Toyama Prefectural Public High School Entrance Examination - Social Studies key terms

The Kanto, Nobi, and Osaka plains, the country's most extensive lowlands. They hold large river deltas and reclaimed land, and they concentrate much of Japan's population, farming, and industry.

A regional climate with relatively low rainfall because mountains on both sides block seasonal winds. It is known for long hours of sunshine and occasional water shortages affecting agriculture and residents.

A climate on the Japan Sea side with heavy winter snowfall brought by northwest monsoon winds picking up moisture over the sea. Summers are hot and humid, and rice farming is common.

A climate on the Pacific side of Japan with hot, humid summers and dry, sunny winters. It is affected by seasonal winds and typhoons, and it supports vegetable farming and tea cultivation.

A belt around the Pacific Ocean where many volcanoes and earthquakes occur because of moving tectonic plates. Japan lies on it, which explains its hot springs, volcanic mountains, and frequent seismic activity.

Japan sits where several plates meet, so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen often. This setting produces mountain ranges, deep trenches offshore, and the need for disaster preparation.

Creating new usable land by filling shallow sea or draining wetlands. In Japan it has provided farmland, port areas, and industrial sites, especially along the Seto Inland Sea and in large coastal cities.

A graph showing the number of people by age and sex. Its shape reveals whether a country has a young, growing population or an aging one, helping explain labor and welfare issues.

A situation where fewer children are born while the share of elderly people rises. Japan faces this strongly, causing labor shortages, higher welfare costs, and debate about immigration and support measures.

The average number of people living in a unit of area, usually per square kilometer. Japan's density is high overall, but people are concentrated in plains and cities while mountain areas are sparse.

Villages and towns where the number of residents has fallen sharply, leaving many elderly people and closed schools. Local governments try to attract newcomers and create jobs to keep communities alive.

A coastal zone where factories, ports, and related businesses cluster. Japan's main belts run from Tokyo through Nagoya to Osaka and along the Seto Inland Sea, using imported raw materials and shipping.

A large plain in central Japan where Nagoya is located. It is a center of manufacturing, especially automobiles and aircraft parts, and it has fertile farmland and major transport routes.

Naturally heated groundwater that rises to the surface, common in volcanic regions of Japan. Hot spring resorts use it for bathing and tourism, and local rules protect the water source.

A long prehistoric era in Japan named after pottery with rope-pattern marks. People lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering, and they made pit dwellings and stone tools.

A period when wet-rice farming spread from the continent and bronze and iron tools came into use. Villages grew, social differences appeared, and small political groups began to form.

Growing rice in flooded paddies, introduced from the continent and central to early Japanese society. It required cooperation over water and land, encouraging settled villages and organized communities.

A seventh-century prince who supported Buddhism and sent envoys to Sui China. He is associated with a seventeen-article code of conduct for officials and with early efforts to build a centralized state.

A seventh-century reform that aimed to place all land and people under imperial control. It created a system of provinces and districts and prepared the way for the ritsuryo legal order.

A legal and political system modeled on Tang China that organized government by codes and assigned land to people. It established a centralized state headed by the emperor with ranked officials.

An era when the capital was at Heian-kyo and aristocratic culture flourished. Court nobles held power, Japanese-style writing developed, and literature such as The Tale of Genji was produced.

The first warrior government in Japan, headed by a shogun with support from samurai retainers. It defeated invading Mongol forces but later declined as loyalties shifted.

Two attempts by the Mongol Yuan dynasty to invade Japan in the late thirteenth century. Japanese defenders resisted and storms damaged the enemy fleets, but the war strained the shogunate's finances.

A time of civil war when regional warlords fought for control of Japan. Castle towns grew, trade and new weapons spread, and the conflict ended with reunification by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The warrior government based in Edo that ruled Japan for over two centuries. It controlled lords through alternate attendance and land surveys, restricted foreign contact, and maintained a strict social order.

A policy of tight control over foreign trade and travel during the Edo period. Japan limited contact mainly to Dutch and Chinese traders at Nagasaki and to some Asian neighbors, restricting foreign influence.

The end of Japan's restrictive foreign policy in the 1850s after foreign powers demanded trade. Treaties opened ports, caused political unrest, and helped trigger the fall of the shogunate.

The political change in 1868 that ended shogunate rule and restored imperial government. Leaders then promoted industrialization, a modern army, education, and a new constitution.

The 1889 constitution that created a parliament while keeping broad power with the emperor. It set up a cabinet and an elected lower house, but voting rights were limited by tax requirements.

Rapid growth of factories and railways from the late nineteenth century, led by government and private firms. Textile mills first dominated, then heavy industry expanded, and cities grew quickly.

Japan's postwar constitution, which declares that the people hold sovereignty and renounces war as a means of settling disputes. It also guarantees fundamental human rights and civilian control of the military.

Rights that the constitution guarantees to every person, such as freedom of speech, equality before the law, and the right to life. They protect individuals from unfair treatment by the state.

The principle that political power ultimately belongs to the people. In Japan the constitution states this clearly, meaning government authority comes from citizens rather than from a monarch.

Dividing government authority among legislative, executive, and judicial branches so no single group dominates. Japan's Diet, cabinet, and courts check one another under the constitution.

Japan's national legislature, made up of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. It makes laws, approves budgets, and chooses the prime minister from among its members.

The right of local governments to manage their own affairs within the law. Residents elect governors and mayors and vote in referendums, while the national government retains certain responsibilities.

Japan's military organization, maintained for national defense under civilian control. Its role and limits are debated because the constitution renounces war and the use of force in international disputes.

Public systems that support people through pensions, medical insurance, and welfare services. Japan's aging population makes these programs costly and raises questions about how to fund them fairly.

An international organization founded after World War II to keep peace and promote cooperation. Japan joined in 1956 and takes part in peacekeeping, development aid, and human rights work.

Buying goods and services from abroad, which supplies Japan with fuel, food, and raw materials. Japan imports much of its energy and exports manufactured products, so world prices affect its economy.