Kyoto Entrance Social Studies key terms

A ring of young, tectonically active mountains and island arcs around the Pacific Ocean, including the Japanese archipelago. Its presence explains Japan's frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and hot springs.

The theory that Earth's rigid outer shell is broken into plates that move, collide, and sink. Japan sits where several plates meet, causing subduction, mountain building, and seismic activity.

A deep, narrow depression on the ocean floor where one tectonic plate sinks beneath another. The Japan Trench and Nankai Trough lie offshore and are linked to major earthquakes and tsunamis.

A series of long ocean waves generated by undersea earthquakes, landslides, or eruptions. Coastal Japan relies on seawalls, evacuation drills, and warning systems to reduce casualties.

A seasonal wind that reverses direction between summer and winter. In Japan it brings moist summer winds from the Pacific and cold winter winds from Siberia, shaping regional snowfall and rainfall.

A regional climate with heavy winter snowfall and cloudy skies caused by moist air crossing the warm Sea of Japan and rising over mountains. Niigata and Akita are typical examples.

A regional climate with hot, humid summers and dry, sunny winters. It faces the Pacific Ocean, so summer typhoons and heavy rain are common while winter precipitation is low.

The sharp decline in population of rural towns and villages as young people move to cities, leaving aging residents behind. It strains local services, schools, and public transport.

The combined trend of fewer births and longer life expectancy, which raises the share of elderly people. It shrinks the labor force and increases spending on pensions and medical care.

Government and community efforts to counter population decline outside major cities by creating jobs, supporting migration, and improving local services. It aims to balance population across the country.

The tendency for population, corporate headquarters, and political power to gather excessively in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It worsens housing costs, commuting congestion, and rural decline.

The farming of rice in flooded paddies, long central to Japanese agriculture and culture. It requires abundant water and warm summers, and it shaped settlement and village cooperation.

The share of a nation's food consumption supplied by domestic production, measured by calories or value. Japan's rate is low because it imports much grain and livestock feed.

Minamata disease, Niigata Minamata disease, Itai-itai disease, and Yokkaichi asthma, caused by industrial pollution during rapid postwar growth. They prompted stronger environmental laws and compensation systems.

A period roughly from the 10th century BCE to the 3rd century CE marked by wet-rice farming, bronze and iron tools, and growing social differences. It saw the emergence of small regional states.

A powerful early Japanese polity described in Chinese records, ruled by the shamaness Himiko. Its location remains debated, and it illustrates early ties between Japan and China.

A centralized legal and administrative system modeled on Tang China, with codes of law and a land-tax system. It placed the emperor at the top and organized provinces and local officials.

Official diplomatic and scholarly missions sent from Japan to Tang China between the 7th and 9th centuries. They brought back religion, writing, law, and technology that shaped Japanese civilization.

The Tokugawa political order in which the shogun governed through domains led by daimyo. It combined centralized control with semi-autonomous local rule and strict status divisions.

Tokugawa policy restricting foreign contact and trade to limited channels such as Nagasaki. It lasted over two centuries and shaped Japan's economy and awareness of the outside world.

Japan's ending of seclusion after foreign powers demanded trade, marked by treaties in the 1850s. It triggered political turmoil, price rises, and the collapse of the Tokugawa order.

The political and social transformation beginning in 1868 that replaced shogunate rule with imperial government. It introduced industrialization, conscription, and modern education.

Meiji government policy to foster modern industry by building model factories, inviting foreign experts, and supporting private enterprise. It accelerated Japan's industrial revolution.

Large family-controlled business groups such as Mitsui and Mitsubishi that dominated finance and industry before 1945. They were dissolved after the war and later reorganized into looser groups.

The constitution granted in 1889 that gave the emperor broad powers and limited the role of elected representatives. It established a parliament but kept sovereignty with the emperor.

The constitution enacted in 1946 and effective in 1947, based on popular sovereignty, fundamental human rights, and pacifism. It replaced imperial sovereignty with a parliamentary democracy.

The principle that political authority ultimately belongs to the people. In Japan it is one of the three pillars of the constitution, alongside fundamental human rights and pacifism.

Rights that every person holds by virtue of being human, protected by the constitution from state abuse. They include equality, freedom of expression, and social rights such as education.

The constitutional principle that Japan renounces war and the threat or use of force to settle international disputes. It is expressed in Article 9 and shapes debates on defense policy.

The division of government authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches that check one another. Japan's constitution assigns these roles to the Diet, the Cabinet, and the courts.

The power of courts to decide whether laws and official acts violate the constitution. In Japan the Supreme Court holds final authority over such rulings.

The rules that determine how votes are cast and converted into seats. Japan combines single-member districts with proportional representation in elections for the House of Representatives.

An electoral system that allocates seats roughly in proportion to each party's share of votes. It tends to represent smaller parties fairly but can make stable majorities harder to form.

The right of a state to use force to defend an ally under attack. Japan's government has debated how far the constitution permits exercising this right.

A treaty under which the United States maintains military bases in Japan and commits to its defense. It forms the core of Japan's security policy and involves local base issues.

An economic system in which prices and production are guided mainly by supply and demand rather than government orders. Japan relies on markets while regulating competition and protecting consumers.

A law that prohibits cartels, unfair trade practices, and excessive market concentration. It aims to preserve fair competition and protect consumers from monopolies.

Central bank actions that adjust interest rates and money supply to influence prices and economic activity. The Bank of Japan sets such policy independently of the government's fiscal decisions.

Government decisions on spending and taxation used to influence the economy. It can stimulate demand during downturns but may increase public debt if sustained.

Public systems such as pensions, health insurance, and welfare that protect people from hardship. Rising costs due to an aging population make reform a major political issue.

Rights of workers to organize unions, bargain collectively, and act collectively, guaranteed by the constitution. They support fair working conditions and are central to labor law.

The goal of balancing paid work with family, health, and personal life. Long working hours and limited childcare are key policy concerns in Japan.

A map that displays numerical data by region using shading, symbols, or dots. Reading the legend and scale correctly is essential to avoid misinterpreting patterns.

A detailed map showing elevation, landforms, roads, and land use through contour lines and symbols. It is used to analyze relief, settlement, and human activity.

Lines on a map connecting points of equal elevation. Their spacing shows slope steepness: close lines mean steep terrain, wide spacing means gentle slopes.

The ratio between distance on a map and actual distance on the ground. A scale of 1:25,000 means one centimeter on the map equals 250 meters in reality.

Evidence created at the time of an event, such as diaries, official documents, or artifacts. Historians compare such sources to assess reliability and bias.