Atama no Taisou


is a series of puzzle collections that were released by Kobunsha, and written by Akira Tago., there were 23 regular volumes with an e-book volume released.
The first volume was published in 1966 and sold more than 2.5million copies that year. The series sold over 12million copies and easily became a bestseller.

Overview

While it is a collection of puzzles, the preface and introductions to each chapter emphasize the importance of developing thinking skills, particularly lateral thinking.
The early series also featured citations and adaptations from puzzle books by Sam Lloyd and Henry Ernest Dewdney. The first volume also featured vertical thinking puzzles. Later, puzzles were published in collaboration with puzzle writers such as Nobuyuki Ashigahara and Shin Onodera, as well as puzzles submitted by readers of the series. Some puzzles were the prototypes of the TV show's IQ Engine, as well as commonly used true-or-false quizzes and situational puzzles.
The cover illustrations for the Kappa Books edition are by Yoshitaro Isaka for volumes 1-4, and by Ryotaro Mizuno for volumes 5-7. The creator for volumes 8 and onwards was Susumu Matsushita, along with the paperback edition, as well as the package illustration for the Nintendo DS version. Additionally, Ryotaro Mizuno has been responsible for most of the illustrations in the text since the beginning.

Impact

As a result of the best-selling series, the term "brain exercises" has become widely used in Japan as a synonym for quizzes, puzzles, and thinking skills training. This series has also inspired numerous other titles, including IQ Engine, Magical Brain Power!!, Brain Beauty IQ Supplement, and the Professor Layton Series, some of which feature Tako as a supervisor. Furthermore, Nippon Broadcasting System aired a nationally broadcast radio mini-show, Tako Akira's Radio Brain Exercises, based on the original story and concept, with Tako himself providing the questions until September 1998.
In addition to this series, other books with "brain exercises" in the title have been published, including some written by Tako, such as "Brain Exercises for Ages 50 and Up" and "Tako Akira's Brain Exercises: Elementary School Edition".

Nintendo DS version

Tago Akira's Brain Exercises is a Nintendo DS game released by Level-5 in 2009.
There are more than 1,500 questions in the book version, and they have been reprinted in four software packages, with volumes 1 and 2 released on June 18th, and volumes 3 and 4 released on October 8th.

Series

  • Brain Exercises Vol. 1: Train your brain with puzzles and quizzes
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 2: Taking on a Million Brains Again
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 3: Travel Around the World with Puzzles
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 4 This is a Color TV-Style Puzzle
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 5: Join the Genius Party
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 6: The Great Adventure of the Time Machine
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 7: Adventure in the Jungle of the Brain
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 8: Dream and Adventure Fantasy Puzzle
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 9: Amazing Earth Adventure
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 10 Welcome to the Galactic Adventure Tour
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 11 Dream Super Baseball Puzzle
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 12: Welcome to the Brain Endurance Rally
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 13: Puzzle Olympics
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 14: Explore the Wonders of the World
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 15 Challenge! Brain World Cup
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 16: Aim to be a Super-Creative Iron Man!
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 17 Special: Invitation to the Mysterious Mansion
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 18: Labyrinth Psychology: Challenge Yourself to Become a Great Detective
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 19: Brain Modification: Escape from the Demon Palace
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 20: A Midsummer Night's Dream
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 21: The Biggest Ever! Fascinating Magic Puzzle
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 22: Seven Ideas for Cyberspace
  • Brain Exercises Vol. 23: Eternal Mysteries
Below are selected questions from the regular series:
  • Brain Exercises Yotsuya Otsuka Best Selection: Launching the Brain Space Development Project! — This is a collaboration with the Yotsuya Otsuka cram school, and the questions are designed with junior high school entrance exam questions in mind.
  • Brain Teasers BEST — Contains 100 carefully selected questions from the regular series.
  • Brain Teasers BEST 2 — The second edition of the best version with 100 carefully selected questions.

Related Topics

  • Comedy Exercises — A variety show hosted by Kyosen Ohashi that began two years after the first volume was released.
  • Tako Akira's Radio Brain Exercises — A mini-program on Nippon Broadcasting System based on this book.