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Asian Studies (Japan)
Test Review
Review Questions –
Chapter 20 - Geography in Japan
1) What are the geographic land forms that Japan has?
Mountains
Forests
Plains-where they grow food
What percentage of Japan has mountains? 75 %
2) How has the water and Japan being an archipelago – chain of islands affected people’s lives in
Japan?
** Include information about its neighbors.
Japan is surrounded by water – it is a series of islands also known as an archipelago.
It was isolated at times, however during some periods there was a cultural exchange with
Its neighbors – China and the Koreas. Sometimes it was attacked by its neighbors example China
with Kublai Khan.
3) Where was the soil the best for farming in Japan – which island?
Honshu- central location - largest –cities- Kanto Plain-growing rice
4) What is Japan’s highest mountain? Mt. Fuji on Honshu
5) What types of natural disasters are they concerned with in Japan? Typhoons, earthquakes,
tsunamis, volcanoes
Chapters 20- 21 Cultural Diffusion in Japan/Nara/Kyoto
6) What is cultural diffusion? Copy or borrow ideas
Borrow Ideas- govt., religion, art, music, language one culture "borrowed" by another culture.
Who did they usually “borrow” from? China, Koreas, India
7) Give an example of cultural diffusion in the following areas:
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Govt. –borrowed the idea of -meritocracy, aristocracy – mostly- Confucianism from China
Religion- What was Japan’s original religion? Shinto –
Describe it - worship ancestors and nature- spirits called kami – polytheist
The Japanese borrowed the idea –of Buddhism – worship at temple
from China/Korea – who got it from India.
The Horyuji Temple in capital city Nara is over 100 feet tall. It is an example of cultural diffusion in
religion and architecture. The design can be traced back to India and China. The curved roofs are call
pagodas. In India bell shaped stupa.
Art-sculpture - borrowed the idea of- creating sculptures of Buddha – Nara period of sculpture
What art did Japan have in the BCE times? They made clay sculptures called haniwa-clay figuresanimals, people on tombs
What was the Japanese artist named Jocho famous for? The Amida Buddha was his masterpiece
made of wood –little pieces of wood was carved and connected it and made it a Buddha.
Art-painting – borrowed the idea of painting from the Chinese
During the Heian period famous paintings- what were the paintings called that were different from
the Chinese style? Japanese paintings called yamato-e’s .
What were these paintings of? Nature, landscapes, people working, scenes from stories.
Music /songs– What type of music did they have? They had some of their own instruments and used
music for folk songs, war chants, Shinto Chants
The Japanese borrowed the idea of Chinese instruments-made Buddhist songs.
What was a popular dance for the nobles? Bugaku dance
Language – borrowed the idea of a written language – original language only spoken.
2 written languages developed
Men’s katakana formal language-alphabet (don’t confuse this with katana – that’s a sword!)
Samurai Basho wrote – Haikuu - poetry
Women’s Hiragana informal language alphabet-faster way to write things
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Women were great writers - Muraski Shikibu wrote - Tale of Genji world’s first novel
Chapter 21Heian Court was know as Japan’s Golden Age until 794 -1185.
What was life like for nobles in the Heian Court? It was Japan’s golden age – life was good.
How did they look good or “yoki” and what did they do for leisure? Write your answers for men and
for women.
Men – pointed beards, mustaches, white faces, dark teeth, leisure activities- horse racing, archery
contests, sumo wrestling, kemari, tanka/poetry contests, bugaku dancing
Women- long hair high status, white faces, painted red lips, shaved eyebrows, dark teeth, 12 silk
robes, wrote diaries, novels, rango game, tanka/poetry contests, bugaku dancing
Chapter 22- The Rise of the Warrior Class in Japan
Draw the Feudal pyramids of Japan and Europe in the space below.
Feudal Japan
Feudal Europe
1) Who was the “Warrior class” in Japan? The samurai
2) What is a shogun? A military leader with great power, commander and chief
What was the role of the emperor? Figurehead
3) How were the samurai similar to the knights of Europe?
Both rode horses, swords, served their lords, got land as a reward, were religious, followed codes
4) What is bushido? A code that the samurai follow – must be loyal, honorable-seppuku
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5) What does kamikaze mean? Divine spirit – typhoons – Shinto
What religion is it connected to? Shinto
6) What did people use to pay tax in Japan? Rice
7) What did the samurai armor look like? Metal helmet/mask, leather armor with silk
8) Why do they use their belly for seppuku? They have a lot of sayings in Japanese about the belly
and they feel the spirits are in the belly.
9) What are the weapons used by the samurai? Bow and arrows, long katana sword curved, and tanto
sword – kendo – train with swords short. Yabusame – horse back nagaginata-spears
10) What religion did the samurai follow? Shinto and Zen Buddhism