Kyoto Entrance Social Studies flashcards

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

Exclusive economic zone

Sea area extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal baseline where a state holds sovereign rights over resources. Japan's many remote islands make its EEZ one of the world's largest.

Pacific Belt

Japan's industrial corridor stretching from the Kanto region through Chukyo to Hanshin and beyond, where coastal reclaimed land, ports, and dense population concentrate manufacturing and commerce.

Tsuyu rainy season

Early summer rainy period from mid-June to mid-July caused by the collision of warm moist air with cooler air masses; it is critical for rice planting and water supply in Japan.

Aging rate

The percentage of a population aged 65 and over. Japan's rate exceeds 29%, the highest among major economies, driving pension, medical, and labor-force challenges.

Contour lines

Lines on a topographic map connecting points of equal elevation. Their spacing shows slope: close lines mean steep terrain, widely spaced lines mean gentle terrain.

Taika Reform

Reforms begun in 645 that abolished private landholding and established the ritsuryo system of centralized government, land allocation, and taxation modeled on Chinese practice.

Sakoku

Edo-period policy of national seclusion from the 1630s restricting foreign trade and travel, limiting contact mainly to Dutch and Chinese traders at Nagasaki.

Meiji Restoration

The 1868 overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate that restored imperial rule and launched rapid modernization, including domain abolition, conscription, and land tax reform.

Plaza Accord

1985 international agreement among major economies to depreciate the US dollar against the yen; the resulting strong yen contributed to Japan's bubble economy and later adjustments.

High-speed economic growth

Period from the mid-1950s to 1973 when Japan's economy grew around 10% annually, driven by manufacturing, investment, and export expansion, ending with the oil crisis.

Article 9

Constitutional provision renouncing war as a sovereign right and the maintenance of war potential, stating that land, sea, and air forces will never be maintained.

Popular sovereignty

Principle that political authority ultimately rests with the people. In Japan it is expressed in the Constitution's preamble and the Emperor's status as symbol.

House of Councillors

The upper house of the Diet with 248 members serving six-year terms, with half elected every three years; it cannot be dissolved by the Prime Minister.

Judicial review

Power of courts, with the Supreme Court as final authority, to determine whether laws and government acts conform to the Constitution and to void unconstitutional acts.

Collective responsibility

Principle that the Cabinet as a body is accountable to the Diet, requiring it to resign if the House of Representatives passes a no-confidence resolution.

Real GDP

Gross domestic product adjusted for price changes using a base year, allowing comparison of actual output across time rather than nominal money values.

Consumption tax

Indirect tax levied on goods and services, raised to 10% in 2019 with a reduced 8% rate for food and newspapers; it is a major source of government revenue.

Non-regular employment

Work such as part-time, fixed-term, or dispatched labor, accounting for roughly 37% of employees in Japan and associated with lower pay and job security.

Fiscal policy

Government use of spending and taxation to influence the economy, such as increasing public works spending during a recession or raising taxes to reduce deficits.

Monetary policy

Central bank actions managing interest rates and money supply to stabilize prices and the economy; in Japan it is conducted by the Bank of Japan.

Macroeconomic indexation

Pension adjustment mechanism introduced in 2004 that slows benefit growth when the number of contributors falls, aiming to keep the system sustainable as the population ages.

Map scale

Ratio of map distance to ground distance, such as 1:50,000, meaning one centimeter on the map represents 500 meters on the ground.

Index number

A value expressing change relative to a base year set at 100; an index of 130 indicates a 30% increase from the base period.

Source criticism

Method of evaluating a historical document by identifying its author, date, audience, and purpose, and comparing it with other sources to detect bias.

Correlation and causation

A statistical relationship between two variables does not by itself prove that one causes the other; a third factor may explain both.

Northern and Southern Courts

Period from 1336 to 1392 when rival imperial courts existed in Kyoto and Yoshino; the era illustrates the need for careful dating in chronologies.

Hachures

Short lines on topographic maps drawn inside a contour to indicate a depression, helping readers distinguish a hollow from a hilltop.

Mixed electoral system

Japanese election method combining single-member constituencies with proportional representation for both houses, balancing local representation and party proportionality.

Hometown Tax system

Donation program allowing taxpayers to support chosen municipalities and receive tax deductions and local goods, used to address regional depopulation.

Kanagawa Treaty

1854 agreement following Perry's arrival that opened two ports to American ships and ended Japan's isolation, leading to wider foreign trade and internal upheaval.

Equal Employment Opportunity Act

1985 law prohibiting gender discrimination in recruitment, hiring, assignment, and promotion, later amended to strengthen measures against indirect discrimination and harassment.

Public welfare limitation

Constitutional principle that fundamental rights may be restricted by law when necessary for the public welfare, balancing individual liberty with social order.