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Quiz about Japanese Mythology
Quiz about Japanese Mythology

Japanese Mythology Trivia Quiz


As someone who respects Japanese culture, I have learned about some fascinating Japanese deities and a wonderful creation myth of Japan. I hope you enjoy the mythos of Japan as much as I do.

A multiple-choice quiz by Play3Away. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Play3Away
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
339,365
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
469
Last 3 plays: Guest 49 (7/10), Guest 1 (4/10), notsaintdane (0/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Early Japanese culture absorbed many cultural characteristics from China. Buddhism was brought to Japan from China. Many Japanese people incorporated the new religious practice of Buddhism along with their indigenous practice of Shinto. Shinto was the early practice of what importance to the Japanese? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Japan was originally a name given to the Japanese from the Chinese word Jih-pen. What does Jih-pen mean? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Japanese mythology is based on what two ancient texts? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In the Japanese creation myth a "Floating Bridge of Heaven" appeared and two divine gods manifest. They are the primary "Male" and "Female" deities who were brother and sister, as well as lovers. What were their names? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. How did the original divine couple create the first island of Japan named Ono-koro (which means self-coagulating)? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The primary "Female" goddess died giving birth to her last son the fire god. She went to the underworld called Yomi. She pleaded her consort not to try to rescue her from the land of the dead. He ignored her pleas and went to Yomi where he discovered that she became a hideous rotting corpse. What did her brother, the primary "Male" god, do once he saw her? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Bathing in the Hi River, the god Izanagi created the storm god Susano from his nose, and his daughter the sun goddess from his left eye. What is the sun goddess' name? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The storm god Susano was a bit of a pest towards his sister the sun goddess. What did he do that offended her and led her to retreat into a cave where she wanted to hide herself from the world? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The sun goddess hid in a cave which caused the world to be plunged into darkness. How did the other gods and deities manage to convince her it was worthwhile to return to her kingdom in the sky? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Why is the goddess Amaterasu so important to Japanese mythology? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 14 2024 : Guest 49: 7/10
Mar 12 2024 : Guest 1: 4/10
Mar 10 2024 : notsaintdane: 0/10
Mar 06 2024 : Guest 213: 8/10
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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Early Japanese culture absorbed many cultural characteristics from China. Buddhism was brought to Japan from China. Many Japanese people incorporated the new religious practice of Buddhism along with their indigenous practice of Shinto. Shinto was the early practice of what importance to the Japanese?

Answer: Shinto is a spiritual practice which honors ancestors and native spirits.

Buddhism was brought to Japan around 552 A.D. ("Japanese Mythology" by Juliet Piggott) from China, via Korea, and many Japanese people incorporated the religious practice of Buddhism along with Shinto.
2. Japan was originally a name given to the Japanese from the Chinese word Jih-pen. What does Jih-pen mean?

Answer: Source of the sun.

The country of many islands we know as Japan was called Yamoto and was not known as a whole territory until around 593 to 621 A.D. when ruler Shotoku Daishi endorsed Buddhism and Chinese culture ("Japanese Mythology", Piggott).
3. Japanese mythology is based on what two ancient texts?

Answer: "Kojiki" and "Nihongi"

"Kojiki" means, "Records of Ancient Matters" and was written around 712 A.D. "Nihongi" means, "Chronicles of Japan" and was created around 720 A.D. Both texts were the first imperial records of stories and beliefs of the ancient Japanese people. It is believed that they where recorded to establish the divine nature of the Empress Gemmio and the Yamato people of Japan ("Japanese Mythology", Juliete Piggott).
4. In the Japanese creation myth a "Floating Bridge of Heaven" appeared and two divine gods manifest. They are the primary "Male" and "Female" deities who were brother and sister, as well as lovers. What were their names?

Answer: Izanagi and Izanami

The "Kojiki" begins by describing the creation of Japan and its primary kami, or deities. The beginning of the creation myth describes how there was nothing but invisible generations of kami who came from a formless void. Izanagi was the "August Male" and his sister Izanami was called the "August Female." They created Japan and mated to create many other deities, but later in the mythology Izanagi was the deity who created Japan's main imperial kami named Amaterasu.

