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Japan

Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Japanese people lived on coastal plains because most of Japan
a.
has mountainous slopes that are difficult to live on and farm.
b.
is desert.
c.
has volcanoes.
d.
has rivers and lakes that often cause floods.
 

 2. 
Why was Japan isolated from Korea and China in ancient times?
a.
Trade between these nations was forbidden.
b.
Japan is separated by the Great Wall.
c.
Japan is thousands of miles away from Korea and China.
d.
Japan’s island location separated it from other people in Asia.
 

 3. 
Because of the geography of their country, the diet of Japanese people consists mainly of
a.
beef.
c.
seafood.
b.
wheat.
d.
fruit.
 

 4. 
Which of the following statements is true about the Ainu?
a.
The Ainu people are the ancestors of modern Japanese.
b.
The Ainu people looked the same as other people of Japan.
c.
The Ainu people practiced a traditional religion called Shinto.
d.
The Ainu people spoke a unique language that was eventually lost.
 

 5. 
The traditional religion of Japan is
a.
Buddhism.
c.
Hinduism.
b.
Shinto.
d.
Taoism.
 

 6. 
What did the Yamato rulers govern before they called themselves emperors of Japan?
a.
a clan
c.
all of Japan
b.
a monastery
d.
a port city
 

 7. 
Contact with China and Korea influenced Japan by
a.
leading to different farming and trade practices in Japan.
b.
sharing written language, philosophy, and a new religion.
c.
changing traditional art forms and musical performances in Japan.
d.
spreading Chinese and Korean weapons and fighting styles.
 

 8. 
The efforts of Prince Shotoku led to the spread of
a.
Noh.
c.
Buddhism.
b.
Shinto.
d.
feudalism.
 

 9. 
Why did Japanese nobles in the city of Heian call themselves “dwellers among the clouds”?
a.
They chose to live in very tall buildings.
b.
Their court was located in a foggy valley.
c.
They thought of themselves as gods and goddesses.
d.
Their lives were easy and removed from the rest of Japan.
 

 10. 
Who wrote many of the great works of early Japanese literature?
a.
emperors
c.
noble women
b.
peasant boys
d.
Buddhist monks
 

 11. 
Which of the following best describes Heian paintings?
a.
scenes from nature or court life, bright and bold colors
b.
scenes from battles, bright and bold colors
c.
scenes from religious stories, bright and bold colors
d.
scenes from nature, scenes from court life, soft colors
 

 12. 
How did Noh differ from earlier forms of Japanese drama?
a.
It was more humorous.
c.
It was more serious.
b.
It included acrobatics.
d.
It did not include music.
 

 13. 
How was the Buddhism of the Japanese nobles different from the Buddhism of the common people?
a.
The common people attended regular religious services.
b.
The nobles focused more on good behavior than on faith.
c.
Common people focused more on lengthy meditation sessions.
d.
Elaborate rituals were practiced by nobles but not by common people.
 

 14. 
Zen Buddhists did not believe
a.
that faith leads to wisdom.
b.
in self-discipline.
c.
that wisdom can be found in quiet thinking.
d.
in regular meditation.
 

 15. 
“They danced very briefly and withdrew under the autumn trees, and the guests regretted the approach of sunset. The formal concert, brief and unassuming, was followed by impromptu music in the halls above, instruments having been brought from the palace collections. As it grew livelier a koto was brought for each of the emperors and a third for Genji.”
According to this excerpt from The Tale of Genji, Japanese nobles
a.
practiced their religion with dancing.
c.
practiced many religious rituals.
b.
enjoyed music.
d.
focused on their education.
 

 16. 
Why was The Tale of Genji so influential?
a.
It was an accurate depiction of the lives of nobles. It also influenced religious leaders.
b.
It was an accurate depiction of the lives of nobles. It also influenced painters of the period.
c.
It was considered the first great religious guide. It described important rituals.
d.
It was the only piece of literature written by a Japanese woman. It also influenced poets.
 

 17. 
“The lieutenants of the inner guards advanced from the east and knelt to the left and right of the stairs before the royal seats, one presenting the take from the pond and the other a brace of fowl taken by the royal falcons in the northern hills. Tò no Chùjò received the royal command to prepare and serve these delicacies.”
~From The Tale of Genji
What conclusion can you draw about Japanese court life based on the excerpt above?
a.
It was luxurious.
c.
It was stressful.
b.
It was full of obligations.
d.
It was similar to peasant life.
 

 18. 
The main duty of a samurai warrior was to
a.
defend peasants from bandits or thieves.
b.
conquer distant lands for the Japanese emperor.
c.
defend his daimyo and his daimyo’s property.
d.
manage large tracts of land for the nobles in Heian.
 

