Question 1

What were the possible reasons why Japan failed to adopt the Confucian-based civil service examination system?

Accepted Answer

There were several possible reasons why Japan failed to adopt the Confucian-based civil service examination system. One reason could be that Japan already had its own established system of governance and bureaucracy, which may have made it difficult to integrate a new system based on Confucian principles. Additionally, Japan's unique cultural and historical context may have made it challenging to fully embrace a system that was closely associated with China. Furthermore, Japan's ruling elite may have been resistant to adopting a system that could potentially challenge their authority and power. Finally, the practical challenges of implementing and maintaining a large-scale examination system may have also played a role in Japan's decision not to adopt the Confucian-based civil service examination system.

Question 2

Nara and Hein were modeled on the city of

Accepted Answer

A)  Edo. 
B)  Chang'an. 
C)  Beijing. 
D)  Kyoto. 
E)  Xian. 
A)  Edo. 
B)  Chang'an. 
C)  Beijing. 
D)  Kyoto. 
E)  Xian. B

Question 3

Identify the following terms.
-Amaterasu

Accepted Answer

Amaterasu, in Japanese mythology, is the goddess of the sun and the universe. She is one of the principal Shinto deities and is considered the ancestor of the Japanese imperial family. Her full name, Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大神), means "Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven."

According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, two of the primary texts of Shinto, Amaterasu was born from the left eye of the deity Izanagi as he purified himself after visiting the underworld. She became the ruler of the High Celestial Plain (Takamagahara), the realm of the kami or spirits.

One of the most famous myths involving Amaterasu is her conflict with her brother, Susanoo, the storm god. After Susanoo's destructive rampage on Earth, Amaterasu hid herself in a cave, Amano-Iwato, plunging the world into darkness. The other gods and goddesses had to devise a plan to lure her out. They succeeded by placing a mirror outside the cave and making a lot of noise with a celebration, which piqued Amaterasu's curiosity. When she peeked out, she saw her own reflection in the mirror and was so mesmerized by her own brilliance that she came out of the cave, thus bringing light back to the world.

Amaterasu is enshrined at Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu), which is considered one of the holiest places in Japan and is a major pilgrimage site. The shrine is rebuilt every 20 years as part of the Shinto belief in the death and renewal of nature and the impermanence of all things, known as the Shikinen Sengu.

Her symbols include the mirror (Yata no Kagami), which represents wisdom or honesty, the jewel (Yasakani no Magatama), which represents benevolence, and the sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi), which represents valor. These three sacred treasures (Sanshu no Jingi) are key imperial regalia of Japan.

Question 4

Identify the following terms.
-Murasaki Shikibu"s The Tale of Genji

Accepted Answer

Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji" (

Question 5

The samurai

Accepted Answer

A)  were a hereditary warrior class in medieval Japan recruited in Manchuria and Siberia. 
B)  were similar to medieval European knights. 
C)  were the oath-pledged military retainers of the shogun, constituting a formal national army. 
D)  took oaths of poverty, chastity, and obedience before their formal investiture. 
E)  were recruited from the peasant class. 
A)  were a hereditary warrior class in medieval Japan recruited in Manchuria and Siberia. 
B)  were similar to medieval European knights. 
C)  were the oath-pledged military retainers of the shogun, constituting a formal national army. 
D)  took oaths of poverty, chastity, and obedience before their formal investiture. 
E)  were recruited from the peasant class.

Question 6

Identify the following terms.
-Minamoto Yoritomo

Accepted Answer

Minamoto Yoritomo (1147–1199) was a sign

Question 7

Identify the following terms.
-Kyoto

Accepted Answer

Kyoto is a city located in the Kansai re

Question 8

This trading society,based on Indian culture and values,ruled the southern portion of what is now Vietnam from 192 until 1471.

Accepted Answer

A)  Siam. 
B)  Khmer. 
C)  Funan. 
D)  Annam 
E)  Champa 
A)  Siam. 
B)  Khmer. 
C)  Funan. 
D)  Annam 
E)  Champa

Question 9

The class of hereditary slaves who performed degrading occupations in Japan was the

Accepted Answer

A)  untouchables. 
B)  genin. 
C)  tatami. 
D)  pariah. 
E)  eta. 
A)  untouchables. 
B)  genin. 
C)  tatami. 
D)  pariah. 
E)  eta.

Question 10

All of the following were true about the society established by the Yayoi except

Accepted Answer

A)  the foundation of the society was its basic unit, called the han. 
B)  it was a tribal society that divided its people into several clan groupings called uji. 
C)  the leadership of each clan was provided by a hereditary chieftain. 
D)  it contained a minority of aristocrats, and a majority of lesser people. 
E)  it was based upon agriculture. 
A)  the foundation of the society was its basic unit, called the han. 
B)  it was a tribal society that divided its people into several clan groupings called uji. 
C)  the leadership of each clan was provided by a hereditary chieftain. 
D)  it contained a minority of aristocrats, and a majority of lesser people. 
E)  it was based upon agriculture.

Question 11

Compare and contrast the Heian era of Japan with the period of the Kamakura shogunate.What changed,and why?

Accepted Answer

The Heian era of Japan, which lasted fro

Question 12

Discuss the relationship between Japanese Shinto and Buddhism,regarding the apparent compatibility for many Japanese during the era from 1000 to 1500.

