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Japan is a fascinating country with a rich history and culture. Known for its technology, natural beauty, and unique traditions, Japan offers a wide range of trivia topics to explore. From ancient temples and castles to modern technology and pop culture, there's something for everyone to discover. Here are some of the most interesting Japan trivia facts that you may not know.
First, Japan is home to many ancient temples, shrines, and castles, many of which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. These include the famous temples of Kyoto, such as Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji, and the Himeji Castle, also known as the "White Heron Castle" because of its white exterior.
Second, Japan is renowned for its traditional art forms, such as calligraphy, painting, and flower arranging, and for its unique cuisine, including sushi, ramen, and tempura. These art forms and cuisine are deeply rooted in the culture and have a long history in Japan.
Third, Japan has a strong economy and is known for its cutting-edge technology, from electronics to transportation systems. This is evident in the country's high-speed trains, called Shinkansen, and the famous bullet train, which connect major cities across the country. Japan is also a major player in the global automotive industry, with brands like Toyota, Honda and Nissan being household names around the world.
These are just a few examples of the many interesting and unique trivia facts about Japan. With so much to discover, it's no wonder that Japan continues to be a popular tourist destination and a source of inspiration for many.
1. Relax, breathe, and tell me: a Japanese sect of Mahayana Buddhism shares what Z-word name with a state of calm attentiveness?
Answer: Zen
2. Made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran, what Japanese alcoholic beverage comes in “junmai” and “ginjo” varieties, and may be served cold or hot?
Answer: Sake
3. The Chunichi Dragons, Hanshin Tigers, and Hiroshima Toyo Carp all play in what country's professional baseball league?
Answer: Japan
4. The longest-term export between the U.S. and Japan is the shipping of LNG from Alaska. LNG stands for what type of cleaner-than-coal energy?
Answer: Liquefied Natural Gas
5. Attu and Kiska are two islands in Alaska that were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II and are part of what chain of islands comprised of more than 300 small volcanic islands?
Answer: Aleutian Islands
6. The wise owl on the label could tell you: Hatachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale is brewed in cedar casks previously used to brew what rice-based alcoholic drink?
Answer: Sake
7. Traditionally arranged carefully atop a tatami mat, the futon originated in what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
8. The high-speed Maglev train of Japan sounds like something out of the wizarding world of Harry Potter or the power source of a sci-fi hovercraft. “Mag” stands for “magnetic,” but what is “lev” short for?
Answer: Levitation
9. Days after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who continued to lead his party after stepping down, the Liberal Democratic Party was victorious in July 2022 elections in what country?
Answer: Japan
10. Here’s a haiku for you! “Kimigayo” is / the national anthem of / what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
11. Aoshima is an island in what Asian country that statistically has more cats than people? Seriously, it’s like 36:1.
Answer: Japan
12. Also known as "lean manufacturing," just-in-time manufacturing is a hyperefficient process pioneered by what Japanese automaker in the 1960s?
Answer: Toyota
13. Located on the south of Honshu and the northern shore of Osaka Bay, what K-word Japanese city gave its name to a type of beef and a famous Los Angeles Laker?
Answer: Kobe
14. One of the less frequently mentioned horrors attributed to the Axis Powers, the Maeda Point Ghost of Death still freaks out American soldiers serving on what Japanese island that anagrams to WAIN OAK?
Answer: Okinawa
15. In which Japanese city, whose name is an anagram of Japan’s capital, was an international treaty signed in 1997 relating to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions?
Answer: Kyoto
16. Set in what is now the island of Honshu, the White Hare of Inaba, who rewards the hero Onamuchi for his kindness by helping him marry a princess, is an ancient legend from what East Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
17. The first woman to hold federally-elected office in the U.S. was Jeannette Rankin, a Representative from Montana. Rankin was famously the only member of the U.S. House to vote against a declaration of war against what Asian nation in a 1940s vote?
Answer: Japan
18. What Japanese automaker of the Miata and the CX-5 introduced the repetitive "Zoom Zoom" tagline in its U.S. advertising starting in 2000?
Answer: Mazda
19. Traditional Japanese beers like Sapporo and Asahi are unusual in that about a third of their grains come from what crop, added to more typical grains like barley?
Answer: Rice
20. In 1997, the UN climate change COP (Conference of Parties) landed on a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was named for what Japanese city that anagrams to TOKYO?
Answer: Kyoto
21. Since the Soviet invasion at the end of World War II, the nations of Japan and the USSR (and later Russia) have disputed ownership of what archipelago between Hokkaido and the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Answer: Kuril Islands
22. When it was established in 1869, the Republic of Ezo was the first attempt to establish which form of government in Japan?
