Japanese History Quiz

Japanese people lived on coastal plains because most of Japan

• has mountainous slopes that are difficult to live on and farm.

• is desert.

• has volcanoes.

• has rivers and lakes that often cause floods.

Why was Japan isolated from Korea and China in ancient times?

• Trade between these nations was forbidden.

• Japan is separated by the Great Wall.

• Japan is thousands of miles away from Korea and China.

• Japan's island location separated it from other people in Asia.

Because of the geography of their country, the diet of Japanese people consists mainly of

• seafood.

• fruit.

• beef.

• wheat.

The traditional religion of Japan is

• Buddhism.

• Shinto.

• Hinduism.

• Taoism.

What did the Yamato rulers govern before they called themselves emperors of Japan?

• a clan

• a monastery

• all of Japan

• a port city

Contact with China and Korea influenced Japan by

• leading to different farming and trade practices in Japan.

• sharing a written language, philosophy, and a new religion.

• changing traditional art forms and musical performances in Japan.

• spreading Chinese and Korean weapons and fighting styles.

The efforts of Prince Shotoku led to the spread of

• Noh.

• Shinto.

• Buddhism.

• feudalism.

Why did Japanese nobles in the city of Heian call themselves "dwellers among the clouds"?

• They chose to live in very tall buildings.

• Their court was located in a foggy valley.

• They thought of themselves as gods and goddesses.

• Their lives were easy and removed from the rest of Japan.

Who wrote many of the great works of early Japanese literature?

• noble women

• Buddhist monks

• emperors

• peasant boys

Which of the following best describes Heian paintings?

• scenes from nature or court life, bright and bold colors

• scenes from battles, bright and bold colors

• scenes from religious stories, bright and bold colors

• scenes from nature, scenes from court life, soft colors