1.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku

ANS: The four main islands of Japan, from the top: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu.
REF: p. 302

2. Pacific Current

REF: p. 302

3. Asian and Pacific tectonic plates

ANS: Japan is located in-between these two plates and is the cause of the numerous earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions.
REF: p. 302

4. Izanagi and Izanami

ANS: The two creators of Japan (Izanagi God, Izanami Goddess)
REF: p. 303

5. Amaterasu

ANS: The sun goddess. The child of Izanagi and Izanami. Amaterasus descendant founder of
Japan.
REF: p. 303

6. Nihon Shoki

ANS: The Chronicles of Japan. Jimmus journey eastward with his people to establish a kingdom
in the Yamato plain.
REF: p. 304

7. Jomon and Yayoi cultures

ANS: Jomon peoples were the first inhabitants of Japan. Yayoi culture was a mix of the Jomon
people and new arrivals. (tribal society, highly decentralized)
REF: p. 303-304

8. Jimmu

ANS: emperor who led his people eastward from the island of Kyushu to establish a kingdom in
the Yamato plain.
REF: p. 304

9. Yamato plain and Yamato clan

ANS: Plain where the Yayoi lived. Though the Yayoi society was highly decentralized, the
dominant clan in the Yamato region claimed divinity and put together a government.
REF: p. 304

10. uji

ANS: clan ruled by a hereditary chieftain who provided protection to the local population in
return for a proportion of the annual harvest.
REF: p. 304




11. Ainu

ANS: driven out by Yayoi and descendants still live in the northern islands (Hokkaido).
REF: p. 304

12. Shotoku Taishi

ANS: leading aristocrat in one of the dominant clans in the Yamato region. Sent missions to the
Tang capital to learn about the political institutions already in use.
REF: p. 305

13. Taika reforms

ANS: means great change. Grand Council of State was established, presiding over a cabinet of
eight ministries.
REF: p. 305

14. Fujiwara clan

ANS: married into ruling family and gained tremendous power. Continued the reforms of
Shotoku.
REF: p. 305

15. Nara

ANS: Capital was established in Nara during the Nara period. Eastern edge of Yamato plain.
Centralized government developed.
REF: p. 305

16. Heian

ANS: Capital moved to Kyoto. Emperors began to lessen influence of Tang.
REF: p. 307

17. "land of Wa"

ANS: wa = dwarf in Chinese Japanese = dwarfs.
REF: p. 311

18. samurai

ANS: warriors of Japan. Loyal to their lord. Employed by aristocracy.
REF: p. 307

19. Bushido

ANS: the way of the warrior strict warrior code followed by samurai
REF: p. 308

20. shoen

ANS: tax-exempt farmland. Peasants would often surrender their lands to a local aristocrat who
would then allow the peasants to cultivate the lands in return for the payment of rent.
REF: p. 307

21. Minamoto Yoritomo

ANS: powerful noble from a warrior clan who defeated many rivals and set up his power base in
the Kamakura peninsula.
REF: p. 308



22. Kamakura shogunate

ANS: Shogun held real power while emperor was just a decoration. Were able to stop Mongol
invasion.
REF: p. 308

23. bakufu

ANS: tent government, centralized government of Japan.
REF: p. 308

24. shogun

ANS: powerful military leader increase in power of central government.
REF: p. 308

25. kamikaze/"divine wind"

ANS: massive typhoon that stopped Mongol invasion. divine wind
REF: p. 308

26. Mongol invasions

ANS: tried two times failed both times. Destroyed by kamikaze.
REF: p. 308

27. daimyo

ANS: head of great noble families. Controlled vast landed estates that owed no taxes to the
government.
REF: p. 308



28. Kyoto

ANS: Capital during Heian period.
REF: p. 308

29. Ashikaga era

ANS: tried to maintain centralized government and power of shogunate but failed.
REF: p. 308

30. Onin War

ANS: civil war destruction of the capital city of Kyoto disappearance of central government
and shogunate.
REF: p. 308

31. genin and eta

ANS: () bottom of the social scale. Landless laborers, outcasts.
REF: p. 310

32. kami

ANS: God(s), divine nature spirits in Shinto.
REF: p. 312

33. Shinto

ANS: Japanese state religion, emphasizes beauty of nature and life of simplicity.
REF: p. 312

34. Pure Land sect/Jodo

ANS: devotion alone could lead to enlightenment and release, popular among peasants
REF: p. 313

35. Zen/Chan

ANS: emphasis on austerity, self-discipline, and communion with nature, appealed to upper class
REF: p. 313

36. satori and zazen

ANS: satori = enlightenment, zazen = seated zen meditation to clear all thoughts and focus on
essential.
REF: p. 313

37. haiku

ANS: poem of seventeen syllables divided into lines of five, seven and five syllables.
REF: p. 315

38. No

ANS: Japanese drama, included dancing, juggling. Stories based on Japanese history or legends.
REF: p. 315


39. Murasaki Shikibu"s The Tale of Genji

ANS: novel which portrayed the court life in tenth century Japan.
REF: p. 314

40. bonsai

ANS: pot scenery
REF: p. 316

41. "linked verse"

ANS: many individuals wrote haikus and put them together to create hundreds and thousands of
verses.
REF: p. 315

42. "guardian kings"

ANS: intimidating wooden statues.
REF: p. 315

43. the tea ceremony

ANS: practiced in a simple room devoid of external ornament except for tatami floor, sliding
doors, and an alcove with a writing desk and asymmetrical shelves, so participant can focus on
just pouring tea.
REF: p. 316

44. Koguryo, Paekche and Silla

ANS: three kingdoms of Korea. Were bitter rivals, and Silla eventually took the top place in
terms of power.
REF: p. 318

45. Koryo dynasty

ANS: dynasty that adopted Chinese politics and sowed the seeds of its own demise due to the
inability to restrain the nobility.
REF: p. 319


46. chonmin

ANS: base people composed of slaves, artisans, and other specialized workers.
REF: p. 319

47. Yi Song-gye

ANS: founder of the Yi dynasty
REF: p. 320

48. the Trung Sisters

ANS: Two Vietnamese widows who briefly brought Han rule in Vietnam to an end by leading a
successful rebellion.
REF: p. 321

49. Annam and Champa

ANS: Annam: red river delta, referred to pacified south by Chinese. Champa: traditional
society based on Indian cultural traditions, conquered by Vietnam.
REF: p. 321

50. Dai Viet

ANS: Great Viet, Vietnamese state, kingdom which lasted in Vietnam and borrowed Chinese
ideals. Had great sense of nationalism.
REF: p. 321