Answer: Democracy
23. What tennis star, whose last name is the same as the Japanese city where she was born, won the women's singles competition at the 2021 Australian Open?
Answer: Naomi Osaka
24. They sure seem to respect their dogs. Which country has officially declared six dog breeds, including the Shiba and Akita, as national monuments?
Answer: Japan
25. The name of which small, covered, two-wheeled vehicle derives from the Japanese word "jinrikisha", meaning "human-powered vehicle?”
Answer: Rickshaw
26. Don't overthink it: Nismo is the division of what Japanese automaker that’s all about performance and motorsport vehicles?
Answer: Nissan
27. Travelers to Japan can journey from Kagoshima to Hokkaido on the Shinkansen, more colloquially known in English by what two-word term?
Answer: Bullet Train
28. The Japanese yachtsman Kenichi Horie was the first person to use solar power to cross what body of water in 1996?
Answer: Pacific Ocean
29. What is the four letter word for the paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt which is commonly used in Japanese cooking? This term can also be used to describe a type of soup thickened with the paste.
Answer: Miso
30. Travelers looking for calm and relaxation might want to check out the traditional hot springs and their accompanying inns called "onsen" in what Asian country?
Answer: Japan
31. A May 2023 conference called "The Land of the Rising Sun Meets the Nation of Rising Innovation" covered partnership opportunities for ventures between Israel and what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
32. The best-known work of Japanese artist Hokusai is "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," part of a larger series called "36 Views of" what famous volcano?
Answer: Mount Fuji
33. According to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles in 2018, China was the world's largest manufacturer of motor vehicles with 28 million produced. Next up was the United States with 11 million vehicles. What Asian country was in third place with nearly 10 million vehicles produced?
Answer: Japan
34. Japanese-American businesswoman Frances Hashimoto combined two delicious desserts when she filled what Japanese sticky rice product with ice cream?
Answer: Mochi
35. In 1931, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr. became the first people to fly nonstop to the U.S. from what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
36. A ship that sailed perfect due west after leaving San Fransisco harbor would make landfall just south of the city of Sendai in which country?
Answer: Japan
37. According to Japanese legends, folding one thousand origami versions of what bird will grant an individual a wish from the gods?
Answer: Crane
38. The Fugaku supercomputer has topped the list of the fastest computers in the world since 2020. Reaching such an explosive height makes its name fitting, since it was named after what stratovolcano in Japan?
Answer: Mount Fuji
39. Uni, a delicacy often found in sushi and other Japanese cuisine, is made up of the gonads (the only fleshy or meaty part) of what marine animal?
Answer: Sea urchin
40. Kabosu, a female Shiba Inu from Japan, achieved internet (and cryptocurrency) fame as the face of what four-letter meme?
Answer: Doge
41. Certain species of red algae seaweed of the genus Pyropia are used to make what dried Japanese seaweed, which is probably most widely known for being wrapped around sushi?
Answer: Nori
42. Which Japanese carmaker designed the Miata sports car according to the principle of jinba ittai, AKA "oneness of horse and rider”?
Answer: Mazda
43. What 2001 Hayao Miyazaki film, in which 10-year-old Chihiro's parents are transformed into giant pigs, remains the second highest-grossing film of all time in Japan?
Answer: Spirited Away
44. In Arkansas, the Rohwer Camp operated from 1942 to 1945 and at its peak interned 8,475 prisoners. What common ancestral country did all of these prisoners share?
Answer: Japan
45. Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar and nominated for Best Picture, "Drive My Car" is a 2021 film directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi that was made in what country?
Answer: Japan
46. Before it became one of the most iconic carmakers of all time, what Japanese company made automatic looms?
Answer: Toyota
47. In Japan, only qualified chefs who have trained for at least three years are allowed to prepare the dish "fugu". This is because fugu is made from what poisonous animal, thus can be fatal if incorrectly prepared?
Answer: Pufferfish
48. The Mukden Incident was used by what country as a pretext to invade China in 1931?
Answer: Japan
49. What is the name of the Japanese snack food first sold in 1966 initially described as a "chocolate covered biscuit stick?" There are now additional flavored coatings such as almond, strawberry, milk, green tea, banana, and coconut.
Answer: Pocky
50. Invented in the mid 1990s by Masahiro Hara from the Japanese company Denso Wave, the QR code system today is used by hundreds of millions of consumers. What does QR stand for?