She came out of his left eye when purifying himself in the Hi River ("Shinto" by C. Scott Littleton).
5. How did the original divine couple create the first island of Japan named Ono-koro (which means self-coagulating)?

Answer: They dipped a jeweled spear into an ocean of formless chaos.

Izanagi and his divine sister wife Izanami descended from a heavenly realm to the "Floating Bridge of Heaven", believed to be a rainbow, to dip the spear into the mirky ocean. Izanagi and Izanami had offspring that became the Japanese islands and its mountains, trees, winds, and other majestic geographic wonders of nature.

The wind helped them to discover their new offspring by blowing away the fog to reveal the Japanese archipelago ("Shinto" by C. Scott Littleton).
6. The primary "Female" goddess died giving birth to her last son the fire god. She went to the underworld called Yomi. She pleaded her consort not to try to rescue her from the land of the dead. He ignored her pleas and went to Yomi where he discovered that she became a hideous rotting corpse. What did her brother, the primary "Male" god, do once he saw her?

Answer: He fled in terror to run back to the surface of earth.

Once Izanagi reached the surface of earth, he needed to purify himself of the darkness that he encountered in the underworld. The terror of seeing Izanami as a demon and her rage at him caused him to seek purification by bathing in the Hi River. He created three more offspring magically from the water which fell from his body. Purification is a very important practice in Japanese Shinto and shrines will have pools of water where worshipers wash their hands and lightly rinse their mouths so that they can be pure for the gods before they enter the shrine ("Shinto" by Scott C. Littleton).
7. Bathing in the Hi River, the god Izanagi created the storm god Susano from his nose, and his daughter the sun goddess from his left eye. What is the sun goddess' name?

Answer: Amaterasu

Tsukiyomi is the moon god born of Izanagi's right eye. Uke-mochi was a deity, or kami, who was in charge of all of Earth's food sources. Amaterasu sent her brother Tsukiyomi to earth to see if Uke-mochi was performing her duties. Uke-mochi tried to impress the moon god by serving him a meal by regurgitating boiling rice, fish, and game animals from her mouth.

The moon god was disgusted by her manner of serving him and killed her. Even in her death her body continued to provide silkworms, cows, plants, and other food sources. Oh-Kuni-nushi is the storm god's son-in-law and became "the Great Land Master" who ruled the Earth as the sun goddess Amaterasu ruled the sky.
8. The storm god Susano was a bit of a pest towards his sister the sun goddess. What did he do that offended her and led her to retreat into a cave where she wanted to hide herself from the world?

Answer: He destroyed her rice fields and threw a horse at her loom.

Susano was a tempestuous kami who was always competing with his beloved sister Amaterasu. He was angry and jealous of her so he pretended to make amends for a previous insult. Amaterasu invited him to her domain in the sky and he released wild horses which destroyed her rice fields and property. She was fed up with his malevolence and decided to hide herself in a cave.
9. The sun goddess hid in a cave which caused the world to be plunged into darkness. How did the other gods and deities manage to convince her it was worthwhile to return to her kingdom in the sky?

Answer: They created a mirror that lured the sun goddess to her brilliantly shining reflection.

All the gods, except Susano of course, and minor kami gathered around the outside of her cave and hung a sacred mirror on the tree at the entrance to the cave. It was the first mirror created and Amaterasu looked upon the image reflected in the mirror with curiosity and awe at the beauty of her shining radiance.

She was delighted and eventually agreed to join the other gods in their revelry. After their celebration she returned to her domain in the sky to shine her brilliance upon the Earth once more.
10. Why is the goddess Amaterasu so important to Japanese mythology?

Answer: The imperial family is said to be her earthly descendents.

The first Emperor of Japan, Jimmo Tennu, became Amaterasu's earthy descendent and divine ruler of the earthy territories of Japan. He is said to be her great-great-grandson and a child of the gods. Patriotic Japanese worshiped their emperor and created the imperialist practice of "State Shinto" to stress Japanese nationalism in 1872 when the rule of the shoguns came to an end.
Source: Author Play3Away

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
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