History Proficiency Test (Rekiken) key terms

Prehistoric era in Japan, roughly 14,000 BCE to 300 BCE, named for cord-marked pottery. Its people were hunter-gatherers whose settlements and pit dwellings show early sedentary life.

Era from about 300 BCE to 250 CE marked by wet-rice agriculture, bronze and iron use, and social stratification. Continental migrants and technology reshaped the archipelago during this time.

Era from roughly 250 to 538 CE characterized by large keyhole-shaped burial mounds for powerful chiefs. It saw the consolidation of Yamato political authority and close ties with the Korean peninsula.

Early Japanese polity centered in the Kinai region that grew from the Kofun period onward. Its rulers claimed descent from the sun goddess and built the framework of the later imperial line.

Sixth-to-seventh-century regent credited with promoting Buddhism and drafting the Seventeen-Article Constitution. He sent embassies to Sui China and is associated with early centralized governance.

Set of reforms issued in 645 that aimed to place land and people under imperial control, weakening clan autonomy. They modeled institutions on Tang China and prepared the way for the ritsuryō order.

Legal and administrative order of the Nara and early Heian state based on penal and administrative codes copied from Tang China. It organized land allotment, taxation, and a ranked bureaucracy under the emperor.

Ninth-century imperial storehouse at Tōdai-ji in Nara preserving eighth-century documents, furnishings, and imported goods. Its inventory is a key source for Nara court life and Silk Road trade.

Buddhist temple in Nara completed in the eighth century around a monumental bronze Buddha. It symbolized state patronage of Buddhism and central authority during the Nara period.

Era from 794 to 1185 when the capital stood at Heian-kyō (Kyoto). Court aristocrats dominated politics and culture while the Fujiwara family and later retired emperors exercised influence.

Practice by which Fujiwara clan leaders served as regents for child or adult emperors, chiefly through marriage ties. It peaked in the tenth and eleventh centuries and shaped Heian court politics.

System of cloistered rule in which a retired emperor governed from behind the scenes while a figurehead occupied the throne. It became prominent from the late eleventh century and weakened regental power.

Private landed estates whose holders accumulated tax exemptions and administrative rights over time. Their growth eroded the ritsuryō order and underpinned the rise of warrior power.

Long narrative by Murasaki Shikibu written around the early eleventh century, depicting courtly love and politics. It is a central work of Heian literature and a source for aristocratic culture.

Imperial anthology of Japanese poetry compiled in the early tenth century under court sponsorship. Its prefaces are early statements of Japanese poetics and a landmark of kana literary culture.

Military government established by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late twelfth century, based in Kamakura. It appointed constables and stewards and shared authority with the imperial court in Kyoto.

Provincial military governor appointed by the Kamakura and later Muromachi shogunates. Over time these officials gained wide local powers, especially during the Muromachi period.

Estate steward appointed by the Kamakura shogunate to manage land and collect dues for warriors. The office extended shogunal control into private estates across the country.

1221 conflict in which the retired emperor Go-Toba tried to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and failed. The defeat strengthened warrior government and led to wider shogunal oversight of the court.

Two attempted invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 repelled with heavy losses on both sides. The costly defense strained Kamakura finances and contributed to the regime's decline.

Short-lived attempt by Emperor Go-Daigo in the 1330s to restore direct imperial rule. Its failure split the court and helped bring about the Muromachi shogunate.

Muromachi-based warrior government founded by Ashikaga Takauji in the 1330s and lasting until 1573. It relied on shugo lords and never achieved the cohesion of the Kamakura regime.

Civil war from 1467 to 1477 in and around Kyoto that destroyed much of the capital. It opened the Sengoku era of endemic regional warfare and weakened shogunal authority.

Age of widespread warfare from the late fifteenth to late sixteenth century, when regional daimyo fought for territory. It ended with reunification under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Sixteenth-century daimyo who began national reunification through military innovation and ruthless campaigns. He ended the Muromachi shogunate and was killed in 1582 before completing unification.

Sixteenth-century leader who completed reunification after Nobunaga's death. He conducted cadastral surveys, disarmed commoners, and launched invasions of Korea.

Founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which he established after victory at Sekigahara in 1600. His dynasty ruled Japan from Edo until 1868.

Military government based in Edo from 1603 to 1868 that controlled daimyo through land grants, inspections, and hostage rules. It maintained a largely closed foreign policy for over two centuries.

Policy requiring daimyo to alternate residence between their domains and Edo and to leave family members in Edo. It drained domain resources and strengthened shogunal control.

Restrictive foreign-relations policy from the seventeenth century limiting trade and contact to controlled channels such as Nagasaki. It regulated rather than fully closed Japan's ties abroad.

Political order in which the shogunate (baku) supervised some 250 domains (han) through status rules and obligations. It structured Tokugawa governance and dissolved with the Meiji Restoration.

Political upheaval of 1868 that ended the Tokugawa shogunate and nominally returned power to the emperor. It launched rapid institutional, military, and industrial modernization.

Promulgated in 1889, it created a bicameral parliament and cabinet while vesting sovereignty in the emperor. It remained in force until replaced after World War II.

Period of party cabinets and expanded political participation in the 1910s and 1920s. Universal male suffrage arrived in 1925, though the same year brought a harsh peace-preservation law.

Growing dominance of military institutions and goals in Japanese politics from the 1930s. It led to expansion in China, alliance with the Axis, and war with the United States.

Conflict from 1941 to 1945 between Japan and the Allied powers, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor. It ended with Japan's surrender after the atomic bombings and Soviet entry.

Constitution enacted in 1947 that established popular sovereignty, a symbolic emperor, and extensive civil rights. Article 9 renounces war and is a continuing subject of debate.

1951 treaty that formally ended the war between Japan and most Allied powers and restored sovereignty in 1952. It left unresolved territorial disputes with the Soviet Union and others.

Agreement allowing US forces to be stationed in Japan in exchange for security guarantees. Signed in 1951 and revised in 1960, it anchors the bilateral alliance.

Period of rapid economic expansion from the 1950s to the early 1970s that made Japan a major industrial economy. It transformed cities, employment, and consumer life.

Late-1980s surge in stock and real estate prices fueled by loose credit and speculation. Its collapse around 1991 led to prolonged stagnation and banking problems.

Extended period of weak growth and deflation after the bubble burst, often dated from the early 1990s. It brought banking crises, rising precarious employment, and policy debate over reform.

Eighth-century chronicle of myths, genealogy, and legendary history compiled for the court. It is a primary source for early Yamato ideology and the imperial line's claimed origins.

Official court history completed in 720, covering mythic origins through the eighth century in Chinese-style annals. It is a foundational source for early Japanese history.

Vibrant late-sixteenth-century arts and architecture, including castle construction, gold-leaf screens, and tea ceremony. It reflected the wealth and ambition of the unifiers.

Port city that served as the main official gateway for Dutch and Chinese trade and for study of Western learning during the Tokugawa period. It also hosted a Dutch trading factory on Dejima.

The study of how history is written, including the sources, methods, and assumptions historians use. It asks how interpretations change with evidence and perspective.

Evidence produced at or near the time under study, such as documents, diaries, inscriptions, or artifacts. Historians assess its provenance and bias before relying on it.

Later account that interprets and synthesizes primary evidence, such as a scholarly book or article. It is judged by its use of sources and argument.

The practice of dividing the past into named eras for analysis and teaching. Such divisions are conventions that can obscure continuity and vary between historians.