Answer: Quick Response
51. Who's a good boy? The much-Comic Sans'ed doge meme features Kabosu, a dog of what fluffy Japanese dog breed?
Answer: Shiba Inu
52. During 2021's UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, activists dressed as Pikachu to protest the continued use of coal by what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
53. This point could come in clutch: the first main use case for the QR code system was for the manufacturing of what type of product in Japan?
Answer: Automobiles
54. Consisting of thinly sliced ginger that has been marinated in sugar and vinegar, gari is part of the cuisine of which Asian country?
Answer: Japan
55. You probably won't find books on Keto or Atkins at Japan's national library, even though it's named for what four-letter legislative body?
Answer: Diet
56. In 2023, China banned the import of Japanese seafood after the latter country's controversial announcement that they would discharge wastewater from what prefecture's nuclear power plant?
Answer: Fukushima
57. A combination of vodka, triple sec, and lime juice: what cocktail is believed to have been invented at an American naval base in Japan during World War II? It has a Japanese K-name meaning "divine wind".
Answer: Kamikaze
58. Often served as a breakfast food in Japan alongside soy sauce, onion, and karashi mustard, natto is made by fermenting what legumes?
Answer: Soybean
59. What “A” dogs of Japanese lineage are known for their large, imposing size, and their general alertness?
Answer: Akita
60. In ancient Japan, what was the name of the hereditary military nobility and officer caste that served the daimyo and played a crucial role in Japanese feudal society?
Answer: Samurai
61. Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, as it has seven stars. How many stars are in the logo for the car manufacturer Subaru?
Answer: Six (Japanese tradition says one of the seven stars is invisible!)
62. What world capital city is served by the airports whose codes are NRT and HND?
Answer: Tokyo
63. A popular brand of Japanese mayonnaise, made with cider vinegar and whole egg yolks, is named for what brand of hard plastic dolls?
Answer: Kewpie
64. Headquartered in Japan, what “A” sportswear brand is actually an acronym for a phrase translated from Latin to "a sound mind, in a sound body?”
Answer: Asics
65. What Asian country changed its capital in 1868 to its current capital city? Both the pre- and post- 1868 capitals are anagrams of one another. In case you've forgotten over the years, anagrams are words that contain all the same letters but in a different order. And we're looking for the country, not the cities.
Answer: Japan (Kyoto and Tokyo)
66. The sole Japanese international school in Costa Rica is located in what city that is the head city of the Moravia canton?
Answer: San Vicente
67. Eating Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas Day has been a tradition since the 1970s in what nation on the other side of the world from Kentucky?
Answer: Japan
68. From 1942 to 1945, Singapore was under the control of what country, which seized control during World War II?
Answer: Japan
69. What “S” Japanese House and Garden is located in Philadelphia’s West Fairmount Park, on the site of the 1876 Centennial Exposition?
Answer: Shofuso
70. Gimme a break! What Hershey wafer-and-chocolate product has been offered in more than 300 flavors in Japan, including adzuki (red bean), wasabi, matcha, and soy sauce?
Answer: KitKat
71. Doutor Coffee is a company that specializes in coffee roasting. In which East Asian country was Doutor Coffee founded in 1976?
Answer: Japan
72. Polka dots and mirrored installations called "Infinity Rooms" are both hallmarks of what Japanese contemporary artist?
Answer: Yayoi Kusama
73. Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha is one of the world’s largest shipping companies. It’s part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu and is headquartered in which country?
Answer: Japan
74. Which beverage company based in Japan is rooted in a brewery business dating back to 1888 and has a unique modern-day offering of a frozen beer that it claims stays cold for a half hour?
Answer: Kirin
75. Miyagi Prefecture in which Asian country is Delaware’s “sister state?”
Answer: Japan
76. Starting in 1934, YKK is a Japanese group of companies that is the world’s leading brand in manufacturing what item, commonly found on clothing items and other products?
Answer: Zippers
77. In 2009, what was the name of the first crypto exchange launched in Japan that handled nearly all bitcoin transactions until it was shut down in 2014 (for stealing millions)?
Answer: Mt. Gox
78. On February 19, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, resulting in the deportation to internment camps of tens of thousands of American citizens who had ancestry from what country?
Answer: Japan
79. The Leaf is an all-electric vehicle made by what Japanese automaker whose name begins and ends with the same letter?
Answer: Nissan
80. Written language in Japan actually combines three scripts: kanji, hiragana, and what’s the third?
Answer: Katakana
81. Kaatsu is an exercise method developed (and patented) by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato that means "additional language" in what language?
