The 2025 Quiz

Another year in Japan. 2025 brought us a new prime minister, a very creepy expo mascot, and more than a few surprises that made international news.

Whether you've been following the news from Tokyo or just catching highlights through social media, this quiz will test how closely you've been paying attention to Japan's year in review.

The Stories Behind the Answers

If you're curious about the context behind any of these questions, here's a quick rundown of what made each topic notable this year.

Myaku-Myaku became both beloved and meme'd for its unusual design - a red and blue blob creature meant to represent "cells" and the interconnection of life. It divided opinion but became impossible to ignore.

Sanae Takaichi became Japan's first female prime minister.^[1] Her conservative positions on defence spending and constitutional revision made her one of the most polarising leaders in recent memory.

Shōgun dominated awards season, with stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai making history as the first Japanese actors to win in their respective categories at both the Emmys and Golden Globes.^[2]

The bear crisis wasn't a joke - record numbers of bears remained active outside hibernation season due to food shortages in the mountains, pushing into urban areas and prompting school closures across the country.^[3]

In December, Niigata's local government approved the restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world's largest nuclear plant, more than a decade after the Fukushima disaster idled much of the country's nuclear fleet.^[4]

And the rice shortage reminded everyone that even in a country synonymous with the grain, supply chains and agricultural policy can create sudden scarcity.^[5] For the first time in over two decades, Japan imported rice from South Korea.^[6]