History Proficiency Test (Rekiken) study plan

Build a one-page timeline of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods (1573–1868) that places the unification by Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu in sequence, and annotate each entry with one political consequence.

Explain in writing the main features of Edo-period governance: the bakuhan system, sankin kotai, the status order (shi-no-ko-sho), and the separation of warrior and peasant, citing at least three specific institutional mechanisms.

List and correctly date the major Edo-period reforms (Kyoho, Kansei, Tempo) and state for each the chief problem it tried to solve and its outcome.

Identify the causes and consequences of the major Edo-period famines and peasant uprisings, and connect them to the weakening of the Tokugawa order.

Draw a map from memory showing the major domains, the main kaido roads, and the location of Nagasaki, Satsuma, and Choshu, and label why each mattered strategically.

Trace the cultural and economic changes of the Genroku, Kasei, and late Edo periods, naming representative figures and works in literature, theater, and scholarship, and state what each reflects about contemporary society.

Explain the intellectual currents of Kokugaku, Rangaku, and Mito-gaku, and describe how each contributed to late Edo political thought.

Analyze the opening of Japan: the arrival of Perry's squadron, the Convention of Kanagawa, the unequal commercial treaties and their terms, and the domestic reaction including sonno joi and the Ansei purges.

Describe the chain of events from the Sakuradamon incident through the Choshu expeditions to the Boshin War, and explain why the Tokugawa order collapsed.

Compare the Meiji Restoration's precursors in the late Edo period with the reforms that followed, listing which demands were met and which were not.

Sequence the principal Meiji reforms: the Charter Oath, the abolition of the domains and establishment of prefectures, the land tax reform, conscription, and the establishment of the constitution, with dates and stated purposes.

Explain the drafting process and content of the Meiji Constitution, including the role of Ito Hirobumi, the Prussian model, and the powers of the emperor, cabinet, and Diet.

Describe the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, its leaders, its demands, and how the government responded through repression and co-optation.

Outline the major wars of the Meiji period (Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese) and state for each the causes, key settlements, and consequences for Japan's international standing.

Explain the social and economic transformation of Meiji Japan, including zaibatsu formation, the growth of the textile industry, and changes in education and family law.

Construct a timeline of the Kamakura period from the Genpei War through the Jokyu disturbance to the Mongol invasions, and explain the political significance of each turning point.

Explain the structure of Kamakura governance: the shogun, the regents from the Hojo clan, the shugo and jito, and the role of the gokenin, and identify the tensions that weakened the system.

Describe the Muromachi period: the Ashikaga shogunate, the Northern and Southern Courts, the Onin War, and the rise of the sengoku daimyo, explaining the causal links between them.

Identify the main developments in medieval religion and culture, including the spread of Pure Land and Zen Buddhism, the rise of Noh, and the cultural contrast between Kitayama and Higashiyama culture.

Explain the economic changes of the medieval period, including the growth of commerce, guilds, and port trade, and connect them to social change.

Sequence the prehistoric periods (Paleolithic, Jomon, Yayoi, Kofun) with approximate dates, and state the key evidence for the transition to agriculture and social stratification.

Explain the formation of the early state: the Yamato court, the Kofun tumuli, the introduction of Buddhism, and the role of immigrants and the Korean kingdoms in transmitting culture.

Describe the Taika Reform, the Ritsuryo system, and the establishment of the capital at Nara, and explain what each changed in governance and landholding.

Outline the content and significance of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and explain how these texts functioned as political documents.

Identify the main features of Nara-period culture, including the influence of Tang China and the role of the great temples.

Trace the shift of power from the Fujiwara regency to cloistered rule to the warrior houses, and explain the political mechanisms behind each shift.

Describe Heian court culture: kana script, courtly literature, and the significance of works such as Genji Monogatari and Makura no Soshi, and explain what they reveal about the society that produced them.

Explain the political development of Taisho democracy: party cabinets, universal male suffrage, and the movement for constitutional government, and identify its limits.

Describe the economic and social changes of the interwar period, including urbanization, the growth of mass media, and the labor and women's movements.

Trace the road from the Manchurian Incident through the Second Sino-Japanese War to the Pacific War, explaining how each step expanded the conflict and narrowed political options.

Outline the occupation period: the major reforms (constitution, land reform, education, the breakup of the zaibatsu), the reverse course, and the San Francisco peace and security treaties, with dates.

Explain Japan's postwar political history from the 1955 system through the economic miracle to the bubble and the lost decade, naming key prime ministers and turning points.

Describe the major postwar social changes, including demographic shifts, the role of women, education expansion, and environmental issues, and connect them to policy choices.

Explain the major events in modern East Asian and world history that shaped Japan, including the Opium War, the Meiji-era treaty system, World War I, the Washington Naval Conference, and the Cold War, and state the effect of each on Japan.

Place Japan's modern history within a global comparative frame by contrasting its industrialization and constitutional development with one other country's.

Classify the major categories of historical sources used in Japanese history (chronicles, diaries, documents, archaeology, inscriptions) and state the strengths and limits of each.

Explain the basic principles of source criticism: provenance, dating, bias, and corroboration, and apply them to one specific text.

Describe how historiography on one topic you studied has changed over time, naming at least two competing interpretations and the evidence each relies on.

Review your weakest domain using your own error log, and redo at least 30 missed or flagged items until you reach 90 percent accuracy.

Take one full-length timed practice test under exam conditions and analyze the results by domain.