Hiroshima Entrance Social Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Pacific Belt

Japan's densely populated and industrialized coastal zone stretching from Kanto through Tokai, Kinki, and Setouchi to northern Kyushu. It concentrates population, ports, and heavy industry.

Japan Sea side climate

Winter climate of western Honshu and Hokkaido facing the Sea of Japan, with heavy snowfall from the northwest monsoon. Summers are relatively cooler and drier than the Pacific side.

Food self-sufficiency ratio

Share of national food consumption covered by domestic production, measured on a calorie basis. Japan's ratio is about 38%, one of the lowest among developed countries.

Contour interval

The constant elevation difference between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map. Knowing it lets you calculate slope steepness and relative height.

Population pyramid

A graph plotting age groups against population by sex. A narrow base with a wide top indicates low birth rates and an aging population, as in Japan.

Yayoi period

Period from roughly 300 BCE to 250 CE marked by the spread of wet-rice farming, bronze and iron tools, and social stratification. It followed the Jomon period.

Taika Reform

Reform edict of 645 that abolished private landholding and established the ritsuryo system of centralized government under the emperor. It followed Prince Shotoku's earlier reforms.

Heian period

Era from 794 to 1185 when the capital was Heian-kyo. Fujiwara regents dominated the court, and aristocratic culture produced works such as the Tale of Genji.

Kamakura shogunate

Military government established by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1185, later headquartered at Kamakura. It placed warrior rule above the imperial court and repelled Mongol invasions.

Sankin kotai

Tokugawa policy requiring daimyo to alternate residence between their domains and Edo. It drained domain finances and strengthened shogunal control over regional lords.

Sakoku policy

Tokugawa policy of restricting foreign contact from 1639. Trade was limited to Nagasaki with the Dutch and Chinese, and Christianity was banned.

Onin War

Civil war from 1467 to 1477 over shogunal succession that devastated Kyoto. It marked the start of the Sengoku period of regional warfare.

Meiji Restoration

Political change of 1868 that ended Tokugawa rule and restored imperial authority. It launched rapid modernization through industrialization, conscription, and legal reform.

Charter Oath

Five-point imperial pledge of 1868 promising deliberative assemblies, national unity, and openness to foreign knowledge. It framed the Meiji modernization program.

Treaty of Shimonoseki

1895 treaty ending the Sino-Japanese War. China recognized Korean independence, ceded Taiwan and the Liaodong Peninsula, and paid a large indemnity.

Treaty of Portsmouth

1905 treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. Japan gained influence in Korea and southern Manchuria but no indemnity.

GHQ occupation reforms

Allied reforms from 1945 to 1952 that included a new constitution, land reform, zaibatsu dissolution, and women's suffrage. They reshaped postwar Japanese politics and economy.

Plaza Accord

1985 agreement among major economies to depreciate the US dollar against the yen. The sharp yen appreciation contributed to the late-1980s bubble economy.

Article 9

Constitutional clause renouncing war and the maintenance of armed forces with war potential. Its interpretation has been debated in the context of the Self-Defense Forces.

Popular sovereignty

Constitutional principle that political authority derives from the people rather than the emperor. It is one of the three founding principles of the 1947 Constitution.

Parliamentary cabinet system

System in which the Prime Minister is chosen by the Diet and the cabinet is collectively responsible to it. Japan adopted this system under its 1947 Constitution.

Judicial review

Power of courts, especially the Supreme Court, to determine whether laws and government acts conform to the Constitution. Japanese courts have exercised it sparingly.

Lay judge system

System introduced in 2009 in which randomly selected citizens serve with professional judges in serious criminal trials. It applies to certain murder and injury cases.

Consumption tax

Indirect tax levied on goods and services at the point of sale. Japan's standard rate is 10%, with a reduced 8% rate for food and some other items.

Local autonomy

Constitutional principle that local governments manage their own affairs. Governors and mayors are directly elected, and residents hold initiative and recall rights.

Representative fraction

Map scale written as a ratio such as 1:25,000, meaning one unit on the map equals 25,000 units on the ground. It allows distance conversion.

Primary source

Original material created at the time of an event, such as diaries, official records, or photographs. It offers direct evidence but may reflect the author's bias.

Secondary source

Interpretation or summary of primary sources written later, such as textbooks or encyclopedias. It synthesizes evidence but depends on others' selections.

Index number

A value expressed relative to a base year set at 100. It allows comparison of growth rates between regions or categories of different absolute size.

Scatter plot

A graph plotting paired values on two axes to reveal correlation. A rising pattern suggests positive correlation; a falling pattern suggests negative correlation.

Per-capita value

A total divided by population, used to compare regions of different sizes fairly. It can hide internal inequality and should be read with absolute figures.

Source criticism

Evaluating a historical document's authorship, date, purpose, and audience to judge reliability. It distinguishes factual claims from opinion and bias.