Deck 9: Early Japanese History

Question 1

According to Darkness and the Cave of High Heaven,Shintō gods can best be described as

A)extended family or clan.
B)lord/vassal relationship.
C)administrative relationship in the bureaucracy.
D)None of these answers are correct.

Answer 1

extended family or clan.

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT a major turning point in Japanese history?

A)bronze,and iron revolutions.
B)iron,and industrial revolutions.
C)financial,and iron revolutions.
D)cultural,and iron revolutions.

Answer 2

bronze,and iron revolutions.

Question 3

The Shintō religion of Japan is best described as

A)great wars between Japan and Korea.
B)deeds and misdeeds of the gods and their adventures on earth or in the underworld.
C)destruction of the Mongol fleet on the shores of Japan.
D)deeds and exploits of the samurai warriors in the 13th century.

Answer 3

deeds and misdeeds of the gods and their adventures on earth or in the underworld.

Question 4

Japanese government during the Nara and Heian periods differed from China because

A)there were no eunuchs.
B)there was little tension between emperor and bureaucracy.
C)there were major struggles between clans.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Compared to Japan,Korea,and Vietnam,the China-influence grouping made up of Manchuria,Mongolia,Central Asia,and Tibet

A)Japan had almost no contact with China.
B)Korea and Vietnam were closer to China for longer periods of time.
C)Korea and Vietnam were conquered and absorbed by China.
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 6

Around 500 C.E.,Japanese geography (shown in Map 9-1)can best be described as

A)concerned about status and prone to bickering.
B)carefree and detached from the lives of humans.
C)interested in saving the world from evil forces.
D)equally concerned with humans and nature.

Question 7

Samurai warriors were

A)foot soldiers.
B)conscripted into service.
C)official troops whose taxes were remitted in exchange for military service.
D)mercenaries.

Question 8

Confucianism and Buddhism both arrived in Japan in what century?

A)"divine wind."
B)"tent government."
C)"the way of the gods."
D)"those who serve."

Question 9

The Records of Japan tell of the

A)made contact with China and adopted Chinese culture.
B)became isolationist and turned away from the world.
C)degenerated culturally amidst constant civil war.
D)became isolationist and turned away from the world as well as degenerated culturally amidst constant civil war.

Question 10

According to Chinese chronicles,Pimiko was

A)a group of mountainous islands.
B)a mountainous peninsula in the Pacific Ocean.
C)an empire including Silla on the Korean peninsula.
D)a unified empire controlled by Silla on the Korean peninsula.

Question 11

The Records of Ancient Matters were

A)a Japanese painting technique.
B)a kind of mystery drama.
C)the major instigator of the Jomon revolution.
D)a shaman who ruled in Japan in the 3rd century C.E..

Question 12

The twin centers of Japanese culture in the Nara and Heian periods were

A)cruelty and oppressive rule.
B)adoption of Daoism.
C)use of Chinese ideas and practices to consolidate his rule.
D)democratization of government.

Question 13

The Yayoi revolution included the agricultural,

A)among the earliest Japanese accounts of its own history.
B)Chinese chronicles that mention Japanese events in the 5th century C.E.
C)accounts of popular political movements under the Yamato "great kings."
D)a record of Shintō spells and rituals.

Question 14

After the "equal field system" failed in Japan,what taxation system was adopted

A)direct taxation
B)quota system
C)graduated income tax
D)All of these answers are correct.

Question 15

The text suggests that Korea and Vietnam had a stronger Chinese imprint than Japan because

A)the start of settled,agricultural society in the 3rd century B.C.E.
B)the importation of many Chinese cultural practices in the 7th century C.E.
C)the arrival of Islam in the 9th century C.E.
D)the encounter with the industrial West in the 19th century C.E.

Question 16

As a ruler of Japan in the 7th century C.E.,Temmu is famous for his

A)In the 7th century it studied China.
B)In the 8th century it imported Chinese ideas and practices.
C)In the 9th and 10th centuries it adapted Chinese institutions to Japanese needs.
D)In the 11th and 12th centuries it rejected Chinese models.

Question 17

"Shintō" in the Japanese language means

A)a type of animistic nature worship.
B)a Japanese version of neo-Confucianism.
C)a school of Buddhism that saw the emperor as a Buddha on earth.
D)the first native monotheistic religion in Asia.

Question 18

Nara and Heian Japan refers to an age where Japan

A)Buddhist monasteries and the imperial court.
B)Hindu yogis and samurai estates.
C)secular schools of philosophy and European missionaries.
D)colonies of Korean exiles and government bureaucrats.

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT a stage in Japan's cultural relationship with China?

A)Buddhist and Shintō rulers.
B)Confucian and Shintō rulers.
C)Zen and Confucian rulers.
D)Daoist and Confucian rulers.

Question 20

The basic unit of Yamato aristocratic society was the

A)6th century C.E.
B)8th century C.E.
C)2nd century B.C.E.
D)3rd century C.E.

Question 21

The most important attraction of Buddhism to ordinary Japanese during the Nara and Heian eras was its

A) philosophical perspectives.
B) colorful and elaborate rituals.
C) preoccupation with meditation.
D) promise of a socially progressive society.

Question 22

Buddhism in Japan was

A) given tax support.
B) assigned a quota of monks and nuns.
C) given official government support.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 23

The Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu around 1000 C.E.is famous

A) for its perfection of the Chinese model of stylized story-telling.
B) as the world's first novel with sophisticated delineation of individual characters.
C) for introducing Buddhist travel literature into Japan.
D) in its use of historical documents to narrate the rise and fall of the Yamoto Dynasty.

Question 24

Discuss the influence of Chinese culture on the East Asian culture zone.Why was it initially difficult for Japanese to adopt Chinese culture? Why did Japan eventually become a cultural variant?

