Japan Quiz: Show Your Shogunate Knowledge with This Japanese History Quiz
Written by Jessica Holom
Last updated · 7 min play time
Are you a shogun or a samurai? Find out with this Japanese History Quiz!
"Enrich the country, strengthen the army." – Motto of the Meiji Restoration
Japanese history has enriched and strengthened the nation, molding it into one of the world's leading economic superpowers. From ancient warring clans to a modernized united Japan, the country has evolved from a shogunate state of warlords to a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy.
What do you know about this evolution of Japan? Take our Japanese History Quiz to explore the world of ancient Japan to that of its modern state!
Test your History Knowledge
"In Japanese, we have a word for those feelings that are too deep for words: Yugen. Yugen gives us a profound sense of the beauty and mystery of the universe." – Dr. Qing Li
Discover the yugen of Japan by acing this Japanese History Quiz!
What is the medieval Japanese military caste called? Who became the world's first Buddhist statesman? What did the Meiji Restoration bring forth? When do the Japanese celebrate national foundation day? Are you a Japanese historian? Then, you'll have no problem acing our Japanese History Quiz.
This quiz will bring about feelings that are too deep for words. Explore the mystery of the universe with our Japanese History Quiz!
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Quiz written by
Jessica HolomJessica Holom is a freelance writer and digital nomad with a background in literature, art, and writing. She believes curiosity never killed a single cat and enjoys learning, world-exploring, and writing about both.
Japanese History Quiz Questions
25 Questions · 190 Plays · No comments
Question 1
There was once a warrior caste in Japan. What was this hereditary military nobility known as?
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AGeisha
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BSamurai
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CKuge
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DKazoku
Samurai
The medieval samurai originated in the twelfth century. Holding special privileges and great prestige, this warrior class was often paid well by the feudal landowners, known as the daimyo.
Question 2
The atomic bomb was used for the first time (and, hopefully, the last) during World War II. On what two cities were the bombs dropped?
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AHiroshima and Nagasaki
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BNagasaki and Okinawa
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CHashima and Hiroshima
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DOkinawa and Hashima
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The United States dropped the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing over 200,000 people and veritably putting an end to WWII. Japan surrendered soon after, and the U.S. occupied the country until 1952,
Question 3
Even warlords need a big kahuna. What was the leader of the medieval Japanese warlords called?
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AShogun
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BAlgonquin
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CKannushi
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DKokugaku
Shogun
Known as the "feudal period of Japan," this was a time when the country was ruled by warlords known as "daimyo" and their top dog, the "shogun". The shogun was appointed by the Emperor as Japan's Prime Minister from the 12th to the 19th centuries, while the warlords often battled it out.
Question 4
Meaning "the way of the gods," Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. What does it believe is connected to the gods?
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AChildren
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BThe planets
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CNature
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DSamurai
Nature
The Shinto religion is a polytheistic religion that believes the gods and spirits – known as the "kami" – inhabit all natural things, from plants to animals. These kami are worshipped in shrines and temples, both public and private, and though not espousing moral codes, the religion emphasizes purity with bathing and washing rituals.
Question 5
Japan invaded this country twice in the late 16th century in an attempt to conquer the peninsula and beyond. Name that nation.
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AKorea
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BRussia
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CChina
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DVietnam
Korea
Japan invaded Korea twice resulting in a war with China known as the Imjin Wars. Capturing Seoul and Pyongyang, the invasion at first appeared successful but was held off by the Korean navy and the Chinese land army. A second attack failed, leading Japan to withdraw.
Question 6
The Mongols weren't just a threat to China and the mainland; they also attempted to invade Japan. What defeated them?
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AEarthquake
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BFlood
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CThe Japanese
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DTyphoon
Typhoon
When the Mongols tried to invade Japan during the late 13th century, they were met with the divine wind, known as the "kamikaze". This wind came in the form of two typhoons that knocked out the Yuan Dynasty fleet of Kublai Khan. The result was the destruction of most of the Mongol navy.
Question 7
The attack on Pearl Harbor drew the U.S. into World War II once and for all. Why did Japan initiate the attack?
