Common Sense Training: To Understand Japan

(tags game, DualScreen, learning, culture, Japan)

Chris Kohler at Game|Life points to the "Rambling Man" blog about the newly announced (around 2006/06/01) "Touch Generations!" game called 日本常識力検定協会監修 今さら人には聞けない大人の常識力トレーニング (my labored trans: Questions About Common Sense That You Won't Ask Other Adults [because you're an adult] - Common Sense Training for Adults from the Japanese Common Sense Examination Group). Doing the Internet search reveals a Famitsu blurb about the game with some screen shots. I also saw it in the announcement list in the Weekly Famitsu magazine coming out on 2006/10/10, but no price set yet.

I originally thought, as a Japanese language learner, that perhaps this would be good to understand Japanese culture and mannerisms. But the only one of the featured screenshots showed something uniquely Japanese, the "proper seat position for your valued customer" question (bottom right). The other questions are more cross-cultural, such as name that tune and name that food.

BTW, that Japanese Common Sense Examination Group (日本常識力検定協会) has a website introducing their ceritfication test. I don't think this test has much real-world traction as a certification, but it could fly in the certification-crazed Japan?