Name:
HST263: Midterm Test
Please answer the questions to Parts I, III and IV directly on the test paper; Part II should be
answered in the provided booklet.
Part I: Multiple Choice (10x2=20 points)
Check the box that best answers the following questions:
1. ___________ is the form of Buddhism that emphasizes salvation through “faith.”
Pure Land
Zen
Nichiren
all of the above
2. On the whole, the Ashikaga period was a time of ___________.
sociopolitical turmoil
peace and stability
cultural inactivity
all of the above
3. Susa-no o is the name of ___________.
Amaterasu’s brother
the deity who discovered the Herb-quelling Great Sword inside the body of a serpent
a storm god associated with Izumo
all of the above
4. The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is ___________.
the name of a giant pagoda
an enormous statue at Todaiji (a temple in Nara)
the name of a popular Buddhist sutra
all of the above
5. The earliest written records regarding Japan appeared in ___________.
the Mencius
the Kojiki and the Nihongi
Chinese dynastic histories
Prince Shotoku’s constitution
6. The Mongol navy ___________.
defeated the Japanese with the assistance of a “divine wind” (kami-kaze)
succeeded in forcing the Japanese to submit to Khubilai Khan
played an important role in bringing down the Kamakura military government
all of the above
7. Pimiko is the name of ___________.
the Sun Goddess
the imperial clan of Japan
an early Japanese King
an early Japanese Queen
8. According to Jien’s Gukansho, the Sun Goddess made a divine agreement with the ancestral
god of the ___________ clan to the effect that this clan would serve as regents for the imperial
family in perpetuity.
Minamoto
Fujiwara
Taira
Hojo
9. Buddhism ___________.
was officially introduced to Japan by King Song of Paekche
was adopted as the state religion of Japan shortly after its introduction
claimed to possess the power to protect the country of a devoted Buddhist ruler
all of the above
10. During the golden era of the Heian court, poetry became ___________.
an essential means of expressing one’s refinement
an essential means of communication between unmarried men and women
a favorite pastime of the aristocracy
all of the above
Part II: Significance (10x5=50 points)
Identify and state the significance of 10 of the following 15 terms:
1. Koan
2. Cloistered Emperor
3. Shoen
4. Confucius
5. Ashikaga Takauji
6. Izanagi/Izanami
7. Four Noble Truths
8. Taika Reforms
9. Shogun
10. Nara
11. Fujiwara
12. Samurai
13. Kami
14. Empress Shotoku
15. Seppuku
Amaterasu
Prince Shotoku
Tale of Genji
Mono no aware
Part III: Matching (7x2.5=15 points with 2.5 bonus for perfect answer)
Match the numbers for the following historical figures with the letters that identify the tradition
or accomplishment with which they are associated:
Historical Figures
1. Go-Toba
2. Prince Shotoku
3. Amaterasu
4. Minamoto Yoritomo
5. Bodhidharma
6. Jimmu
7. Murasaki Shikibu
Traditions/Accomplishments
A. Zen
B. Kamakura Bakufu
C. Tale of Genji
D. 17 Article Constitution
E. Sun Goddess
F. 1st Emperor of Japan
G. Kemmu Restoration
Part IV: Era Names (5 points)
Place the following historical eras in the correct temporal sequence:
Nara – Ashikaga – Heian – Kamakura – Yamato
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________
[GRADING: 0 wrong=5; 2 wrong=4; 3 wrong=2.5; 4 wrong=1; 5 wrong=0]
Essay Questions (2/3: 15x2=30)
1. Buddhism
2. Emperors/retired emperors/shoguns
3. Shinto and mythology
4. impact of Chinese civilization