Unit 5: Japan in Medieval Times

When Korean workers settled in Japan, how did they change the lives of the Japanese?

• They set up a new government over the country.

• They worked as slaves for middle-class families.

• They brought knowledge and skills from the mainland.

• They became the customers who bought Japanese crafts.

After they learned about Chinese writing, the Japanese

• changed their grammar to be more like Chinese.

• began speaking Chinese in everyday conversation.

• invented a new set of characters based on objects in Japan.

• used simplified Chinese characters for sounds in Japanese words.

How did gagaku, a form of Chinese court music, influence music in Japan?

• The Japanese hired Chinese musicians.

• Japanese chants became more popular.

• New musical instruments were used.

• The Japanese sang only Chinese songs.

A primary belief in the Japanese religion of Shinto is

• respect for members of family based on hierarchy.

• worship of foreign gods.

• the cycle of pain and suffering.

• respect for the beauty of nature.

What is one important way in which Prince Shotoku changed Japan?

• He turned it into an agricultural society.

• He divided power among the chiefs of clans.

• He increased contact with neighboring cultures.

• He introduced the craft of bronze and iron smithing.

The Heian period is called Japan’s golden age because of its

• rich mines.

• foreign trade.

• military power.

• art and literature.

Which of the following was a factor that influenced the development of Heian art and sculpture independently from the mainland?

• Being an island nation provided some isolation.

• The emperor forbade all religious images.

• Ocean shipping brought contact with Europe.

• Most skilled craftsmen were sent to study in China.

How can one tell whether a Japanese poem is a tanka?

• by counting the syllables in each line

• by identifying the social class described

• by analyzing the symbols described

• by checking whether pairs of lines rhyme

What geographical feature has defined Japan's history and culture?

• desert

• lakes and streams

• snowy peaks

• little arable land

Which of these people would have ranked most highly in Heian Japan?

• one whose father was a court noble

• one who scored well on national tests

• one whose beauty was admired by poets

• one who paid the emperor money