J-Word Play: June ’12

いつも何かにチャレンジしてる国はどこ？

(いつもなにかにチャレンジしてるくにはどこ？)

(SELECT THE AREA BELOW TO SEE THE ANSWER)

Answer: 朝鮮 (ちょうせん, Korea)

Our riddle asks “Where is a country that is always challenging itself?” (I think this is the smoothest translation. In Japanese people “challenge” something. In English we challenge ourselves to do something)

The answer, as you might expect, is a pun. 朝鮮 （ちょうせん）means Korea; that is, the area including both North and South. The same reading with different characters gives you 挑戦 (also ちょうせん), which means to challenge or try.