Test A
Japan Test
Write the word next to the correct definition.
Isolation Shinto regent
courtier shogun daimyo
samurai haiku Bushido
______1. a Japanese code of ethics involving courage, loyalty, and commitment to military life
______2. a person who takes part in the highly refined social life of a court
______3. the lord of a large agricultural estate in feudal Japan who supported the shogun
______4. an unrhymed Japanese poem consisting of three lines with seventeen syllables
______5. the condition of being separated from a group
______6. a person who rules for a monarch during periods of illness or absence or extreme youth
______7. the feudal military aristocracy of Japan, from the term meaning “those who serve”
______8. a Japanese religion whose followers believe that all things in the natural world are filled with
divine spirits
______9. a line of military leaders who ruled Japan
Write the letter of the correct answer.
10. The court in Kyoto became known as a center of
A Japanese government. B Japanese culture.
C Shinto. D Buddhism.
11. Rebellion in the provinces came from
A peasants and warriors. B nobles and warriors.
C courtiers and artists. D all of the above
12. The four main islands of Japan were formed from
A hurricanes. B typhoons.
C volcanoes. D earthquakes.
13. Most farmers in the provinces
A won large estates. B lived like “dwellers in the clouds.”
C hired tenants to help them farm. D were very poor.
Use the chart below to answer question 14.
14. Nichiren Buddhists
A chanted the name of Amida Buddha. B hoped to find happiness in the afterlife.
C believed the Lotus Sutra was Buddha’s last D stressed discipline and practiced physical and
teaching and the only truth. mental exercises to reach enlightenment.
15. What religion did early Japanese people follow?
A Buddhism B Hindu
C Shinto D kami
16. Which statement best describes the relationship between the court at Kyoto and life in the provinces?
A The court was unconcerned with life in the B The court was concerned about conditions in the
provinces. provinces.
C The courtiers were a constant presence at villages D The courtiers were unconcerned because of their
and farms own poverty and poor living conditions.
17. The Taika Reforms
A gave more power to the clan leaders. B greatly weakened Japan’s emperor.
C brought Buddhism to Japan. D gave the government power over clan leaders.
18. One of the things that weakened the feudal system in Europe was
A opposition from the nobles. B the growth of towns.
C peasant uprisings. D well-paying government positions for samurai.
19. Who headed a warrior government?
A shogun B daimyo
C samurai D noble
Use the chart below to answer question 20.
20. Which of the following statements is supported by the chart?
A Kanji consists of phonetic symbols of a single B Hiragana is a writing system adopted from
syllable. Chinese characters.
C Kanji originated in Japan. D Hiragana consists of phonetic symbols, each
representing a single syllable.
21. In the 1100s the Japanese samurai
A stopped using the bushido system. B became a new class of Japanese society.
C left Japan. D all took jobs in the Japanese government.
22. How did China’s Han Dynasty influence Japan?
A It conquered Japan. B It conquered Korea, and Korea conquered Japan.
C It conquered part of Korea, and Koreans brought D It caused Prince Shotoku’s death.
Buddhism to Japan.
23. Zen Buddhism became popular with samurai because it
A was based on scriptures. B was the Buddha’s last teaching.
C promised a reward in the afterlife. D stressed discipline over learning.
24. Which of the following art forms did not develop in medieval Japan?
A symphonic music B Noh drama
C flower arranging D gardening
Use the map below to answer question 25.
25. Japan’s greatest natural resource is
A the surrounding sea. B its extensive plains.
C its tropical climate. D its large lakes and long rivers.
26. Who formed the lowest class in the Tokugawa shogunate?
A warriors B merchants
C artisans D peasants
27. Lady Murasaki Shikibu was famous for writing
A in Chinese. B in hiragana.
C the world’s first novel. D the world’s first haiku.
28. Which of the following did the Tokugawa shogunate outlaw?
A Christianity B Shinto
C Buddhism D all of the above
29. From 1635 to 1854, Japan
A sealed itself off from the West. B increased trade with Europe.
C fought a war against England. D brought an end to Feudalism
30. What was happening to the merchants in Edo and other cities after 1600?
A They were driven out of business by the newly- B A money-based economy helped make them
arrived Europeans. prosper.
C The shogunate outlawed their trade and business D Very little happened to the merchants during this
collapsed. era.
31. Southeast Asia developed as a center of
A religion. B trade.
C agriculture. D tourism.
Use this chart to answer questions 32 and 33.
32. European feudalism lasted until the 1400s. Japanese feudalism lasted until
A the beginning of the Middle Ages. B 1380.
C the 1400s. D the mid-1800s.
33. One duty that both Japanese samurai and English knights were expected to carry out was
A solving disputes among nobles. B taking part in tests of skill.
C protecting their lords’ property. D taking care of the sick.
34. The Tokugawa shogunate
A isolated itself at court in Kyoto. B isolated Japan from the rest of the world.
C controlled very little of Japan. D opened Japan to the rest of the world.