Japan
0Loading crowd target
0Loading crowd target
8correct to beat the crowd
This Japanese trivia quiz has 98 free questions with answers and covers Japan from every angle: Mount Fuji and the four main islands, the shoguns and samurai, the Meiji Restoration and the postwar boom, sushi, ramen and matcha, Shinto shrines and cherry-blossom season, the bullet train, Nintendo and Studio Ghibli, and the Japanese words that English has borrowed. Questions run from ones anyone who has watched a Japanese film can answer to ones that will test people who have lived in Tokyo. Each question is multiple choice with a short explanation after you answer, and every answer has been checked against a reliable source. Play it solo, or use it as a ready-made Japan round for a trivia night or classroom.
30 of 98 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What is the highest mountain in Japan?
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji, at 3,776 m, is Japan's highest peak; it is the seventh-highest island peak on Earth and the second-highest volcano on an Asian island, after Sumatra's Kerinci.
Q 02What is the traditional Japanese garment often worn for special occasions?
Kimono
The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan, often worn for formal events and special occasions. Yukata is a more casual version, typically worn in summer.
Q 03Which city served as Japan's imperial capital for over a thousand years before the Meiji-era move to Edo?
Kyoto
Founded as Heian-kyō, it came to be called simply Kyōto, 'capital city', late in the Heian period.
Q 04Which dish, brought to Meiji Japan via the British Royal Navy, is now called a Japanese national dish?
Curry
Curry reached Meiji Japan through the British; the Imperial Japanese Navy adopted it partly to fight beriberi, and recipes appeared in Japanese cookbooks by 1872.
Q 05What is the name of Japan's high-speed rail network?
Shinkansen
Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed rail network, opened between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964; its 'bullet train' nickname translates dangan ressha, the name of a 1939 proposal.
Q 06What style of Japanese art, known for woodblock prints, flourished in the Edo period?
Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e, meaning 'pictures of the floating world,' is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th to 19th centuries, predominantly featuring woodblock prints and paintings of landscapes, actors, and scenes from daily life.
Q 07What are the two main religions traditionally practiced in Japan?
Shintoism and Buddhism
Shintoism and Buddhism coexist in Japan; many people practise both, visiting Shinto shrines at New Year and Buddhist temples at Obon.
Q 08How many scripts does a typical modern Japanese sentence combine?
Three
Three scripts — kanji (borrowed Chinese characters) plus the two native syllabaries, hiragana and katakana — routinely sit together in a single modern Japanese sentence.
Q 09What is Japan's national bird?
Green Pheasant
The green pheasant, a species endemic to Japan and companion of the folk hero Momotarō, was chosen as the national bird by the Ornithological Society of Japan in 1947.
Q 10What is the official title of Japan's head of state?
Emperor
Emperor is the hereditary, ceremonial title of Japan's monarch; the 1947 constitution defines the Emperor as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people.
Q 11What is the official currency of Japan?
Yen
The yen, adopted under the New Currency Act of 1871, is Japan's official currency; its symbol is ¥ and it is subdivided into 100 sen in name only.
Q 12During which season do cherry blossoms typically bloom across much of Japan?
Spring
Cherry blossoms bloom in spring: the front sweeps north from late March to early May, though Okinawa's trees open as early as mid-January.
Q 13Which traditional Japanese dance-drama is known for kumadori makeup, glamorous costumes and heavily stylised performances?
Kabuki
Kabuki's kumadori face paint and lavish costumes set it apart from masked Noh; the form began with Izumo no Okuni's dances in Kyoto around 1603.
Q 21Which prefecture is Japan's largest by area?
Hokkaido
Hokkaido, covering the entire northernmost main island at about 83,000 km², is Japan's largest prefecture and the only one that forms a region by itself.
Q 22What is the formal name for the Japanese tea ceremony?
Chanoyu
Chanoyu, or Chado/Sado, is the formal name for the Japanese tea ceremony, a highly ritualized preparation and presentation of powdered green tea (matcha).
Q 23Who authored 'The Tale of Genji', often considered the world's first novel?
Murasaki Shikibu
Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the Heian court around the year 1000, wrote The Tale of Genji; she also left a diary and a collection of poems.
Q 14What is the largest of Japan's four main islands?
Honshu
Honshu, whose name means 'mainland', is the seventh-largest island on Earth and, after Java, the second most populous.
Q 15Which martial art, originating in Japan, emphasizes throws and grappling techniques?
Judo
Judo, 'the gentle way', focuses on throws, joint locks and chokeholds rather than strikes.
Q 16Which temple-building firm, purportedly founded in AD 578, is the world's oldest documented company?
Kongō Gumi
Kongō Gumi, an Osaka temple builder traditionally dated to 578, is the oldest documented company; weighed down by bubble-era debt, it became a Takamatsu Construction Group subsidiary in 2006.
Q 17What is the longest river in Japan?
Shinano River
The Shinano River is the longest river in Japan, flowing for 367 kilometers (228 miles) through Nagano and Niigata Prefectures.
Q 18Which type of traditional Japanese garden uses arranged rocks and sand to create a dry landscape?
Karesansui
Karesansui, often referred to as a Zen garden or dry landscape garden, is a distinct style of Japanese garden that uses rocks, sand, gravel, and sometimes moss to represent landscapes without water.
Q 19What is considered the national sport of Japan?
Sumo
Sumo, with roots in Shinto ritual, is widely regarded as Japan's national sport; professional sumo has held six 15-day grand tournaments a year since 1958.
Q 20Which city hosted the Summer Olympics in Japan in 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic)?
Tokyo
Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic. It was the second time Tokyo hosted the Summer Games.
Q 24What is the famous pacifist clause in Japan's post-WWII constitution?
Article 9
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, enacted after World War II, is a famous pacifist clause stating that Japan forever renounces war as a sovereign right and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.
Q 25Which animal, protected in Nara for over a thousand years, is held in Japanese folklore to be a messenger of the gods?
Deer
Deer are messengers of Takemikazuchi, the deity of Kasuga Grand Shrine, and roam Nara Park freely.
Q 26Which 13-string Japanese instrument is played with picks called tsume?
Koto
The koto's bridges are re-set for different pieces, and modern makers have built versions with 20 or more strings.
Q 27What term describes the rapid economic growth Japan experienced after World War II?
Economic Miracle
Japan's remarkable period of rapid economic growth and industrialization after World War II is widely known as the 'Japanese Economic Miracle'.
Q 28In Japan, during which month does the academic school year typically begin?
April
The academic school year in Japan traditionally begins in April, following a spring break.
Q 29Which Japanese castle, a UNESCO site, is renowned for its elegant white exterior?
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle, often called the 'White Heron Castle' due to its brilliant white exterior, is a pristine example of Japanese castle architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Q 30What is the general term for traditional Japanese hot springs, often enjoyed for relaxation and health?
Onsen
Onsen are Japan's natural hot springs; under the 1948 Hot Spring Law the water must emerge at 25 °C or warmer or carry set minerals, and the country has roughly 3,000 onsen areas.