Quizmo

Quiz on Japanese Mythology

20 questions · June 25, 2026

Below is the full Quizmo quiz devoted to the theme "Japanese Mythology": each question, its four options, the correct answer highlighted and, where available, its source. A chance to brush up on your general knowledge and then test what you know.

▶ Play today's quiz

Question 1

Easy

Japan's native religion, rich with gods and spirits, is called what?

Source: Shinto means 'the way of the gods' and shaped most of Japan's myths and shrines.

Question 2

Easy

Which goddess, central to Shinto, is associated with the sun?

Source: Amaterasu's emblem became Japan's rising-sun flag, and emperors claim descent from her.

Question 3

Easy

Japanese gods and nature spirits are collectively known as what?

Source: Kami can be anything sacred: a god, an ancestor, even a single waterfall or rock.

Question 4

Easy

What are the long-nosed, red-faced mountain spirits of Japanese folklore?

Source: Tengu started as bird-demons but became martial-arts masters who taught legendary swordsmen.

Question 5

Easy

The horned, club-wielding ogre-demons of Japanese myth are called what?

Source: On Setsubun, families throw beans shouting 'demons out!' to chase oni from the home.

Question 6

Easy

Which water-dwelling creature loves cucumbers and lurks in ponds?

Source: Cucumber sushi rolls are nicknamed 'kappamaki' after this mischievous river imp.

Question 7

Easy

Which animal is famous as a shapeshifting trickster in Japanese tales?

Source: The kitsune fox grows extra tails with age, topping out at a wise, powerful nine.

Question 8

Easy

A vengeful, white-robed female ghost in Japanese horror is called what?

Source: The yurei's pale gown and long black hair inspired horror films like 'Ringu' and 'The Ring'.

Question 9

Easy

Shinto shrine entrances are marked by what iconic gateway?

Source: The famous 'floating' torii at Itsukushima seems to rise straight out of the sea.

Question 10

Easy

The fierce storm god, brother of the sun goddess, is named what?

Source: Susanoo's tantrums in heaven once drove his sister to hide, plunging the world into darkness.

Question 11

Medium

Which raccoon-like trickster is known for a huge belly and shapeshifting?

Source: Pot-bellied tanuki statues guard shop doors, promising prosperity to passing customers.

Question 12

Medium

Which fox-linked deity rules rice, prosperity, and business?

Source: Kyoto's Fushimi shrine to this god is lined with thousands of bright vermilion gates.

Question 13

Medium

Susanoo slew an eight-headed serpent of what name?

Source: Inside the slain serpent's tail he found the sacred sword of the imperial regalia.

Question 14

Medium

Which deity hammers drums across the sky to create thunder?

Source: Folklore warns kids to hide their belly buttons, or this thunder god will snatch them.

Question 15

Medium

The god who lured the sun goddess from her cave used what object?

Source: Curious about her own reflection, she peeked out, and light flooded back into the world.

Question 16

Medium

Which creator god fled the underworld after seeing his decayed wife?

Source: His desperate escape, blocking the underworld's exit with a boulder, mirrors Greece's Orpheus.

Question 17

Medium

Which goddess died birthing fire and became queen of the underworld, Yomi?

Source: Her death birthed not just fire but Japan's first divorce: husband Izanagi sealed her in Yomi with a boulder.

Question 18

Hard

The first two gods stirred the ocean with a jewelled what?

Source: Drops falling from its tip hardened into the very first island of Japan.

Question 19

Hard

Which dragon god rules the sea from a coral palace?

Source: A fisherman who visited his palace returned to find centuries had passed in mere days.

Question 20

Hard

Which moon god killed a food goddess, splitting day from night?

Source: Disgusted, the sun goddess refused to face him again, so sun and moon now share opposite skies.

← See all quizzes in the archive