Japan History Trivia

1. During the Edo period, Japan was under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate. Who was its first shogun?

From Quiz The Edo Period of Japan: 1603 - 1868

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power in 1600. He was made shogun (a military governor in Medieval Japan) in 1603, starting the Edo period. A shogunate is the government of the shogun who had absolute power, except when answering to the Japanese Emperor. During Tokugawa Ieyasu's rule, he created a set of rules for the samurai, designed to keep them in line during the rule of his shogunate. He voluntarily resigned from his office in 1605. This was likely due to his age, as he was 60 when he was first appointed shogun in 1603. He still remained in power until he died in 1616.

From Quiz Japan in the 18th Century

Answer: The Edo Period

The Edo Period ran from 1603-1868. It also called the Tokugawa Period because Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shoguns during this era. The Edo Period was characterized by reforms, mostly involving strengthening Japan's government from within, a flourishing period of the arts and sciences and, for the most part, economic growth.

From Quiz The History of Okinawan Martial Arts

Answer: 1429

During the Three Kingdom Period (1322-1429), also known as the Sanzan Period, the island of Okinawa was divided into three kingdoms: Chuzan, Hokuzan and Nanzan. In 1429 King Sho Hashi completed the unification of the three kingdoms and founded one Ryukyu Kingdom. The capital was at Shuri Castle.

From Quiz The Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1945

Answer: Satsuma

Satsuma was the largest and richest of the domains that brought about the imperial restoration in 1868. It also had the most powerful domain navy.

From Quiz Sengoku Jidai

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari

The Battle of Sekigahara was also known as the Realm Divide. Ishida's army consisted of Toyotomi loyalists and many groups from western Japan, whereas Tokugawa's forces hailed from eastern Japan. In the end, Ishida lost and was later beheaded; his death sealed the fate of the Toyotomi clan and soon, Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power over the land. The Tokugawa Shogunate or Bakufu would last from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration.

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Samurai

Answer: Warriors

Samurai were first and foremost warriors. They also tended to be literate. They studied military strategy as well as music, poetry and other subjects. Royalty in Japan were Emperors or daimyos (lords). Peasants, as a rule, were illiterate and therefore not samurai material. It is true there were some priests who were samurai but they were warriors first. Even in Japan, even in those days, a peasant could never be more than a peasant.

From Quiz The Japanese Abductions

Answer: North Korea

The Japanese government had always suspected that North Korea was behind the abductions, but Pyongyang denied involvement until September 17, 2002. It is believed that the citizens were abducted for their identities and to train North Korean agents. Despite the confession, Japan still doubts North Korea's account of what happened. The Japanese government has identified seventeen people as having been abducted by North Korea, which does not equal the thirteen that North Korea has confessed to. Seventy to eighty missing persons have also been claimed to have been abducted according to their families, but they have not been recognized by either government to be in this group.

From Quiz The Samurai

Answer: to serve

The word "samorau" means to serve. A samurai is a warrior in the service of a lord or Daimyo.

From Quiz The Bakumatsu Period

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyoshi

When Commodore Perry's "black ships" arrived in Tôkyô Bay in 1853, Ieyoshi, the 12th Tokugawa Shôgun, was supposedly so shocked that the incident contributed to his subsequent death. He was succeeded by Iesada, who presided over the signing of the unequal treaties. He held office until his death in 1858, when he was succeeded by the young and sickly Iemochi. He died at the age of 21 and was succeeded by Yoshinobu, the last Shôgun.

From Quiz Five Japanese History Stumpers

Answer: Minamoto Yoritomo & Minamoto no Yoritomo

From Quiz Japanese History Review

Answer: Jomon

The Jomon culture is synonymous with the pottery that they crafted, perhaps the world's first pottery-making culture.

From Quiz The Edo Period of Japan: 1603 - 1868

Answer: Chonmage

During the Edo period, Japanese men would shave both the top and front of their head. The remaining long hair was oiled, tied, and folded around the top of the head in a topknot. This hairstyle is called a chonmage. These days the chonmage is only usually sported by sumo wrestlers and kabuki, a classical style of Japanese drama and dance, actors.

From Quiz Japan in the 18th Century

Answer: 47

The forty-seven ronin and their ritual seppuku (or suicide via belly cutting) is something of a legend in Japanese history. As the story goes, the forty-seven ronin were once samurai under the daimyo Asano Naganori. Asano was forced to commit seppuku for disrespecting Kira Yoshinaka. The forty-seven ronin sought revenge for their master's death and killed Kira Yoshinaka. They were then ordered to commit seppuku for their crimes or murder and revenge. The Ako Incident was a real life event. However it is most popular in its fictionalized forms called Chushingura. This is because at the time there were strict censorship laws in regards to current events so the account had to be fictionalized to pass legal muster.

From Quiz The History of Okinawan Martial Arts

Answer: "Old martial way"

Some examples of kobudo weaponry and their original functions are: Nunchaku (horse briddle); Eku (boat oar); Tonfa (millingstone handle) and Kama (sickles used for cutting crops or long grass).

From Quiz The Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1945

Answer: British Navy

Satsuma began to forge ties with Britain even before the Meiji Restoration. As the world's leading naval power in the 19th century, Britain was the obvious model. Promising young officers such as the future admiral Togo Heihachiro were sent to study at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

From Quiz The Imperial Japanese Army, 1868-1945

Answer: Yasukuni Shrine

The Yasukuni Shrine has not been supported by the Japanese government since the implementation of post-World War II reforms abolishing State Shinto, but in recent decades the visits of prime ministers to pay their respects has been controversial. The number of spirits (kami) now enshrined at Yasukuni is more than 2,466,000.

