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WorksheetsTopic 3: Japan
Total questions: 23
Worksheet time: 16mins
Japan is an archipelago. What is an archipelago?
A piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.
A chain of islands.
A large island surrounded by smaller islands.
An island that has two countries.
The geography of Japan is primarily mountainous. How does this affect unity amongst its people in early times?
It creates an obstacle between groups of people that prevents unity.
It provided protection from outside forces, allowing the Japanese to develop their own unique culture.
It creates paths for trade and commerce that build the Japanese economy.
The sea distancing Japan from the mainland countries of Korea and China allow it to do what?
Develop unique technology that the Koreans and Chinese did not have.
Create a Navy that would allow it conquer the Pacific Islands and Eastern Asia.
Selectively borrow portions of Chinese culture, rather than having to accept it like mainland countries did.
Japan is located on the Ring of Fire on the Pacific Ocean. What are common natural disasters that occur at this location?
Earthquakes and tsunamis
Hurricanes and droughts
Blizzards and superstorms
Wildfires and floods
Which of the following causes earthquakes? (a)
In its early history, Japanese society was divided into uji or clans. Which clan dominated the region of Honshu and is the clan of the current Japanese emperor?
Minamoto
Fujiwara
Taira
Yamato
In the Shinto belief system, who did its followers worship?
The Buddha who taught them the four Noble Truths.
Their ancestors who they believed watched over and protected them.
The kami who embodied the forces of nature and inhabited all things.
The Lord Shiva who creates, protects, and transforms the universe.
True or False: Japan currently has thousands of Shinto shrines that are still maintained and visited by thousands of people each year.
True
False
In the early 600s, Prince Shotoku of the Yamato Clan sent scribes, monks, and officials to China. Why?
To create a peace treaty with the Chinese emperor.
To put spies in the court of the Chinese emperor.
To study Chinese culture, religion, and technology.
To spread Japanese culture, religion, and technology in China.
In their selective borrowing of Chinese culture, which of the following did the Japanese not continue to use?
The civil service examination. The Japanese continued to grant positions based on inheritance.
The language system. The Japanese continued to use their own language system, ignoring Chinese characters.
The government. The Japanese continued to have shoguns rule them, no longer having an emperor.
The religion. The Japanese continued to follow Shinto, no longer allowing Buddhism in their country.
After the decline of Chinese culture in Japan, the Japanese began to utilize a system of phonetic symbols known as (a) for their writing
Choose the two systems of kana, or phonetic symbols, used in Japanese writing.
Kanji
Hiragana
Hangul
Katakana
Sanskrit
Why was the Heian period called that?
The emperor moved the capital city to the city of Heian (now Kyoto).
There was never any war or rebellion during this time period, and Heian means "peace".
Heian was the clan name of the new imperial family.
Heian was what they called the Chinese culture that was popular at the time.
During this time, the aristocracy (lords and ladies) created unique rules and etiquette for the courts. Which of the following is true.
Women were not allowed to see the emperor or be in his presence. This led to women wearing masks in court.
Servants had to dress in bright colored clothing so they could be seen. This led to nobles wearing dark colored clothing.
Men studied and spoke in Chinese, while women were not allowed to. This led to women being the primary Japanese writers at the time.
Women painted their teeth gold, since this was considered beautiful. This led to women having to use dentures as they got older.
Which of the following are true about the Tale of Genji? (There are three answers)
It was written by Sei Shonangon.
It was was written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
It is considered the world’s first full length novel.
It was written in Chinese.
It was written in Japanese.
The samurai warriors followed strict code that emphasized honor, bravery, and absolute loyalty to one’s lord known as (a)
Match the correct social class to the correct role in feudal hierarchy.
Emperor
A powerless cultural figurehead
Shogun
The military dictator
Daimyo
Powerful warrior lords
Samurai
Lesser warriors
Peasants
farmers
During the feudal period, the Japanese were aided in defending against Mongol invasions by what?
The bubonic plague killed the armies of Kublai Khan.
Typhoons destroy the fleets, known as kamikaze or divine wind.
The Japanese used advanced technology the Mongols did not have.
The Korean and Chinese armies joined the Japanese in repelling the Mongols.
Following the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate, the country fell into the Warring States period. Which general united the nation once more?
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Oda Nobunaga
Takeda Shingen
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
True or False: Toyotomi Hideyoshi failed to conquer Korea and died. Tokugawa Ieyasu would establish his own shogunate, known as the Tokugawa Shogunate.
True
False
What was the main reason that the population of Japan increased after a central government was imposed?
Fewer people died during constant warfare.
People can travel freely from their homes to the capital.
Agriculture improved due to lack of war.
Merchants began to lend money to daimyo and samurai.
Zen Buddhism was a sect of Buddhism that originated in India and spread across Asia. What is a sect?
A branch of a religion that has slightly different beliefs from the rest of the religion.
A group of people that have had to leave their homeland and go somewhere else.
The leader of a religious group.
A type of aristocracy that practices a different religion than their subjects.
Zen Buddhism emphasized what?
Self-reliance, meditation, and devotion to duty.
Honor, loyalty, and bravery.
Filial piety, ancestral worship, and civic duty.
Wealth, fame, and power.
