Nazo Nazo Asobis – These have become my addiction because even I find them fun, and they are great conversation pieces when talking to other teacher and adults. I have translated and collected quite a few now and will put them on my site.

Anyway, kids are familiar with nazo nazo asobis or “word plays” from tv and school. What I do is translate the nazo into Engish, and say a couple before class, and see if anyone can get them by the end of the class. The kids absolutely love these, and always beg me for more. Even the school teachers ask me every week for their weekly English nazo nazo.

What is a nazo nazo. Ok it might go like this,

“What American state has the people with the nicest teeth?”

(Get the JTE to help out with hard words, or say them yourself)

The answer is Hawaii. (Ha, wa ii = meaning good teeth in Japanese)

Because the answer is in Japanese and often katakana eigo, the kids have to think in both Japanese and English, and because they are trying to work out the answer, they study and remember the English sentence structure better. Because it is a fun way of learning they usually pick up a lot of new words, (I know I have learned many Japanese words this way) and often you can find grammar specific nazos.

Others? I have many, many, many. This is just a sample for now. More to come if any are interested. (Most of these are stolen from a thread on Big Daikon - my original inspiration for Nazos)

“What kind of bird lives on a hill” 

Answer – A duck = Why? (a hill = oka or (a) “hiru) which is Japanese for duck. 

"Big boat sinking, one life boat, how many people saved? 9! - (kyuumei - means lifeboat)

"I have a basket with 5 pieces of fruit in it, what fruit do I have? Strawberry! Why?, Ichi-go

what kind of rhino is smart? Ten-sai (sai can mean rhino) - tensai means genius

What do youcall a dog with a white tail?

Omoshiroi! (apparently "omo" means tail and , well, you can work out the rest)

*whilst walking by a river*

You: Do you know the name of this? (pointing to the river)

Them: ummm...xxxx-gawa?

You: nope. Hidari-gawa*!! *substitute with migi-gawa where appropriate

That do you call a man with 10,000 mosquito bites?
ichy man.

What kind of cake (keeki) do Japanese businessmen hate the most?
Fukeiki (recession)

What famous Japanese drink do you get when you mix lettuce, carrot and celery?
Mitsuya cider (mitsu yasai da)

How will you come to my basudei (birthday) party?
Basu de


　

Where would you like to go on holiday, 4 or 5?

both! Chi-ca-go

Which country has the most babies?
New Zealand (nyuuji rando)

what animal sleeps in a tunnel.
a pig. (because ton-neru)

500 cars leave tokyo heading north.
500 cars leave aomori heading south.
where do they meet?
- sendai (sendai prefecture, or sendai - 1000 cars)

Why cant James bond drink grapefruit juice?
suipai da

what do you drink when you go to the temple
jinja ale

what kind of pan cant you eat.
furai-pan

Q. You and I, the best of friends, use what word to describe our relationship?
A. Friendship, or yuai (you-I).

Q. Which American group, to judge by its name, can't decide whether it has four or five members?
A. Chicago. Shi ka go means "four or five."

Q. A young girl gets on an elevator. Does it go up or down?
A. Up. A gaaru is the Japanese pronunciation of "a girl" and agaru means "to go up."

Q. What European city is famous for its large population of twins?
A. Frankfurt. A frankfort is a soseji (sausage) and soseiji are twins.

Q. An osama is a kingu (king), but what is a naked osama?
A. A sutorikingu (streaking).

Q. What fowl lives on a hill?
A. A duck, or ahiru. A hiru is the Japanese pronunciation of "a hill."

Q. In what American state is it always morning?
A. Ohio, or ohaiyo, as in ohaiyo gozaimasu (good morning).

Q. What animal loves everybody?
A. The mule, or raba. Rabaa, you've probably already guessed, is the Japanese pronunciation of "lover."

Q. What American state is famous for its waterworks?
A. Missouri, or mizurii. Mizu uri means "to sell water."

Q. When is a k-i-s-s only a k-s-s?
A. When it lacks love, or ai (i).

Q. What American state frowns on love affairs?
A. Georgia, or lofia. Joji iya means "love affairs are disgusting."

Q: What's the best sport for Christmas?
A: Christmas Tsuri (tree/fishing)