From Quiz Sengoku Jidai

Answer: Fool of Owari

Nobunaga was known as the "Fool of Owari" during his young adulthood because he would often run around with those of lower rank than himself, wear bright and gaudy clothing, and impolitely stuff food into his mouth without a care. However, his militarism, strong hand, and callous nature in battle would later earn him the title of "Demon King."

From Quiz So You Want to Be a Samurai

Answer: Daimyo

The ruler of Japan was the Emperor. This title stayed within the ruling family. A shogun was the military commander. If the Emperor was weak in power, the shogun became, in essence, the ruler of Japan. A daimyo was a feudal lord who controlled his own area. The daimyos supported the shogun and the Emperor. Samurai worked directly for a daimyo. Samurai itself means "one who serves." The samurai held service to their daimyo in high regard and were expected to follow the daimyo should he choose to rebel against the shogun or Emperor. There were instances, however, of samurai remaining true to the Emperor and refusing to follow rebel daimyos. One shogun tried to use pirates to fight his battles. He called them sam-ARR-ais.

From Quiz The Japanese Abductions

Answer: Europe

Toru Ishioka and Kaoru Matsuki were apparently abducted at the same time while living in Europe. Keiko Arimoto was studying in the United Kingdom. The last known contact from her was a letter that came from Copenhagen. A letter, postmarked from Poland, from Ishioka to his family informed them that all three of them were in North Korea.

From Quiz The Samurai

Answer: the Samurai warrior code

The Bushido code was closely observed by the Samurai. The code was heavily influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism. In particular, it stressed loyalty, frugality, martial arts mastery and honor until one's death.

From Quiz History of Japan, 1333-1615

Answer: The battle of Minatogawa

Kusunoki Masashige, one of the greatest generals in the history of Japan, advised Go-Daigo not to directly confront the Ashikaga forces as they advanced north toward Kyôto, but his advice was not followed, and he was ordered to meet the enemy at Minatogawa, near the modern city of Kobe. Loyal to the end, Masashige obeyed his Emperor and met his death in the resulting defeat. The battles of Okehazama and Nagashino are key dates in the career of Oda Nobunaga, the warlord who would begin the process of re-unifying Japan in the sixteenth century. The battle of Sekigahara, perhaps the most significant in Japan's history, sealed the triumph of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the warlord who completed the process of re-unification.

From Quiz The Bakumatsu Period

Answer: Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians

The early part of the Bakumatsu period was dominated by the shishi, young samurai radicals who believed Japan could deal with the foreign threat by force, united by loyalty to the Imperial house. The shishi campaign of violence, however, ended in the deaths of most of its leaders, and Japan's destiny was taken up by more level-headed and farsighted people, who planned to learn from the "barbarians'" technological prowess and compete with them on their own terms.

From Quiz Five Japanese History Stumpers

Answer: Yoshimoto

From Quiz Japanese History Review

Answer: The Tale of Genji

'The Tale of Genji' or 'Genji Monogatari', is attributed to Murasaki Shikibu, a courtesan of the Fujiwara period in Japan. It tells the story of a prince, "the shining Genji", and his descendants. It is full of tales of tragedy, love, betrayal and all of the other good stuff you find in great novels. Check it out!

From Quiz The Edo Period of Japan: 1603 - 1868

Answer: Battle of Sekigahara

In what is now the Gifu Prefecture, Chûbu region, Japan, the Battle of Sekigahara took place in 1600. It unofficially established the Tokugawa shogunate. Tokugawa Ieyasu led his fighters against the clans loyal to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who were led by a fellow samurai, Ishida Mitsunari.

From Quiz Japan in the 18th Century

Answer: A Japanese-language encyclopedia

The Wakan Sansai Zue was inspired by its Chinese counterpart and its name makes reference to China. The word Wakan means Japan-China. Although it is considered an encyclopedia, the western world would think of it more as an almanac as it talks at length about farming conditions, weather, the stars etc. It was primarily used by the people as a guidebook. It was contained in 81 books.

From Quiz The Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1945

Answer: Saigo Tsugumichi

Saigo Tsugumichi (1843-1902) of Satsuma was Navy Minister from 22 December 1885 to 10 July 1886, in the first Ito cabinet. His brother Saigo Takamori was a key figure in the Meiji Restoration (1868) and leader of the Satsuma Rebellion (1877). Both Tsugumichi and the Satsuma-heavy Navy remained loyal during the Rebellion, though Tsugumichi commanded the Imperial Guard at that time rather than the Navy. He is widely regarded as the founding father of the modern Japanese Navy and became admiral of the fleet in 1898, although he did not have any background as a professional naval officer. Oyama Iwao was an Army general who held the Navy portfolio from July 1886 to July 1887, showing the extent to which the IJA was regarded as the senior service at that time. Enomoto Takeaki was Minister of Communications in the first Ito cabinet. Katsu Kaishu (or Rintaro) was an important naval reformer in the last years of the Tokugawa shogunate.

From Quiz The Imperial Japanese Army, 1868-1945

Answer: French

Oui, c'est vrai! French officers served as trainers and advisers for the Japanese army throughout the 1870s, the time period in which the movie is set. The number peaked at around forty officers. They were sent home in 1879, and a much smaller German advisory mission arrived in 1885. Britain provided some instruction for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but not for the IJA. Americans had a role in setting up Japan's modern, civilian education system during the Meiji period. Of course, had Tom Cruise been cast as either a mild-mannered academic or a Frenchman, the film would have had a short run at a few art houses and then vanished into obscurity.

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Last Updated Nov 01 2025 5:48 AM

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