Test your basic knowledge |

Japanese Culture

Subject : culture

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. hogan biiji
agriculture and wet-rice cultivation - bronze and iron tools - weaving - pottery
sympathy for the lieutenant
Hokkaido - Honshu - Shikoku - Kyushu
3rd Shogun

2. Zen Buddhism
1338-1573 following the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate
melancholy at the transience of things
Founded by Dogen following the study of Chan Buddhism in China - breaking down conventional modes of perception and reasoning - Heart Sutra
compulsory education - elimination of the class system - unification of written and spoken Japanese based on upper-middle class Tokyoites

3. mappo
melancholy at the transience of things
decline of Buddhist law leading to the end of the world
Civil war during the Ashikaga period caused by unrest due to loss of control of shoen estates with local constables seizing control
tax free estates that grew in number during the Heian period

4. Shinto is a form of
refined elegance
Philosophical discourses designed to train the mind escape conventional modes of thought
animism
amusing

5. foxes
reliance on Amida - salvation available for all - 'Essentials of Salvation'
control the weather - linked to water
Theater performed by male actors including simple musical accompaniment in the form of drums - flutes - and chanting
Animals that were associated with possessing humans/being demons

6. matsuri
government and worshipping
Theater performed by male actors including simple musical accompaniment in the form of drums - flutes - and chanting
Rokudo (the six paths) - infiltration by bodhisattvas Kanon and Jizo - transcendence
Pure Land and Zen

7. Onin War
1. Life is full of sorrow 2. the cause of this sorrow is desire 3. the only way to break this cycle is to free oneself from desire 4. the way to accomplish this is through the eightfold pasth
Non persons
Civil war during the Ashikaga period caused by unrest due to loss of control of shoen estates with local constables seizing control
Jomon - Yayoi

8. Yoshitsune
Created gardens as contemplative spaces
two attempts by Kublai Khan and the Mongols to invade Japan
belief in the spirit of words
valiant warrior and romantic hero

9. 2 Archaeological periods
Pure Land and Zen
court poet and most beloved poet of the anthology
Jomon - Yayoi
valiant warrior and romantic hero

10. Creation myth

11. Tale of the Heiki
tax free estates that grew in number during the Heian period
set epithets that heighten the resonance of certain images by linking them to previous poems and contexts
tells the story of the late Heian civil war between the Taira/Heiki clan and the Minamoto/Genji clan
safe journey - return - long imperial reign

12. What are the classifications of Gellner's model of culture in agrarian societies?
Literate Elites- rulers - powerful clans; intermediate- specialist producers; peasants
general and first shogun of Japan
1338-1573 following the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate
divine decrees- laws

13. Taiho Code
control the weather - linked to water
general and first shogun of Japan
8th shogun
modeled after Tang China that sought to limit the increasing power of influential families

14. Ahikaga period
1338-1573 following the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate
Civil war during the Ashikaga period caused by unrest due to loss of control of shoen estates with local constables seizing control
Philosophical discourses designed to train the mind escape conventional modes of thought
King of Paekche

15. Kinkakuji
Gold pavilion in Kyoto constructed by Yoshimitsu
Served as regent - advocate of Buddhism/founded Horyuji Temple - constitution of 17 articles - Hagiography
attendant stand-ins within Keyhole tombs
Warring States period

16. two new major sects of Buddhism during the Kamakura period
1338-1573 following the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate
Pure Land and Zen
Non persons
Izanami and Izanagi give birth to the Japanese islands and then Amaterasu is born from Izanagi's ablutions

17. Tengu
1st- destroyed by a typhoon - 2nd- defeated by Japanese forces and a typhoon
divine decrees- laws
possessors of magic items - supernatural duel-form monk figures who are fond of testing the mettle of Buddhist priests
Hokkaido - Honshu - Shikoku - Kyushu

18. kotodama
belief in the spirit of words
reliance on Amida - salvation available for all - 'Essentials of Salvation'
sympathy for the lieutenant
compiler of the Manyoshu

19. nori
Founded by Dogen following the study of Chan Buddhism in China - breaking down conventional modes of perception and reasoning - Heart Sutra
Created gardens as contemplative spaces
divine decrees- laws
Zen ink brush painting introduced to Japan through Southern Song

20. okashi
amusing
compulsory education - elimination of the class system - unification of written and spoken Japanese based on upper-middle class Tokyoites
no
Animals that were associated with possessing humans/being demons

21. Muso Soseki
symbol used to write a morpheme
Those dealing in death (executioners - butchers - leathermakers etc)
Garden maker who Takauji based his style off - used stone and rock to represent vast landscapes
control the weather - linked to water

22. Shoen
tax free estates that grew in number during the Heian period
animism
followed Chinese model asserting the ruler as supreme authority of the land - did not adopt the concept of mandate of heaven - stipulated Confucian ideals
Death - childbirth - blood

23. 3 things that cause pollution
belief in the spirit of words
followed Chinese model asserting the ruler as supreme authority of the land - did not adopt the concept of mandate of heaven - stipulated Confucian ideals
Death - childbirth - blood
set epithets that heighten the resonance of certain images by linking them to previous poems and contexts

24. hinin
Non persons
foreign words - mimetic words - and scientific words
valiant warrior and romantic hero
followed Chinese model asserting the ruler as supreme authority of the land - did not adopt the concept of mandate of heaven - stipulated Confucian ideals

25. No drama
Theater performed by male actors including simple musical accompaniment in the form of drums - flutes - and chanting
Okashi - Miyabi - mono no aware - e-maki - Yamato-e
animism
Served as regent - advocate of Buddhism/founded Horyuji Temple - constitution of 17 articles - Hagiography