 19. 
Which list is in the order of most power to least power?
a.
samurai, shogun, daimyo, peasant
c.
shogun, samurai, daimyo, peasant
b.
samurai, shogun, peasant, daimyo
d.
shogun, daimyo, samurai, peasant
 

 20. 
What did samurai warriors receive in return for their military services?
a.
money
c.
land
b.
noble titles
d.
servants
 

 21. 
What was the main reason the emperor lost control of Japan to the Minamoto shogun?
a.
The shogun defeated the emperor in battle.
b.
The emperor was too busy with courtly life in Heian.
c.
The emperors did not have an army equipped with gunpowder.
d.
The peasants of Japan were unhappy with the emperor and refused to recognize him.
 

 22. 
The emperor of Japan became a figurehead in the late 1100s, which means he
a.
appeared to rule while someone else actually held power.
b.
was appointed leader of the powerful shogun generals.
c.
was the leader of the official religion of Japan.
d.
lost all power and was sent out of the country.
 

 23. 
Which of the following is a true statement about life as a samurai?
a.
Samurai could trade.
c.
Samurai could attend the theater.
b.
Samurai could get married.
d.
Samurai could take part in commerce.
 

 24. 
What would happen if a robber attacked the home of a samurai family while the men were at war?
a.
The thief would successfully steal goods.
b.
The home would be defended by young boys.
c.
The home would be protected by female samurai.
d.
The thief would be stopped by the local shogun leader.
 

 25. 
Bushido, “the way of the warrior,” represents
a.
the rules of daily behavior followed by samurai.
b.
the particular fighting style of the samurai.
c.
the code of loyalty sworn to a daimyo.
d.
the religious rituals performed by samurai.
 

 26. 
Samurai warriors fought with
a.
knives.
c.
two swords.
b.
their hands.
d.
firearms.
 

 27. 
Samurai warriors improved their discipline with flower arranging, tea ceremonies, and
a.
musical instruments.
c.
fishing expeditions.
b.
Zen Buddhist meditation.
d.
intricate dances.
 

 28. 
If one were to say in a word what the condition
of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously
devoting one’s body and soul to his master.
~From The Book of the Samurai
What can you conclude about the life of a samurai from this extract?
a.
Family life was the priority of a samurai.
b.
Samurai were not free to do as they pleased.
c.
Samurai warriors were loyal only to themselves.
d.
Samurai warriors had the most power of anyone in society.
 

 29. 
Losing a fight, disobeying an order, or failing to protect his lord were all ways in which a samurai could
a.
be expelled from his position.
c.
lose his honor.
b.
earn imprisonment.
d.
lose land.
 

 30. 
Which of the following is not a way the samurai tradition survives in Japan?
a.
showing disloyalty to family
b.
showing loyalty to companies and sports teams
c.
practicing self-discipline and sacrifice
d.
working hard
 

 31. 
Japanese nobles put aside their differences and united in 1274 to
a.
fight a common enemy, the invading Mongols.
b.
rebuild after a hurricane.
c.
overthrow a corrupt emperor in Heian.
d.
fight the outbreak of disease.
 

 32. 
What did the two Mongol attacks on Japan have in common?
a.
The Japanese had superior weapons in both attacks.
b.
The Japanese were helped by Korean allies in both attacks.
c.
The Japanese were aided by the weather in both attacks.
d.
The Japanese had bigger armies in both attacks.
 

 33. 
During the 1400s, Japan was
a.
ruled by one powerful emperor.
b.
split into two factions, ruled by two shoguns.
c.
run by one shogun with an emperor figurehead.
d.
divided, with many daimyo controlling different territories.
 

 34. 
Who unified Japan in the 1500s?
a.
Kublai Khan
c.
Prince Shotoku
b.
Oda Nobunaga
d.
Lady Murasaki Shikubu
 

 35. 
The samurai period in Japan lasted until the 1800s for all of the following reasons except
a.
Japanese believed samurai were chosen by gods.
b.
Japan was isolated from the rest of the world.
c.
Japan’s rulers limited technology.
d.
Japan’s rulers banned guns.
 

 36. 
Which of the following events happened after the royal court became a center for art and culture?
a.
Villages were ruled by clans.
b.
Prince Shotoku ruled Japan and spread Chinese ideas.
c.
Shoguns took control of Japan, creating a military society.
d.
The Shinto religion began.
 

 37. 
Which of the following is a characteristic of Pure Land Buddhism?
a.
an elaborate tea ceremony
c.
raked gravel gardens
b.
daily communal rituals
d.
chanting Buddha’s name
 

 38. 
According to Confucius, which family sequence is in order from most power to least?
a.
Father®Mother®Older brother®Younger brother
b.
Mother®Father®Older brother®Younger brother
c.
Father®Older brother®Younger brother®Mother
d.
Mother®Father®Younger brother®Older brother
 

 39. 
Why did nobles move to Heian during the 800s?
a.
It was a center of trade and commerce.
b.
They wanted to be close to the emperor to win his favor.
c.
It was a walled city, safe from invaders and angry peasants.
d.
It was a popular port from which to travel abroad.
 

 40. 
The raked rock garden helped Zen Buddhists to
a.
pray.
c.
meditate.
b.
make sacrifices.
d.
predict the future.
 



 
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