ukō, which can be also be heard playing over loudspeakers In many Japanese cities around sunset.  The song is gentle reminder for children to come home.

Yuyake Koyake

400

This state is the largest state by land and also borders Canada.  During the last ice age, it was possible to walk the Bering Strait to what is now Russia.

Alaska

400

"I" is first person singular.  This is the word for first person plural.

we

500

It is the company that developed Claude.

Anthropic

500

This fruit, native to South America, is often served with vegetables and in salads.  When it was first brought to Spain, people thought it was poisonous and therefore only grew the plants for decoration.

tomato

500

It is the oldest subway line in Tokyo.

Ginza

500

This state is known for the world's most extensive cave system.  An easier way to remember it might be to think of the worldwide restaurant chain that serves fried chicken.

Kentucky

500

In English, you can add 's to a noun to indicate possession.  Another way to do it is to use this word.

of