Answer: Japanese
82. In Japan, coffee that’s ready to drink and even available to buy at the right temperature for the current season comes in which metallic receptacle instead of bottles, bags, or pods?
Answer: Can
83. According to a Fox Business article, only three new car models have a starting price of under $20,000, including the Mirage hatchback from what Japanese automaker?
Answer: Mitsubishi
84. Which rig located off the coast of Russia and Japan near Sakhalin Island is the largest oil platform in the world as of 2023, weighing over 42,000 tons?
Answer: Berkut
85. Which Japanese carmaker produces the RAV4 SUV?
Answer: Toyota
86. The Battle of Midway between the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Navy was a key turning point in which “theater” of WWII?
Answer: Pacific
87. What sea is bordered on three sides by Russia (the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kiril Islands, and Sakhalin Island) and on the south by Hokkaido in Japan?
Answer: Sea of Okhotsk
88. A traditional garden within San Diego's Balboa Park and a large bell on Shelter Island are dedicated to the city's "Friendship" with what Pacific nation?
Answer: Japan
89. The International Convention regulating the release of mercury and mercury compounds, approved in 2013, was named after the city of Minamata in what Asian country?
Answer: Japan
90. A "three arrow" structure supported the 2010s financial model known as Abenomics, a system of reforms meant to boost the economy of what Asian nation?
Answer: Japan
91. Toyota was named such because the original name taken from the family that founded the company, Toyoda, took more characters to write in what language?
Answer: Japanese
92. What brand of Coca-Cola coffee drinks, which was first introduced in Japan and has since been expanded to other Asian markets, is named for the company's U.S. home locale?
Answer: Georgia
93. The method of making cold brew by dripping cold water very slowly over ground coffee was developed in the 1600s in what country?
Answer: Japan
94. Located in Balboa Park, the Japanese Friendship Garden is meant to represent the relationship between San Diego and what sister city in Japan?
Answer: Yokohama
95. After capturing Iwo Jima, the next stop for U.S. forces in April of 1945 was which Japanese island? (Hint: It was called Operation Iceberg.)
Answer: Okinawa
96. From about the 12th century AD to the end of feudalism in the 1860s, what was the title of Japan's military dictators, also the title of a novel by James Clavell?
Answer: Shogun
97. After being directed to evacuate by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, General Douglas MacArthur gave a famous speech in which he declared “I shall return" to what country? MacArthur made good on his promise when he returned to the country in 1944 to help liberate it from Japanese troops.
Answer: Philippines
98. Playing on the acronym CHEF, the Sakai Learning Management System was named for Hiroyuki Sakai, a star of what Japanese competition show set in Kitchen Stadium?
Answer: Iron Chef
99. Kamikaze, the term given by Japan to their special aerial attack forces, translates to two words. The first is "divine" or "spirit." What elemental noun is the second?
Answer: Wind
100. Japan's prestigious Shinshu University is located in which "N" prefecture, which also played host to the Winter Olympics in 1998?
Answer: Nagano
101. Mister Donut is a fast food franchise with 1,000+ locations. Although founded in the US, Mister Donut is now headquartered in what Asian country?
Answer: Japan
102. Kongo Gumi, a construction company, is believed to be the oldest business (it was formed in 578 AD!) that’s still operating today. What country is it in?
Answer: Japan
103. Nitto and Silverstone are both truck tire brands owned by what Japanese manufacturer who has a name only one letter removed from an Asian capital? Note: we are looking for the company's name, not the capital's name.
Answer: Toyo Tire Company
104. What famous 1988 anime, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, tells the story of Tetsuo, who develops telekinetic powers after a motorcycle accident? It is also the first name of the Japanese director of non-animes "Rashomon" and "The Seven Samurai."
Answer: Akira
105. Japanese chemist Akira Yoshino switched from low-yield polyacetylene to a carbonaceous material electrode in 1985, locking in what critical piece of cell phone tech?
Answer: Lithium-ion battery
106. The Japanese Raccoon Dog (as opposed to the mainland Raccoon Dog) is also known by what Japanese name? These animals are abundant in Japan, even in cities.
Answer: Tanuki
107. A 1986 Diana Wynne Jones novel, adapted for the screen by Japanese director and animator Hayao Miyazaki in 2004, focuses on an ambulatory edifice belonging to a character with what name, as per its title?
Answer: Howl
108. A Japanese automobile parts firm employee named Masahiro Hara was inspired to create the QR code while playing what very, very, very old board game of black and white stones?
Answer: Go
109. Drummer Daisuke Inoue is widely credited as the inventor of what past time named for a portmanteau of the Japanese words for "empty" and "orchestra"?
