Iwate Entrance Social Studies cheat sheet

Japan's 47 prefectures divide into 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku-Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa is counted with Kyushu for many statistics.

Japan's climate has two dominant axes: the Pacific side gets wet summers and dry winters, while the Sea of Japan side gets heavy winter snow from northwest monsoon winds crossing the warm Tsushima Current.

The 4 main climate zones: Hokkaido (subarctic, cool summers), temperate zones with clear seasons, Seto Inland Sea (low rainfall, many sunny days), and Nansei Islands (subtropical).

Major industrial belts: Keihin (Tokyo-Yokohama), Hanshin (Osaka-Kobe), Chukyo (Nagoya), Kitakyushu, and Setouchi; these grew around ports because raw materials are imported.

Japan's population is about 124 million, declining since 2008, with a declining birthrate and aging population; the working-age population (15-64) is shrinking faster than the total.

Population density is highest in the Kanto and Tokai regions; Hokkaido has the lowest density among major regions because of its large area.

Map reading: a 1:25,000 topographic map has contour intervals of 10 m; a 1:50,000 map has 20 m; contour lines spaced widely indicate a gentle slope.

Latitude and longitude: Tokyo is about 35°N, 139°E; the standard meridian for Japan Standard Time is 135°E, so local solar time differs slightly from clock time.

Trade patterns: Japan imports energy and raw materials (oil, LNG, iron ore) and exports machinery, automobiles, and electronic components; its main trading partners include China, the US, and South Korea.

Chronological order of eras: Jomon, Yayoi, Kofun, Asuka, Nara, Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, Azuchi-Momoyama, Edo, Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei, Reiwa.

Key dates: 1192 Kamakura shogunate founded; 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu establishes the Edo shogunate; 1868 Meiji Restoration; 1889 Meiji Constitution promulgated; 1947 current Constitution in force.

Ancient state formation: Prince Shotoku's Seventeen-Article Constitution (604), Taika Reforms (645), and the Taiho Code (701) built a centralized ritsuryo state modeled on Tang China.

Heian culture: kokufu culture then court culture; The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu and The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon are representative works.

Kamakura period: the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281 were repelled partly by typhoons (kamikaze); the warrior government shared power with the imperial court.

Edo period: sakoku policy restricted foreign contact, with limited trade at Nagasaki with the Dutch and Chinese; Perry's arrival in 1853 led to the 1854 Kanagawa Treaty.

Modernization: Meiji leaders promoted fukoku kyohei (enrich the country, strengthen the army), the Iwakura Mission (1871-73), and the 1889 Constitution with the Imperial Diet opening in 1890.

Postwar: the 1945 Potsdam Declaration and surrender; the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in 1952; the 1960 US-Japan Security Treaty revisions caused major protests.

World-history links: the Silk Road linked Tang China to the Mediterranean; the Industrial Revolution in Britain influenced Japan's Meiji industrialization; the two World Wars reshaped Japan's borders and diplomacy.

The Constitution of Japan has three principles: popular sovereignty, fundamental human rights, and pacifism (Article 9 renounces war and prohibits maintaining armed forces with war potential).

The Emperor is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people; sovereignty rests with the people, not the Emperor.

Separation of powers: the Diet is the highest organ of state power and the sole law-making organ; the Cabinet exercises executive power; courts exercise judicial power.

The Diet has two houses: the House of Representatives (lower, 465 members) and the House of Councillors (upper, 248 members); the lower house has superiority in budget and treaty approval.

Fundamental human rights include equality under the law (Article 14), freedom of thought and conscience (Article 19), and the right to life and liberty (Article 13).

The Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister, chosen by the Diet from among its members; a majority of Cabinet ministers must be Diet members.

The Supreme Court is the court of last resort and has the power of judicial review; it rules on the constitutionality of laws and acts.

Economic roles: the government provides public goods and uses fiscal policy (spending and taxation); the Bank of Japan uses monetary policy (interest rates and money supply).

International relations: Japan is a member of the UN (joined 1956), the G7, and the WTO; Article 9 has shaped its security policy and reliance on the US-Japan alliance.

Chronological ordering: compare dates by era, not by the order in which events appear in a text; convert era years to Western years (e.g., Showa 20 = 1945) before sorting.

Map scale: distance on map = actual distance ÷ scale denominator; a 4 cm span on a 1:50,000 map equals 2 km on the ground.

Contour reading: closed loops with hachures (short inward ticks) mark depressions; V-shaped contours pointing upstream indicate valleys.

Population pyramids: a wide base means high birthrate; a narrow base with a wide top means an aging society; Japan's pyramid is constricting at the base.

Graph interpretation: distinguish absolute values from rates (percentages); a rising percentage can occur while the absolute number falls.

Document-based reasoning: identify the author, date, and purpose of a source; separate fact from opinion; corroborate with a second source before concluding.

Chronology of Japanese politics: 1889 Meiji Constitution, 1947 current Constitution, 1955 formation of the LDP (the 1955 system), 1993 end of LDP single-party dominance.

Trade statistics: compare export and import values by partner; a trade surplus means exports exceed imports; a deficit means the reverse.

Statistical tables: check units (thousands, millions, percentages) and base years before comparing; a change in base year can make trends look different.