Accepted Answer

During the era from 1000 to 1500, the re

Question 13

In addition to their beautiful gardens,another Japanese cultural contribution that represents a fusion of Zen and aesthetics is the

Accepted Answer

A)  black ink wash. 
B)  architectural saturnalia. 
C)  Shinto observance. 
D)  tea ceremony. 
E)  tatami ritual. 
A)  black ink wash. 
B)  architectural saturnalia. 
C)  Shinto observance. 
D)  tea ceremony. 
E)  tatami ritual.

Question 14

Japan's people

Accepted Answer

A)  are the only racially homogenous people in East Asia. 
B)  are all descended from the Ainu invaders who took over the islands by 75 C.E. 
C)  never developed a locally originated belief system. 
D)  are the result of a mixture of peoples from various parts of Asia and beyond. 
E)  are all biologically descended from Amaterasu. 
A)  are the only racially homogenous people in East Asia. 
B)  are all descended from the Ainu invaders who took over the islands by 75 C.E. 
C)  never developed a locally originated belief system. 
D)  are the result of a mixture of peoples from various parts of Asia and beyond. 
E)  are all biologically descended from Amaterasu.

Question 15

"Japan borrowed from China,but only selectively." Discuss with examples.

Accepted Answer

Japan borrowed from China, but only sele

Question 16

Known as "the way of the warrior," the strict code of the Japanese retainer was called

Accepted Answer

A)  hara-kiri. 
B)  Bushido. 
C)  Shogun. 
D)  Samurai. 
E)  kamikazi. 
A)  hara-kiri. 
B)  Bushido. 
C)  Shogun. 
D)  Samurai. 
E)  kamikazi.

Question 17

The Fujiwara clan established the first shogunate after the emperor had moved to the new capital of Nara in 710.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The Japanese moon god was Amaterasu.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Identify the following terms.
-Ashikaga era

Accepted Answer

The Ashikaga era refers to a period in J

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the Japanese islands?

Accepted Answer

A)  Honshu receives over 200 inches of snow each year. 
B)  It contains so many mountains that the percentage of land that it can use for farming is under three percent. 
C)  Since its mountains are volcanic, much of its soil is very poor. 
D)  The nearness to the Asian and Pacific tectonic plates causes them to be subject to violent earthquakes. 
E)  The largest of the four main islands is Kyushu. 
A)  Honshu receives over 200 inches of snow each year. 
B)  It contains so many mountains that the percentage of land that it can use for farming is under three percent. 
C)  Since its mountains are volcanic, much of its soil is very poor. 
D)  The nearness to the Asian and Pacific tectonic plates causes them to be subject to violent earthquakes. 
E)  The largest of the four main islands is Kyushu.

Exam 11: The East Asian Rimlands: Early Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

What were the possible reasons why Japan failed to adopt the Confucian-based civil service examination system?

Nara and Hein were modeled on the city of

Identify the following terms. -Amaterasu

Identify the following terms. -Murasaki Shikibu"s The Tale of Genji

The samurai

Identify the following terms. -Minamoto Yoritomo

Identify the following terms. -Kyoto

This trading society,based on Indian culture and values,ruled the southern portion of what is now Vietnam from 192 until 1471.

The class of hereditary slaves who performed degrading occupations in Japan was the

All of the following were true about the society established by the Yayoi except

Compare and contrast the Heian era of Japan with the period of the Kamakura shogunate.What changed,and why?

Discuss the relationship between Japanese Shinto and Buddhism,regarding the apparent compatibility for many Japanese during the era from 1000 to 1500.

In addition to their beautiful gardens,another Japanese cultural contribution that represents a fusion of Zen and aesthetics is the

Japan's people

"Japan borrowed from China,but only selectively." Discuss with examples.

Known as "the way of the warrior," the strict code of the Japanese retainer was called

The Fujiwara clan established the first shogunate after the emperor had moved to the new capital of Nara in 710.

The Japanese moon god was Amaterasu.

Identify the following terms. -Ashikaga era

Which of the following is true of the Japanese islands?

Early Humans and the First Civilizations

Ancient India

China in Antiquity

The Civilization of the Greeks

The First World Civilizations: Rome, China, and the Emergence of the Silk Road

The Americas

Ferment in the Middle East: The Rise of Islam

Early Civilizations in Africa

The Expansion of Civilization in South and Southeast Asia

The Flowering of Traditional China

The Making of Europe

The Byzantine Empire and Crisis and Recovery in the West

New Encounters: The Creation of a World Market

Europe Transformed: Reform and State Building

The Muslim Empires

The East Asian World

The West on the Eve of a New World Order

The Beginnings of Modernization: Industrialization and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century

The Americas and Society and Culture in the West

The High Tide of Imperialism

Shadows over the Pacific: East Asia under Challenge

The Beginning of the Twentieth-Century Crisis: War and Revolution

Nationalism Revolution and Dictatorship: Asia the Middle East and Latin America from 1919 to 1939

The Crisis Deepens: World War II

East and West in the Grip of the Cold War

Brave New World: Communism on Trial

Europe and the Western Hemisphere since 1945

Challenges of Nation Building in Africa and the Middle East

Toward the Pacific Century

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