Japanese 250
Weekly Quiz ReviewBefore studying content, be sure section has been updated for 2010.
[Quiz 1] [Quiz 2] [Quiz 3] [Quiz 4] [Quiz 5] [Quiz 6] [Quiz 7] [Quiz 8]
Quizes in JPC 250 will typically include:
1. T/F Qustions from the Irasshai Web Page or some other location.
2. Multiple Choice Questions from Fact related Questions covered in class.
3. Short answer questions related to readings and cultural concepts and
other content covered in class.
For Quiz 1: HistoryUpdated for Quiz on 4/6, 2010.
Quiz will include:
1. T/F Questions you will study off of the Internet. To study for T/F Questions, go directly to Explore Japan: Basic Info:
Facts - page at:<http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/basic/index.html>.Start at the top of the page and scroll down and pay attention to relevant headings as you search for answers to the following questions.
focus on being able to answer the following.
- Which three countries are Japan's closest neighbors?
- What is the nickname of the Japanese flag?
- What is Japan'sapproximate population as of 2000? * Click on the more info button and read the Nature and Climate page paying careful attention to information about the seasons.- What is Japan's unit of currency called?
- Written Japanese consists of how many writing systems?
- What are Japan's main religions? (Be sure to read the more info section.)
- How many prefectures does Japan have?
- What is the population of Tokyo relative to the rest of Japan? (Be sure to read the more info section.)
- What kind of role does Emperor Akihito play? (Be sure to read the more info section.)
* We will cover the Japanese government later.
- What are Japan's main industries?2. Review material covered in class including what is presented in the Daily Notes section in the class Web page:
3. Expect some short answer questions related to readings and cultural concepts and other content covered in class.
4. Be sure to know the following:
- Based on Gluck’s top 10 Things to know about Japan, be able to explain four
reasons why NOT TO KNOW ABOUT JAPAN IS NO LONGER AN OPTION.- Five main islands of Japan (You don't have to spell them, but be able to locate all five in their correct locations on a map).
- Be able to produce and spell correctly the first and last names of the current Japanese prime minister (Yukio Hatoyama - is the the Western-style name order).
In addition....
Short answer questions on the class readings will come from Discussion Question sheets located in the course Web site. Be sure to look these overs for the readings assigned including the one for the day of the quiz. Many of these questions you will be able to answer only if you’ve done all the reading.
Extra Credit points may be available that pertain to the material culture items introduced in class.
For Quiz 2: Economy, Politics and the Constitution
Updated for Quiz on 4/13, 2010.
The Irasshai Homepage menu section related to this topic is not sufficient for our needs. Therefore, go to the following japan-guide.com page: < http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e642.html> and follow the directions below.
When you arrive here - look on the top of the left-hand side of the page and find a red bar labeled, “Related Pages.” Skip the bold “History” link, but click on and read the each of the following sections: Economy, Government, Constitution and Law, Self Defense Force, Emperor ( here, pay careful attention to the information that describes from 1989 on - what the names of the current Emperor and Crown Prince), and Current Events). In each of these pages, read the main section that appears under the thick, red topic bar at the top. Also, browse around and get a general idea about the content in these sections. Explore related topics if you want, but in the sections identified above, be able to answer questions such as the following:
In Economy:
- What are Japan’s main exports and major trading partners?
- What are Japan’s main import goods and import/ export balance?
- What are Japan’s major industries?
In Government:
- What year was the current Japanese constitution promulgated?
- Who was the constitution promulgated by?
- What year did this constitution go into effect?
- Click the red highlighted word, "occupation" inside "Government."
Who was the first supreme commander of the Allied Power? Thus, which country
helped Japan put it's postwar constitution into effect?
In Constitution and Law:
- Who elects members of the diet?
- What is the voting age of Japanese?
- Who elects to prime minister?
- Besides elections for the House of Representatives and House of Councillors
(national elections) what kind of elections take place?
In Emperor:
- Do Japanese believe as historical fact the myth of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu?
- Throughout Japanese history, did most rulers respect the emperor?
- Spell correctly (in English) the name of the current Emperor and the name
of the Crown Prince. (They only have one name each.)
- What is the current (postwar) status of the Emperor?
In Military:
- What does Japan’s constitution prohibit?
- What is Japan’s military called?
- What is the purpose of Japan’s military?
- What percentage of the national budget is spent on national defense?
Also:
* Review readings and lecture topics covered in class (as posted in the class
notes section for Wk. 2) for the short answer section.
* Know all of the Basic Operating Principals of Japanese Culture covered in
Wk. 2.
* Items reflecting Japan’s material culture might appear as extra credit
questions.
Short answer questions on the class readings will come from Discussion Question sheets located in the course Web site. Be sure to look these over as you complete the readings assigned including the one for the day of the quiz. I will ask a question or two you will be able to answer only if you’ve done all the reading.
For Quiz 3: Education In Japan
Updated for Quiz on 4/20, 2010.
Secondary Education: Go to the following webpage to learn about Japanese junior high school: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education_in_Japan>. Read the section entitled, "Secondary Education in Japan," and, the "Middle School (Years: 7,8 and 9)," paying careful attention to the following.
*What grades do lower-secondary (middle school) and upper-secondary (high school)
cover?
