Japan’s ten strangest qualifications
Just a couple of days ago there was a report from Reuters on a forthcoming Daddy exam for Japanese fathers to hone their parenting skills on. Looking around the Japanese web I found many weird and wonderful exams and qualifications, or 検定, kentei as they are called in Japaneseso for your enjoyment and edification I present the top ten strangest qualificatons I came across!
10. Mount Fuji Master
As the Japanese proverb says, “He who climbs Mount Fuji once is a wise man, he who climbs it twice is a fool.” Perhaps there should be an extension to cover those who sit all three levels of the Mount Fuji Kentei? Whether or not any of the questions involve the vending machines at the top of the mountain is unknown.
9. Comic Certification
I suppose it is inevitable that there is a manga-based examination. This one by ebook Japan offers three levels of certification in the way of Japanese comics from beginner to master otaku. If the subject matter is too broad, they offer separate qualifications for specific comic book series from Princess Princess to Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro.
8. Dead Body Diploma
The Japan Stone Industry Association have got together to offer the aspiring graveyard caretaker the chance to show they know the best way to keep their plots from pushing up dasies. For a mere 30,000 yen you too can sit the test.
7. Kobe Knowledge
Many towns and other major tourist areas seem to have such a test, from Hokkaido to Okinawa, often sponsored by the local government. These qualifications do require a formal test with fees of just 1,500 yen for the Kobe one, but once it is obtained it may actually be useful if pursuing a tourism-related job in the area.
6. Order of the Octopus
Just down the road from Kobe is Akashi, famous for its tako, or octopus (which, by the way, are cruelly castrated to provide snack food for the residents of Osaka, just down another road from Kobe) so it seems only natural that there are people wishing to be experts on these sea creatures. Here you can demonstrate your knowledge of the multi-testicled beasts (hence the aforementioned takoyaki octopus balls) with questions such what is their favourite shellfish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G6KT-JGIwA
5. Timetable Test
The perfect qualification for trainspotters or insomniacs. Just memorise the contents of all railway, ferry and aeroplane timetables, and you’ll pass easily. Zzzz.
4. NAMAHAGE Professor Trial
I think the official English title is entertaining enough so I need not come up with an alliterative alternative. The Namahage is a traditional New Year festival from the the Oga Peninsula in the north of Japan, where the young men of the village dress up as fierce demons and invade houses, scaring all the children they can find, so presumably sitting the test will improve your chances of being a demon. Whether or not the exam rates the scariness or otherwise of the sitters is not documented.
3. Underpants University
Gunze, the maker of fine underpants and other garments for men’s nether regions presents a free and short shorts exam (currently being advertised at a railway stations I frequent) for you to sit and prove you know your thongs from your codpieces. A trial sitting of the test shows that I have mastered just 37% in the way of the boxers.
2. Idiot Initiation
Test how much of an idiot you are. This can be done either from a handy DAM Station karaoke machine (don’t ask why!) or from your mobile phone, for the rather high fee of 945 yen. Perhaps parting with all that cash is in itself some indication of how much of a fool you are? There is an introductory idiocy test available for free online.
1. Batchelor of Brassiere Science
What could be finer than a breast examination? Wacoal, a major manufacturer of ladies lingergie, celebrated bra day on the 12th of February by releasing a small but pert(inent) test of one’s knowledge of these garments. I took the test to see how well I keep abreast of this topic, but I gained a mere A-cup sized score.
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed, or check out my weekly newsletter. Thanks for visiting!
Read more on: kentei,ranking,Silly
Subscribe to feed
Send to mobile
Subscribe to 世論 What Japan Thinks newsletter
Ann said,
September 18, 2007 @ 02:24
Interesting stuff, thanks for posting this.
MySigChat said,
September 18, 2007 @ 12:30
Please don’t insult my qualifications, not everyone can get into Gudger College ..hehe
Kevin said,
September 18, 2007 @ 13:11
Where did you get that takoyaki is made up of octopus testicles. Aren’t they just balls of meat like fish balls?
soheicube linkpost said,
September 18, 2007 @ 15:07
日本の変わった検定ベスト10…
Japan’s ten strangest qualifications [via Digg]
おっぱいよろこぶブラジャー認定試験
バカ検定
GUNZEパンツ検定
ナマハゲ伝導士認定試験
時刻表検定
目指せ！おさかな通！！明石・タコ検定
神戸…
DistroDan said,
September 18, 2007 @ 15:17
Takoyaki isn’t made from octopus testicles. I guess you passed #2.
Ryan said,
September 18, 2007 @ 17:04
Takoyaki, your octopus balls, are not made from the teSTICAls, but the teNTACles of the octopus. They get the name octopus balls because of their round, spherical shape. You know, kind of like a ball.
Arthur Alby said,
September 18, 2007 @ 18:11
Takoyaki is not made from “octopus balls”. Inside the batter ball is a tiny piece of octopus tentacle…not testicle…fools!!
Japan's strangest qualifications - Affiliate Marketing Forum said,
September 18, 2007 @ 18:54
[…] strangest qualifications Here’s a list of the 10 strangest things you can get ‘certified’ for in Japan. Among them, a certificate on undergarment knowledge, an […]
Abot said,
September 18, 2007 @ 18:55
LOL. Octopus balls.
money_maker said,
September 18, 2007 @ 18:55
lol.. i thought they only watch Barbie doll style cartoons while eating sushi!
Mike from
www.iwannamakemoneyonline.com
straydog scraps » Scraps And Morsels 20070918 said,
September 18, 2007 @ 23:25
[…] Japan’s ten strangest qualifications and test […]
More Japanese weirdoism « Full Metal Cynic said,
September 18, 2007 @ 23:39
[…] More Japanese weirdoism Try Underpants Untversity. Become expert “…prove you know your thongs from your codpieces. A trial sitting of the test shows that I have mastered just 37% in the way of the boxers…” Read more. […]
kawaii said,
September 20, 2007 @ 07:07
The Japanese are very like the English in some respects - and the timetable exam proves it
Japan's 10 Strangest Qualifications | arzhou.com said,
September 28, 2007 @ 11:57
[…] Via whatjapanthinks.com […]
.: Meu Reino Unido :. » Links da semana (atrasado) said,
October 1, 2007 @ 00:02
[…] Japão 10 mais estranhas qualificações/cursos […]
Japan’s 10 Strangest Qualifications « Top Offbeat News said,
October 3, 2007 @ 19:56
[…] read more | digg story […]
漢検 - The Kanji Kentei « Japan Q&A said,
November 26, 2007 @ 11:57
[…] *Note: The Image is from Baka Kentei. Seems there are hundreds of Kenteis… There is a list of the ten strangest Kenteis on What Japan Thinks. […]
Web Wanderings « I AM the Daijoubu said,
December 27, 2007 @ 20:45
[…] Japan Thinks posted an entry of Japan’s ten strangest qualifications. My favorite is the idiocy test or バカ検定. How much of an idiot are […]
English, kanji and computer qualifications are most desired in 2008 » 世論 What Japan Thinks said,
January 11, 2008 @ 22:29
[…] and a good excuse to buy a Nintendo DS to help with your study. Sadly, none of the tests that I featured in an earlier article made the cut! Also note that the word kentei, 検定, is the Japanese for examination, but it also […]
The One With The Emoticons « So no one told you life was gonna be this way. said,
February 27, 2008 @ 00:42
[…] The site offers a lot more interesting surveys. Check out “30 best-looking politicians“, “How to spot an otaku” and “Japan’s top 10 strangest qualifications“. […]