26. Ugetsu setting
Warring States period
compulsory education - elimination of the class system - unification of written and spoken Japanese based on upper-middle class Tokyoites
animism
decline of Buddhist law leading to the end of the world

27. Sumie
attendant stand-ins within Keyhole tombs
8th shogun
melancholy at the transience of things
Zen ink brush painting introduced to Japan through Southern Song

28. mono no aware
sympathy for the lieutenant
melancholy at the transience of things
decay of materials - affirmation of life and death cycles - expression of authority of the state
two attempts by Kublai Khan and the Mongols to invade Japan

29. Logograph
Jomon - Yayoi
court poet and most beloved poet of the anthology
Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) in the inner shrine and Foodstuffs God (Toyouke) in the outer shrine
symbol used to write a morpheme

30. Who introduced Buddhism
court poet and most beloved poet of the anthology
compiler of the Manyoshu
Okuninushi- son of Susano-o the Sun Goddess' brother
King of Paekche

31. yumiya no narai
using Chinese characters to represent Japanese sounds/words
the way of the bow and arrow
amusing
Created gardens as contemplative spaces

32. Shobogenzo
Philosophical discourses designed to train the mind escape conventional modes of thought
King of Paekche
sense of the mysterious and sublime
no

33. Kakinomoto Hitormaro
court poet and most beloved poet of the anthology
Founded by Dogen following the study of Chan Buddhism in China - breaking down conventional modes of perception and reasoning - Heart Sutra
Rokudo (the six paths) - infiltration by bodhisattvas Kanon and Jizo - transcendence
Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) in the inner shrine and Foodstuffs God (Toyouke) in the outer shrine

34. 4 Main islands (north -> south)
Hokkaido - Honshu - Shikoku - Kyushu
Manyoshu
Jomon - Yayoi
3rd Shogun

35. manyogana
devoted retainer to Yoshitsune
valiant warrior and romantic hero
government and worshipping
using Chinese characters to represent Japanese sounds/words

36. Izumo shrine is dedicated to

37. eta
Those dealing in death (executioners - butchers - leathermakers etc)
melancholy at the transience of things
control the weather - linked to water
Death - childbirth - blood

38. dragons' abilities
Founded by Dogen following the study of Chan Buddhism in China - breaking down conventional modes of perception and reasoning - Heart Sutra
Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) in the inner shrine and Foodstuffs God (Toyouke) in the outer shrine
control the weather - linked to water
Literate Elites- rulers - powerful clans; intermediate- specialist producers; peasants

39. Ise Shrine is dedicated to
amusing
Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) in the inner shrine and Foodstuffs God (Toyouke) in the outer shrine
Izanami and Izanagi give birth to the Japanese islands and then Amaterasu is born from Izanagi's ablutions
Pure Land and Zen

40. Heian Period Aesthetics writing/art styles
Meiji Period (1868-1912)
the study of saints/holy peoples/figures
Okashi - Miyabi - mono no aware - e-maki - Yamato-e
modeled after Tang China that sought to limit the increasing power of influential families

41. Yoritomo
King of Paekche
using Chinese characters to represent Japanese sounds/words
Hokkaido - Honshu - Shikoku - Kyushu
general and first shogun of Japan

42. Yamanoue Okura
Haunts - Humor - Buddhism/Supernatural - healing and spirituality
Hokkaido - Honshu - Shikoku - Kyushu
Mizoguchi Kenji
poet of Korean ancestry and wrote social criticism of China

43. Who were the early adopters of Buddhism?
Created gardens as contemplative spaces
Soga Family
Haunts - Humor - Buddhism/Supernatural - healing and spirituality
Izanami and Izanagi give birth to the Japanese islands and then Amaterasu is born from Izanagi's ablutions

44. Concepts in the Nihon Ryoiki
Jomon - Yayoi
poet of Korean ancestry and wrote social criticism of China
Rokudo (the six paths) - infiltration by bodhisattvas Kanon and Jizo - transcendence
sense of the mysterious and sublime

45. Ahikaga Yoshimitsu
Civil war during the Ashikaga period caused by unrest due to loss of control of shoen estates with local constables seizing control
modeled after Tang China that sought to limit the increasing power of influential families
3rd Shogun
Philosophical discourses designed to train the mind escape conventional modes of thought

46. Elements of Japanese language standardization
refined elegance
court poet and most beloved poet of the anthology
compulsory education - elimination of the class system - unification of written and spoken Japanese based on upper-middle class Tokyoites
the study of saints/holy peoples/figures

47. miyabi
Fujiwara
refined elegance
Izanami and Izanagi give birth to the Japanese islands and then Amaterasu is born from Izanagi's ablutions
Kojiki and Nihon Shoki

48. Why is the Ise Shrine rebuilt every 20 years?
animism
essence of the spirit of the poems is that of makoto sincerity
decay of materials - affirmation of life and death cycles - expression of authority of the state
Zen ink brush painting introduced to Japan through Southern Song

49. Prince Shotoku accomplisments
Gold pavilion in Kyoto constructed by Yoshimitsu
animism
two attempts by Kublai Khan and the Mongols to invade Japan
Served as regent - advocate of Buddhism/founded Horyuji Temple - constitution of 17 articles - Hagiography

50. Otomo Yakamochi
compiler of the Manyoshu
Animals that were associated with possessing humans/being demons
reliance on Amida - salvation available for all - 'Essentials of Salvation'
refined elegance