Back to the Futon Trivia Quiz

Answer: sleeping

The word "futon", like many other Japanese words, comes from Chinese; it originally referred to a round cushion filled with cattail flower spikes that was used for meditation. Now the word refers to the traditional Japanese style of bedding, which consists of a flat, padded mattress (shikibuton) and a duvet (kakebuton). In the West, futon often refers to a low sofa bed, whose mattress is generally thicker than the Japanese kind, or to a low, flat mattress laid out on a platform bed.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (which has been one of the main sources used for this quiz), "futon" was first used in English in 1876.

Answer: umami

A word of relatively recent origin, umami means "pleasant savoury taste", and refers to one of the five basic tastes perceived by human tastebuds. The word, coined in 1908 by a Japanese chemist, Kikunai Ikeda, has been recognized as a scientific term to describe the taste of foods rich in glutamates - such as meats, fish and seafood, cheeses, fermented sauces, and broths. It is frequently encountered in cookbooks and food magazines, and also widely used in the marketing of seasonings meant to enhance the taste of savoury foods.

"Umami" first appeared in English in 1963 as a noun, and in 1978 as an adjective (as in "great umami taste").

Sashimi is also a food-related word, referring to thinly sliced raw fish. Tatami are the mats on which futon (see Q.1) is laid out, and tsunami is a long, high sea wave often caused by an earthquake.

Answer: feet

Zori and geta are both traditional types of thonged Japanese footwear. Zori are flat, much like flip-flops, while geta are wooden clogs with an elevated base. Of the two, zori are considered more formal, and often worn with kimonos, while geta tend to be worn in summer with less formal clothing. Tabi (meaning "foot pouch") are ankle socks with a separate section for the big toe, worn with either of these sandals during the colder months of the year.

The first known use of "zori" in English dates from 1823; "geta" came a few decades later, in 1876, and "tabi" around 1890.

Answer: kudzu

Also known as Japanese (or Chinese) arrowroot, kudzu is a climbing, trailing vine of the legume family. A native of East and Southeast Asia, it was introduced to the US in the late 19th century to stop soil erosion, but quickly became a highly invasive species, covering thousands of acres of land. Kudzu-covered trees are a common sight along roadsides, especially in the southeastern states - hence the nickname of "vine that ate the South". The plant's name comes from the Japanese "kuzu", referring to both the plant and the starch extracted from it, which is used for cooking and in traditional medicine.

The first use of "kudzu" in English dates from 1876 - around the time the plant was introduced to the US.

Panko are white bread flakes; kombu is a kind of sea kelp; and gingko is a tree also known as maidenhair tree.

Answer: sword

While most people are familiar with judo, karate, and sumo, the traditional martial art of kendo might be somewhat more obscure outside of Japan. "The way of the sword" combines features similar to those of fencing (such as wearing protective armour, called "bogu" in Japanese) with the general philosophy and practices of martial arts. The swords ("ken" in Japanese) used by practitioners ("kendoka") are made of bamboo slats held together by leather thongs, and are wielded with both hands.

The word "kendo" was first used in English in the 1920s.

Answer: satsuma

Satsumas are characterized by their thin, easy to peel skin; they are usually seedless. Like most other citrus fruits, they originated in East Asia, probably over 2,000 years ago. Though their scientific name, Citrus unshiu, references the Chinese city of Unsyu (Wenzhou), they were first exported to the west from the Japanese province of Satsuma, on the island of Kyushu - hence their common name.

The word "satsuma" first appeared in English in 1882, at the time when these fruits became common in the US.

Of the fruits listed as wrong choices, only kumquats (whose name comes from Cantonese) also belong to the citrus family.

Answer: yakuza

A word of rather interesting origin, "yakuza" comes from the Japanese card game of Oicho-Kabu, and means "8-9-3" - referring to the worst possible hand that can be drawn in this game. Now it denotes a criminal organization that is often viewed as the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia, with activities that include drug and human trafficking, and rituals involving extensive tattooing of the body. Yakuza can also refer to an individual affiliated with the organization.

In Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 1" (2003), the film's main character, The Bride, battles the yakuza in Tokyo as part of her revenge mission against the titular Bill. The first known use of "yakuza" in English dates from 1964.

Of the words listed as wrong answers, only "yakitori" (referring to grilled chicken skewers) is also of Japanese origin. "Yakka" is an informal Australian English word meaning "work", and "yakow" is a yak/cow hybrid.

Answer: photography

In photography, bokeh refers to the blurred effect seen in the out-of-focus parts of a photo, which sharpens the subject in the foreground. While good bokeh is considered desirable and pleasing to the eye, bad bokeh is considered jarring and distracting. The original Japanese word "boke", meaning "blur" or "haze", is used both literally and figuratively - as in the compound "jisaboke", meaning "jet lag" ("time-difference haze"). A number of high-end smartphones have cameras that produce the bokeh effect.

The English spelling "bokeh" dates from 1997, when the word was first used by Mike Johnston, the editor of "Photo Techniques" magazine; he altered the spelling to suggest the correct pronunciation of the word (with both syllables stressed) to his English-speaking readers.

Answer: food

Bento is the traditional Japanese lunch box, containing a single-portion meal with its components arranged into separate sections. In Japan, bento boxes - which originated as early as the 12th century - come in many different types, from very basic to elaborate, with all their components arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way; they can be made at home, or bought from shops or street vendors. In Western countries, bento boxes are sold in Japanese restaurants and takeout shops.

The word "bento", which is of Chinese origin, was first used in English in 1895.

Answer: tycoon

"Tycoon" is the Anglicized spelling of the archaic Japanese word "taikun", meaning "great lord". This term was used in a diplomatic context to refer to a shogun, a military commander appointed by the Emperor who was the de facto ruler of the country until the end of the feudal era in 1867. Interestingly, tycoon is one of the very few Japanese loanwords in English that has lost its direct connection to Japanese culture.

"Tycoon" was first used in English in 1857; now widespread in modern journalism, the word appears in the title of American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel, "The Last Tycoon" (1941).

"Magnate" comes from Latin, "mogul" from Persian, and "nabob" from Hindi. All these words, like "tycoon", refer to an individual distinguished by wealth and power, often in a business context.