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AThe Japanese were angry about American aggression
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BThe U.S. was too close for comfort
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CThe U.S. was trying to prevent Japan's global expansion
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DJapan wanted to encourage the U.S. to enter the war
The U.S. was trying to prevent Japan's global expansion
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was a preventative measure intended to keep America's Pacific Fleet from injecting themselves into the country's Southeast Asia military actions. The U.S. and Japan had been butting heads for nearly a decade, with the U.S. passing economic sanctions on Japan to prevent the country's global expansion. But instead of keeping the U.S. from interfering, the Pearl Harbor attack provoked them, and the nation officially declared war.
Question 8
Japan started shaking things up in Asia in the early 20th century. After Hirohito rose to power, what region did Japan first invade?
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AThailand
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BManchuria
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CTaiwan
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DCambodia
Manchuria
Hirohito became Japan's emperor in 1926. He would remain emperor throughout World War II. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria and, later that decade, launched attacks on China's major cities.
Question 9
In the early 18th century, what natural disaster occurred, killing an estimated 20,000 people?
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AA sharknado
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BA major hurricane
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CThe world's most destructive typhoon
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DThe eruption of Mount Fuji
The eruption of Mount Fuji
The last time Mount Fuji erupted was on December 16th, 1707. The eruption was caused by a major earthquake and lasted for two weeks. Though Fuji spewed no lava, it did let off a ton of volcanic ash which reached 60 miles away.
Question 10
Japanese isolationism came to an end with the signing of a trade treaty between Japan and which country?
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AUnited States
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BBritain
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CChina
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DFrance
United States
The Perry Convention (aka the Treaty of Kanagawa) put an end to Japan's isolationist era. Negotiated by Matthew Perry, the treaty was the first signed with a Western nation.
Question 11
Founding Japan's first and only dynasty, what clan rose to power in the classical period?
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AAkiyama clan
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BMinamoto clan
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CYamato clan
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DKhan clan
Yamato clan
Immigrating to Japan, the Yamato clan came alive during the Kofun period. Also known as fuhito (which refers to the clan's occupation as scribes), the 4th century clan, descended from Prince Junda, founded Japan's only dynasty.
Question 12
Japan installed an isolationist foreign policy in the late 17th century that would last more than 200 years. Why?
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ASo their religion wouldn't become contaminated
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BSo they could grow from within
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CBecause they needed space
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DTo create demand for their domestic products
So their religion wouldn't become contaminated
After Portuguese missionaries converted hundreds of thousands to Christianity in Japan, the nation cracked down, isolating themselves in the 17th century in the hopes to prevent other religions and cultures from contaminating their own. Known as "sakoku," the isolationist policy forbade the Japanese from leaving and foreigners from entering, upon pain of death.
Question 13
The 16th century saw many European explorers travel to the Orient. Who were the first Europeans to set foot in Japan?
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AThe British
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BThe Portuguese
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CThe Spanish
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DThe Dutch
The Portuguese
The 16th century saw António da Mota and Francisco Zeimoto of Portugal first land on Tanegashima island. The traders were the first two documented Europeans to cross the threshold.
Question 14
47 members of what group were ordered to kill themselves after seeking revenge for their master?
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ARonin
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BGeisha
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CKung Fu black belts
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DBuddhist monks
Ronin
A legendary true vendetta, known as "the revenge of the forty-seven rōnin," involved 46 leaderless samurai who avenged their master's death. Their leader, the daimyo Asano Naganori, had assaulted a court official and was ordered to perform seppuku – a ritual suicide. The ronin planned for a year to kill that same court official to honor their master, after which they too were ordered to perform seppuku. The story is representative of many Japanese values, including loyalty, sacrifice, and honor.
Question 15
Laying the foundation for Buddhism in Japan, who was the world's first Buddhist statesman and the "Father of Japanese Buddhism"?
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ADalai Lama
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BEtō Shimpei
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CPrince Shotoku
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DŌkubo Toshimichi
Prince Shotoku
Shotoku served as Empress Suiko's political regent starting from the late sixth century. Suiko was the first female monarch in the history of Japan. Prince Shotoku is responsible for the role of Buddhism in Japanese culture, drawing up a constitution based on Buddhist principles.
Question 16
Which two countries did Japan go to war with (and win against) in the late 19th century?
