History Proficiency Test (Rekiken) flashcards
History Proficiency Test (Rekiken) · Build recall with a focused review session.
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- Jōmon period
- Prehistoric era in Japan (c. 14,000–300 BCE) characterized by cord-marked pottery, hunter-gatherer-fisher societies, and the emergence of sedentary communities.
- Yayoi period
- Period (c. 300 BCE–250 CE) marked by wet-rice agriculture, bronze and iron tools, and the development of social stratification and small chiefdoms.
- Kofun period
- Era (c. 250–538 CE) named for keyhole-shaped burial mounds (kofun) built for powerful clan leaders, reflecting the rise of the Yamato court.
- Taika Reform
- Series of reforms in 645 CE that aimed to centralize power under the emperor, modeled on Tang China, and led to the ritsuryō legal codes.
- Ritsuryō system
- Centralized legal and administrative system modeled on Tang China, featuring land allotment, taxation, and a bureaucratic government under the emperor.
- Fujiwara regency
- Dominance of the Fujiwara clan over the imperial court during the Heian period, achieved by marrying daughters to emperors and serving as regents (sesshō or kanpaku).
- Genji Monogatari
- Heian-period masterpiece by Murasaki Shikibu (c. 1010), often considered the world's first novel, depicting court life and aristocratic society.
- Insei
- Cloistered rule by retired emperors during the late Heian period, beginning with Emperor Shirakawa in 1086, which weakened Fujiwara influence.
- Genpei War
- Civil war (1180–1185) between the Minamoto and Taira clans, ending with the Minamoto victory at Dan-no-ura and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.
- Kamakura shogunate
- Military government established by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1185 (shogun in 1192), marking the start of warrior rule in Japan.
- Jōkyū War
- 1221 conflict in which the Kamakura shogunate defeated Emperor Go-Toba, confirming warrior dominance over the imperial court.
- Goseibai Shikimoku
- Legal code promulgated by the Kamakura shogunate in 1232, outlining rules for warriors and establishing a basis for medieval Japanese law.
- Ōnin War
- Civil war (1467–1477) in Kyoto that devastated the capital and initiated the Sengoku period of widespread conflict among daimyō.
- Sengoku period
- Era of Warring States (c. 1467–1603) marked by constant military conflict among regional lords (daimyō) and the eventual unification of Japan.
- Sankin kōtai
- Tokugawa policy requiring daimyō to alternate residence between their domains and Edo, a means of controlling them and fostering centralization.
- Sakoku
- Tokugawa policy of national isolation (17th–19th centuries) restricting foreign trade and contact, though limited exchanges continued with China and the Dutch.
- Boshin War
- Civil war (1868–1869) between the Tokugawa shogunate and pro-imperial forces, leading to the fall of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration.
- Meiji Constitution
- Promulgated in 1889, it established a constitutional monarchy with the emperor as sovereign and a bicameral parliament (Diet), remaining in effect until 1947.
- Sino-Japanese War
- War fought in 1894–1895 between Qing China and Meiji Japan over influence in Korea; Japan's victory led to the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
- Russo-Japanese War
- War of 1904–1905 in which Japan defeated Russia, a major shock to the Western order and a boost to anti-colonial movements in Asia.
- Taishō Democracy
- Period of democratic reforms and party politics during the Taishō era (1912–1926), including the rise of universal male suffrage in 1925.
- Manchurian Incident
- September 1931 explosion on the South Manchuria Railway, staged by Japanese military officers, used as a pretext to occupy Manchuria and establish Manchukuo.
- Article 9
- Clause in Japan's 1947 Constitution renouncing war and the maintenance of armed forces, though interpretation has allowed self-defense forces.
- San Francisco Peace Treaty
- 1951 treaty ending the Allied occupation of Japan, restoring Japanese sovereignty and establishing the postwar security framework.
- 1955 System
- Political arrangement from 1955 in which the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) dominated Japanese politics, often with a stable opposition.
- Bubble economy
- Period of rapid asset price inflation in Japan during the late 1980s, followed by a collapse in the early 1990s that led to prolonged economic stagnation.
- Fukushima disaster
- 2011 nuclear accident triggered by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, leading to reactor meltdowns and major energy policy shifts in Japan.
- Iwakura Mission
- Diplomatic journey (1871–1873) by Japanese officials to the United States and Europe to study Western institutions and renegotiate unequal treaties.
- Nanban trade
- Trade and cultural exchange between Japan and European powers (mainly Portugal and Spain) from the mid-16th to early 17th centuries, introducing firearms and Christianity.
- Plaza Accord
- 1985 agreement among major economies that appreciated the yen, aiming to correct trade imbalances and influencing Japan's economic policy.
- Source criticism
- Method of evaluating historical sources by assessing authenticity, authorship, purpose, and bias, and corroborating with independent evidence.
- Dai Nihon Shiryō
- Major compilation of Japanese historical documents, published by the University of Tokyo's Historiographical Institute, covering a wide range of primary sources.