MTV Japan To Hold Rock Music Proficiency Exam

[Mulboyne]

MTV Japan will hold a rock music exam in five cities on the 10th June this year. MTV is offering a san-kyu (level three) qualification for 3,900 yen and a ni-kyu (level two) qualification for 4,500 yen. It will be possible to take both. The exams will be an hour long and consist of 100 questions such as "What bait is used on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind to fish for the baby". Applications will appear in major bookstores nationwide from March and an official textbook to accompany the exam will be released by publisher Nippon Shuppan Hanbai. Testing centres will be in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Fukuoka. Successful candidates will be awarded a certificate and a badge. Rock n' Roll!

(I suspect this story will be appearing in the overseas press shortly)

[Mulboyne]

Digital Journal: Japanese eager to test their knowledge in subculture

Japanese people are still hungry for tests despite all the years they spend cramming for school entrance examinations. Nowadays, people of all ages are cramming to be recognized as experts in rock 'n' roll, anime or maid work. Japanese people are keen on getting licenses and credentials in specialized fields to add extra allure to their resumes. But the credentials are no longer limited to traditional arts and knowledge such as calligraphy, abacus calculation or martial arts...Now with these new types of tests, stress has become fun and they boost the confidence of applicants. In June, some 3,000 people across the nation sat the multiple choice test for history of rock 'n' roll from the beginning of the music genre to the 21st century, including personal episodes of various musicians, according to Japan's business daily The Nikkei...more...