Japan

When was the Meiji Restoration?

• 1482

• 1868

• 1912

• 2004

What type of culture does Japan have?

• Individualistic

• Collectivistic

What structure is implemented in their educational system?

• 6-3-3-4

• 5-4-5-6

• 1-2-3-4

• 4-2-4-2

Answer explanation

The 6-3-3-4 structure with six years of primary school (also called elementary school), three years of lower secondary school (also called middle school or junior high school), three years of upper secondary school (also called high school), and four years of university

How many years is their education compulsory?

• 12

• 7

• 10

• 9

Answer explanation

Both primary and lower secondary school are compulsory.

What were some of the major reforms that took place in their educational system in 1947?

• There was a new emphasis on the training of public school teachers at the university level

  
  

• They replaced many government-produced textbooks with texts that were published privately, with less involvement by the government than in the past

• Shift from total central control of education to much greater autonomy in villages, cities, and prefectures

• Permission to have teacher unions and other support organizations such as parent-teacher groups

• All of the above

True or false: Virtually all Japanese people complete education through the high school (also called upper secondary) level, and most go on to further technical or university training

• True

• False

What was the fundamental goal of Japan's education system following World War II, as stated in the Fundamental Law of Education?

• To promote typical Confucian values

• To achieve academic freedom and equal opportunity

  
  

• To strengthen imperial rule and loyalty to the emperor

• To promote typical Buddhist values

When did formal education in Japan begin?

• Kamakura Period

• Ancient period

• Early modern

• Muromachi Period

Answer explanation

Formal education in Japan started when the Chinese language system was introduced into Japan in about 500 A.D. At that time only the aristocracy had access to education through schools that primarily taught Confucianism and Buddhist thought and practice. The first real school, the Daigakuryo (the university), was started by Emperor Tenji during this period. Located in the capital of Kyoto, the Daigakuryo focused mainly on providing prospective government officials with a background in Confucian practice that would relate to their future jobs. Later the school became an official institution under the Taiho Code of 701. Young men usually entered the university in their early to mid-teens. When they graduated, they were placed in government positions at levels that corresponded to their success at the university. The Taiho Code also called for establishing colleges called kokugaku, located in each of the country's provincial areas. Besides teaching the Chinese classics, these early provincial schools provided training in medicine and in divination.

What key event signaled the start of Japan's modern period?

• World War 2

• Russo-Japanese War

• The Meiji Restoration

• The Sino-Japanese War

Answer explanation

The modern period in Japan began with the restoration of the emperor in 1868, about 15 years after the country had been "opened" to the outside world by the expeditionary tour of U.S. Admiral Matthew Perry. This period saw a tremendous amount of educational reform as the country sought to catch up to the West after more than 200 years of virtual isolation. Although World War II, including its prelude and aftermath, certainly devastated Japan's educational system, the country has witnessed unparalleled educational advancement from the Meiji Period to the present.

Which educational system characterized the early modern period in Japan and included schools like hanko, terakoya, and Shoheiko?

• The Tokugawa educational system

• The Meiji educational system

• Kamakura educational system

• Ancient educational system

Answer explanation

The Tokugawa educational system included several main types of schools such as the hanko, terakoya, Shoheiko, and shijuku. Established in each of the domains of the daimyo (lords), the hanko mainly educated the children of the lord's samurai on topics related to Confucianism. Only later in the Tokugawa Period did the schools enroll a wider range of social classes and expand their curriculum to include non-Confucian topics such as medicine, Japanese studies, and Western science.