Question 25

The writings of the courtiers of the Heian period

A)scorned the lower classes.
B)advocated a social welfare system.
C)reflected great sympathy for the lower class.
D)None of these answers is correct.

Question 26

From the Nara period to the 19th century,most histories of Japan were written in

A) Japanese.
B) Chinese.
C) Altaic.
D) Cantonese.

Question 27

New offices outside the Chinese system at Kyoto included

A)western region exposed to attacks by Filipino pirates.
B)eastern region,which were the staging ground for campaigns against tribal peoples in the north.
C)southern region closest to Korea.
D)northern region,which were the staging ground for campaigns against tribal peoples in the north.

Question 28

What were the major characteristics of earlier religions in Japan before the arrival of Buddhism? How did Shintō differ from Buddhism? In what manner was this development different from religions in China? Why was this movement confined to the islands of Japan?

Question 29

In The Pillow Book,Sei Shōnagon suggests that courtly romance

A) should always involve gifts of flowers.
B) requires males to remain romantic throughout a private encounter.
C) is a hateful thing.
D) is shallow and artificial.

Question 30

Which of the following is a characteristic of early Shintō?

A) the need for ritual purity before entering any religious temple
B) the importance of sacrifices when calling upon the gods
C) that salvation came only through sincere faith rather than ritual or works
D) that religious observance was separate from class and political authority

Question 31

The governmental system in the Kamakura era is best described as a/an

A)decentralized military government.
B)centralized meritocracy.
C)Islamic theocracy.
D)shamanistic aristocracy.

Question 32

Which of the following is a correct statement about the way in which the late twelfth century marked a turning point in Japanese history?

A) It saw the emergence of the shōgun as the de facto ruler of Japan.
B) It began the shift towards rule by military houses.
C) It initiated changes in family and social organization.
D) All of these statements are correct.

Question 33

The daimyo were

A)the highest category of government bureaucrats in the Heian era.
B)powerful regional warlords who ruled much of the Japanese countryside.
C)guilds of craftsmen who dominated urban life in medieval Japan.
D)Japanese Buddhist monks who helped convert Korea.

Question 34

Which criterion of feudalism did NOT appear in Japan until the late fifteenth century

A)fiefs in return for military service
B)warrior ethic
C)lord/vassal relationship
D)None of these answers are correct.

Question 35

In the Nara and Heian eras the most militarized region of Japan was the

A)Taira.
B)Kiyomori.
C)Fujiwara.
D)Minamoto.

Question 36

Kiyomori secured rule by

A)ruling as regent for his grandchildren.
B)reestablishing concubines at court.
C)seizing power from the Fujiwara during a time of crisis.
D)eliminating all familial rivals to the throne.

Question 37

The first writers of Japanese literature in the Japanese language were

A) women.
B) Chinese scholars.
C) Korean diplomats.
D) Japanese legal scholars.

Question 38

How was the second invasion of Japan by the Mongols of Kublai Khan repulsed

A)samurai successes
B)a powerful storm or 'divine wind' sank much of the invasion fleet
C)Japanese tactics of fierce individual combat
D)successful use of greyhounds by the Japanese

Question 39

Give the correct chronological order for the different periods in Japanese history:

A)Nara/Heian,Taira,Ashikaga,Kamakura
B)Taira,Nara/Heian,Ashikaga,Kamakura
C)Nara/Heian,Taira,Kamakura,Ashikaga
D)Kamakura,Taira,Nara/Heian,Ashikaga

Question 40

Mahayana,or "Greater Vehicle" Buddhism is practiced in all of the following areas except

Question 41

The Japanese language was not easily expressed in Chinese characters because Chinese characters

A) express mostly ideographic ideas.
B) use calligraphy.
C) were solely phonetic.
D) could not express adjective forms.

Question 42

What were the major features of Japanese culture prior to the arrival of Chinese influences in the seventh century? What impact did Korean culture have on Japan?

Question 43

Why did the Mongol invasions of Japan fail? Where did the attacks take place? What was the Japanese main defense? What were the domestic political repercussions of these invasions on Japan?

Question 44

How did Buddhism evolve and change in Japan from the Heian period through the Ashikaga Shogunate? To what extent were Buddhist ideas reflected in the art forms of Japan? Compare and contrast the various forms of Buddhism that appeared during this period.

Question 45

How did commerce start in Japan and what products formed the base of trade? How did this activity alter Japanese society? Why did commerce develop at such a late time period compared to China?

Question 46

What do the careers and literary texts of Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shōnagon reveal about the lives of women in Heian Japan? What do myths such as the sun goddess suggest about Japanese women's lives? How did the roles of women evolve during the Kamakura Shogunate?

Question 47

Why was Buddhism popular in Japan? What was the importance of the art forms,Mahayana Pantheon,and rituals to the Japanese? Do Confucianism and Daoism have important roles in Japanese religion?

Question 48

Compare and contrast the influence of China on Japan,Korea,and Vietnam.What impact did Buddhism and other cultural influences from China have on these areas?

Question 49

How did civil authority shift to military control in Japan? What was the importance of the bakufu? What was the revenue base for the new government after 1180?

Question 50

What was the agricultural system in use in Japan up to 838? Why did the "quota" system come into existence? What was the role of the samurai in this development?

Question 51

What were the important cultural contributions of the Nara and Heian periods in Japan? What was the first novel ever written and what was the impact of this book on the Japanese upper class?

Question 52

How did geography affect the development of Japan?

Question 53

To what extent is it accurate to describe Japan during the Kamakura period as "feudal"? What are the major characteristics of a feudal society and how do they describe the society of Japan? What role did the samurai warriors play in Japan during this period?