Medieval Japan

Question 1

What developed in 5th century Japan?

Answer 1

Complex culture and religious systems

Question 2

Who ruled Japan until the 12th century?

Answer 2

An emperor

Question 3

What arose due to competing armies in Japan?

Answer 3

Elaborate codes and hierarchy

Question 4

Who ruled Japan in the 18th century?

Answer 4

Shoguns

Question 5

When did emperor rule return to Japan?

Answer 5

End of the 19th century

Question 6

What is Japan geographically classified as?

Answer 6

An archipelago

Question 7

How many main islands does Japan have?

Answer 7

Four

Question 8

What is Japan’s population rank in the world?

Answer 8

11th largest

Question 9

What geological features are common in Japan?

Answer 9

Volcanoes, earthquakes, hot springs, tsunamis, mountains, narrow valleys, coastal basins

Question 10

What characterizes the winter climate in Japan?

Answer 10

Heavy snow on the west coast and northernmost island of Hokkaido

Question 11

What is the summer climate in Japan?

Answer 11

Hot and wet

Question 12

When is the typhoon season in Japan?

Answer 12

September and October

Question 13

What agricultural products were cultivated in Japan due to summer rains?

Answer 13

Wet rice, millet, wheat, barley

Question 14

Who primarily grew rice in Japan?

Answer 14

Peasants

Question 15

What types of food were common in Japan?

Answer 15

Soya, fish, poultry, crab, shrimp, tuna, shark, whale, squid, seaweed

Question 16

What influenced Japan in the 3rd and 4th centuries?

Answer 16

Contact with China and Korea

Question 17

What transformed Japanese society due to contact with China and Korea?

Answer 17

Written language, religion

Question 18

What was the primary form of communication in Japan before the 7th century?

Answer 18

Spoken language

Question 19

What religion is referred to as ‘the way of the gods’?

Answer 19

Shinto

Question 20

What are kami in Shinto?

Answer 20

Nature spirits

Question 21

When did Buddhism spread to Japan?

Answer 21

552 CE

Question 22

What were the pathways through which Buddhism reached Japan?

Answer 22

India → Tibet → China → Korea → Japan

Question 23

What is a key philosophical influence in Japan alongside Shinto and Buddhism?

Answer 23

Confucianism

Question 24

What significant impacts did the Nara period (710 - 794 CE) have on medieval Japan?

Answer 24

A centralized government, Buddhism, Taiho code, new capitals, better supplies and communication

The Taiho code was an administrative and penal code that helped establish the central government.

Question 25

What characterized a centralized government during the Nara period?

Answer 25

Power is at the top, ruled by a central group or small group of individuals ## Footnote Example: Ancient Egypt when Menes united Upper and Lower.

Question 26

What was the role of the emperor in Japan from the 6th century to the 12th century?

Answer 26

Head of state, similar to a monarch, with periods of competing armies fighting for control ## Footnote The emperor's power was often challenged by various factions.

Question 27

Who were the daimyos during the Heian period?

Answer 27

Lords or nobles managing provinces, maintaining armed guards for protection ## Footnote They played a crucial role in supporting the emperor's power.

Question 28

What is the definition of a bushi?

Answer 28

Warriors in medieval Japan ## Footnote They served the daimyos and were integral to the military structure.

Question 29

How did samurai differ from bushi?

Answer 29

Samurai were retainers owing services to their lords ## Footnote They became wealthy from taxes and crops grown on their estates.

Question 30

What led to the rise of shogunates in Japan?

Answer 30

The weakening of the emperor's power and the growing wealth of daimyos ## Footnote This created opportunities for daimyos to seize power.

Question 31

What were the consequences of the fighting between warlords from 1156 to 1185?

Answer 31

Lots of fighting and natural disasters made it hard for the emperor to maintain power ## Footnote This period was marked by significant instability in Japan.

Question 32

What is a warlord?

Answer 32

A strong leader able to exercise military, economic, and political control over a territory ## Footnote Warlords mobilized loyal armed forces to maintain their power.

Question 33

Fill in the blank: The _______ code was an important administrative and penal code during the Nara period.

Answer 33

Taiho

Question 34

True or False: The emperor maintained strong power throughout the entire Heian period.

Answer 34

False ## Footnote The power of the emperor weakened significantly in the 12th century.

Question 35

What does Shinto mean?

Answer 35

‘way of the gods’

Question 36

What are kami in Shinto belief?

Answer 36

Spirit beings of the land

Question 37

Did early Shinto have shrines for kami?

Answer 37

Originally did not have shrines for kami

Question 38

What natural elements could serve as sites for worship in early Shinto?

Answer 38

Water, trees, rocks

Question 39

What is the purpose of shrines in Shinto?

Answer 39

Place where village communities celebrated and prayed

Question 40

What does the mirror symbolize in Shinto?

Answer 40

Honesty and purity

Question 41

What do torii gates signify?

Answer 41

Mark the shrines

Question 42

What is significant about family traditions in Shinto?

Answer 42

Birth, marriage and other ceremonies are especially significant

Question 43

How does Shinto view the love of nature?

Answer 43

Being in contact with nature means being in contact with the gods

Question 44

What practices reflect physical cleanliness in Shinto?

Answer 44

Taking baths, washing hands often, rinsing out the mouth

Question 45

What is the purpose of religious festivals in Shinto?

Answer 45

Honoring the spirits and enjoying life together

Question 46

When did Buddhism come to Japan?

Answer 46

In the sixth century from Korea and China

Question 47

What is significant about the Buddhist temple in Nara?

Answer 47

Built in the 8th century

Question 48

What does Zen Buddhism emphasize?

Answer 48

Self-discipline through meditation

Question 49

What is the lotus position?

Answer 49

A sitting position used in meditation

Question 50

How did Zen Buddhism appeal to the new warrior class?

Answer 50

Through self-discipline and focus

Question 51

What does archery in Zen Buddhism teach?

Answer 51

Hit the target without consciously aiming for it

Question 52

What role does the tea ceremony play in Zen Buddhism?

Answer 52

Aid meditation

Question 53

What is the Zen Buddhist attitude toward the natural world?

Answer 53

Respect for the natural world

Question 54

Fill in the blank: Zen Buddhism stressed self-discipline through _______.

Answer 54

meditation

Question 55

True or False: Shinto originally had many shrines for kami.

Answer 55

False