Answer: Karaoke
110. What 2001 film from Japan's Studio Ghibli (which was distributed in North America by Disney in 2002) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003?
Answer: Spirited Away
111. A “nel drip” is a traditional Japanese coffee brewing method that uses which fabric as a filter?
Answer: Flannel
112. In the early 20th century, Japanese farmers stunned consumers by figuring out how to grow what popular fruit crop in sturdy, stackable square shapes?
Answer: Watermelon
113. Produced in Japan and having no relation to coffee despite the sound of its name, Nikka Coffey Grain is a brand of what distilled spirit?
Answer: Whiskey
114. NYKK or NYK Line is the abbreviation for a shipping company dating back to the 1880s and registered in what Pacific country?
Answer: Japan
115. What Japanese reality show, which made its stateside premiere on Netflix in 2022, follows toddlers as they go on solo errands?
Answer: Old Enough!
116. What legendary Japanese-born conductor served as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 2002?
Answer: Seiji Ozawa
117. Policybazaar and ZhongAn Insurance are both technology-based insurance companies that have received large amounts of funding through the Vision Fund which is one of the world's largest venture capital funds and is associated with what Japanese telecom giant?
Answer: SoftBank
118. The Blakiston's fish owl is named for naturalist Thomas Blakiston, who picked up the first sample of the species on what second-largest Northern Japanese island?
Answer: Hokkaido
119. Four snowy owl owlets, or "snowlets,” named Sukki, Nokki, Lekki, and Tsukki served as the mascots for the 1998 Winter Olympics in what Japanese city?
Answer: Nagano
120. The Dunk Low is a shoe from the Nike x CDG collab with a Japanese fashion label that goes by what French name with initials found in this question?
Answer: Comme des Garçons
121. Don't get salty if you miss this: Which Japanese printer company started out in 1942 as a company that manufactured watch and clock parts as Daiwa Kogyo Ltd?
Answer: Epson
122. Mitsuki Miyawaki is the real name of what Japanese-American singer-songwriter behind albums like “Be the Cowboy,” “Laurel Hell,” and 2023's “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We”?
Answer: Mitski
123. z
Answer: Amaterasu
124. What toy was once banned in Japan because the motion of operating the toy was considered indecent?
Answer: Hula Hoop
125. The reality TV show “Terrace House” is a franchise consisting of five series and one theatrical film. The show tracks the lives of six strangers (three men, three women) that live together in the same house while getting to know one another platonically and romantically. The show developed a cult popularity in the U.S. via Netflix even though it is filmed in what country?
Answer: Japan
126. What Nike "T" sneaker was a top-seller in 2019, retails for ~$65 on the Nike website, and has a name from the Japanese word for "simplicity?"
Answer: Nike Tanjun
127. Which well-known home entertainment brand was started by Fusajiro Yamauchi in 1889 for the manufacture of Japanese playing cards?
Answer: Nintendo
128. Even though it was built from Suzuki engines, the Autozam Scrum is a mini truck (or kei truck) that’s exclusive to which other Japanese automaker?
Answer: Mazda
129. Decades after it became known for its Magic Wand, which Japanese manufacturer created the first 1 TB hard disk in 2007? (Hint: The name combines the kanji characters “sun + rise.”)
Answer: Hitachi
130. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on July 8, 2022. At the time of his assassination, who was the Prime Minister?
Answer: Fumio Kishida
131. What Asian-American activist was the plaintiff in the landmark case which upheld the constitutionality of the Japanese-American internment during WWII? The decision has been called one of the worst ever made by the Supreme Court.
Answer: Korematsu
132. Which Japanese company, established in 1936, is the number one producer of material handling systems in the world (including its Magic Conveyor)?
Answer: Daifuku
133. What company made the Zero, a mainstay of the Japanese Air Force in World War II?
Answer: Mitsubishi
134. Which battle, named after the largest island of the Solomon Islands, is considered the first major land offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan?
Answer: Battle of Guadalcanal
135. The founders of Nike started the business as distributors for what "Tiger" footwear brand from Japan?
Answer: Onitsuka
136. There are only about five remaining speakers of what isolate language, spoken by its namesake indigenous people on the island of Hokkaido in Japan?
Answer: Ainu
137. Hikers, beware! The Ussuri brown bear (a subspecies of brown bear) is only found on an island that is part of what country?
Answer: Japan
138. Originally published in Japan in 1994 and 1995, "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" is a magical realist novel by what Kyoto-born author?
Answer: Haruki Murakami
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