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ATaiwan and Korea
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BChina and Russia
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CKorea and the United States
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DRussia and Taiwan
China and Russia
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw Japan go to war with China, yet again, gaining territories, including Korea and Taiwan. They also warred with Russia over dominance on the Korean peninsula and won.
Question 17
In the history of Japan, there were three "Great Unifiers". Who was NOT one of them?
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ANaruhito
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BTokugawa Ieyasu
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COda Nobunaga
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DToyotomi Hideyoshi
Naruhito
Japan's trio of "Great Unifiers" brought the country together at various points in history and put an end to the warring states. Oda Nobunaga was a daimyo in the 16th century and Toyotomi Hideyoshi was his retainer. They were the first two unifiers. The first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, was the last of the unifiers, with the shogunate ruling for more than two centuries until the 19th century Meiji Restoration.
Question 18
Happy Japan Day! When does Japan celebrate its national foundation?
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ANovember 10
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BJuly 4
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CFebruary 11
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DJune 12
February 11
February 11th is National Foundation Day in Japan. It is celebrated on this day because the first Emperor of Japan, the mythical Jimmu, acceded the throne. It's known as New Year's Day on the lunisolar calendar.
Question 19
A civil war famously took place between two samurai families, seeing the central authority in Japan collapse. What was it called?
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A100 Years War
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BHagi Rebellion
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COnin War
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DAkizuki War
Onin War
Yamana Sozen – known as the "Red Monk" – was the head of one of the two samurai families involved in the Onin War. The other head was Sozen's son-in-law, Hosokawa Katsumoto. The argument was over succession in the shogun's family, and each of their mansions was attacked using arrows, swords, and fire, until the pair of samurai were fighting across a barren charred land. They were both killed in 1473.
Question 20
When Emperor Kammu took power, he tried to edge Buddhism out of politics by moving the capital to what modern-day city?
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AOkinawa
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BTokyo
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CBangkok
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DKyoto
Kyoto
Emperor Kammu was not on board with Buddhism and the traction it had gained in politics. So he moved the political center to Kyoto, leaving the country's major Buddhist temples – and their leaders – behind. He also limited the number of Buddhist priests, as well as the building of new temples.
Question 21
"A strong economy is the source of national strength." Who is Japan's current head of state?
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AKim Jong-Un
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BYoshihide Suga
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CFumimaro Konoe
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DShinzo Abe
Yoshihide Suga
In September of 2020, Japan elected a new prime minister, Yoshihide Suga. The domestically-oriented leader has taken on the world's third-largest economy, after the U.S. and China.
Question 22
What emperor took over in 1868, forming the Empire of Japan?
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AEmperor Komei
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BEmperor Taishō
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CEmperor Rama
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DEmperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
Also known as Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji spurred Japan forth into the modern world. Ending its state as a closed feudal society, the emperor transformed Japan during the Meiji Period into one that institutionalized universal education, constructed railroads, built up the army and navy, and adopted a parliamentary system and a constitution.
Question 23
Not two decades after World War II, Japan was the second-largest economic superpower in the world. What was this era of growth called?
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AJapanese Economic Miracle
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BJapanese Economic Super Mario Mushroom
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CJapanese Economic Surge
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DJapanese Economic Boom
Japanese Economic Miracle
After the war ended, Japan did not rest. The country grew its economy into the second largest in the world in what became known as "the Japanese economic miracle". The economic boom is credited to the country's economic interventionism, the Korean War which increased production in Japan, and U.S. aid to Asia.
Question 24
What powerful samurai clan relegated the imperial family to a puppet role during the 13th century?
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AKhan clan
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BMinamoto clan
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CAshikaga clan
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DImagawa clan
Ashikaga clan
The Kamakura period lasted for over a century. The Ashikaga family took the reigns, bringing the capital to Kamakura, and creating an emperor-led puppet government. They are known for reinstating trade with China and for sponsoring the arts.
Question 25
Japan wasn't entirely cut off from the world. Despite their isolation, Japan still did business with which two groups?
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AThe Portuguese and the Spanish
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BThe Spanish and the Dutch
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CThe Dutch and the Chinese
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DThe Chinese and the Portuguese
The Dutch and the Chinese
Although they were in isolation, four "gateways" allowed Japan to continue trade with some foreign nations, the largest of which were China and the Dutch East India Company. Certain clans from Korea were also allowed to continue trading.
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