* How do you get into an upper secondary school? (Read Upper Secondary School
section below.)
* Is attendance at upper secondary schools compulsory for Japanese?
* What new articles does the revision to the School Education Law carried out
on 15 December 2006 include?
* What do students who don't want to go to college do?
* What percent of Japanese leave the formal education system after completing
lower secondary school and find employment?
* How much more does it cost to go to private schools as compared to public
school? How many private schools are there?
* What subjects do lower secondary school students study?
* What does the government do to improve instruction in spoken English?
* What was the main aim of the 1989 reform?
* What have been the problems of great concern to educators and citizens that
began to appear at the lower-secondary level in the 1980s?
Next, go to <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Japan> and scroll down to below "Universities and Colleges" where it says, "See also." Click on the word "Japanese University Entrace Examinations." Read the College Entrance section and and try to identify answers to the following questions.
- When are university entrance exams held each year in Japan.
- How many versions of the tests are there?
- How important are entrance examinations considered to be?
- What do students do who don't pass these exams?
- What are students who don't pass their desired entrance examination who take
another year off to study in order to take it again sometimes called?
- What are Juku? (Click on the link and browse the long explanation to get a
general idea.)
Also:
* Review material about Japanese education covered in class.
* Keep up with the week’s readings and be prepared for a question from
the Kriska and Feiler readings from the past week.
* Be familiar with all BOPJCs discussed since last quiz.
* Be familiar with the current events issues brought up in class and posted
in the class notes.
* Items reflecting Japan’s material culture will appear as extra credit
questions.
For Quiz 4: Business (Economy and Industry)
Updated for Quiz on 4/27, 2010.
Go to - < http://eurotechnology.com/doing-business-in-japan/index.html>
From - Topics: 01. Win Big - Lose Big. Doing Business in Japan: Why
can it be difficult?
- Know the main reasons: that Japan was never a Western colony, and the five
reasons under: Some - but by far not all - western companies find it difficult
to succeed in Japan. Reasons include. Know the basic idea behind each explanation
given following each dash (-).
From Topics: 03. Avoid well-known mistakes...
- Read the five paragraphs of the main part of this section for a general feel
for the topic. There are four "common mistakes" that are mentioned
in these paragraphs. The first is not using common sense including studying
facts about Japan including customs (paragraph two). The other three are listed
in paragraph five. Know what they are.
From Topics: 04. What can we do about it? (Why is doing business in
Japan difficult, and what can we do about it?)
- Know the generalities of the four reasons articulated in each of the four
paragraphs under this heading.
Read the sections - 05. Relationships, and 06. Etiquette, and prepare to answer T & F questions about each section. Be sure to know what a "keiretsu" is.
In addition...............
* Study the notes from Week 4 material.
* Review the B.O.P.J.C.’s for Wk. 4 convered in class.
* Review ALL the reading questions from Weeks 4.
* Items reflecting Japan’s material culture will appear as extra credit
questions.
* PREPARE TO WRITE YOUR FULL NAME IN JAPANESE (using the most appropriate script) ON THIS QUIZ FOR POINTS!
Updated for Quiz on 5/4, 2010.
Go to - <http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e625.html>. Click on the following sections and prepare to know about topics and answer questions such as those posed in each section.
Work and Study: In theWork and Study section, click on
Immigration and look for answers to the following questions.
- Are U. S. citizens among foreigners that must be fingerprinted and photographed
upon entering Japan?
- Can U. S. citizens extend their stay by applying for an extension at an immigration
brureu in Japan?
- Can foreigners get work visas in Japan?
- Can students with student visas engage in paid activity?
Working in Japan: In the Work and Study section, click on Working
in Japan.
- What kind of work do many foreign residents of Japan end up doing?
- T or F? Qualified foreign nationals also might find jobs in fields related
to IT, modeling, gastronomy (what is this??) or entertainment.
- What are the to two keys to increasing your chances of finding a job in Japan?
Finding an Apartment: In the Accomodation section, click on
Finding an Apartment.
- It is easy to rent an apartment by yourself in Japan?
- The rental system of most conventional real estate companies is very foreigner
friendly?
- Most Japanese landlords love to rent to foreigners?
- Is renting an apartment in Japan is pretty much like it is in the United States?
Cost of Living: In the Everyday Life section (under Financial
Matters), click on Cost of Living.
- Living costs in Japan can be not so expensive if you eat Japanese food and
buy Japanese products.
- Utilities such as gas, water, electricity, and phone service is very expensive.
- Foreigners are exempt from bi-annual mandatory car inspections, so owning
a car in Japan is relatively inexpensive.
Postal Services: In the Everyday Life section (under Basic
Services), click on Postal Services.
- Japanese post offices include the regular services Americans are familiar
with including saving and insurance services.
- Most post offices are equipped with international automatic teller machines
(ATMs).
- Japanese addresses are designated the way they were in the Roman empire.
Mobile Phones: In the Everyday Life section (under Basic Services),
click on Mobile Phones.
- How many Japanese own a mobile phone?
- What are two of the biggest mobile phone companies in Japan?
- Do mobile phones from most countries work in Japan?
- Do most Japanese domestic phones will work in other countries?
Convenience Stores: In the Everyday Life section (under Shopping),
click on Convenience Stores.
- What are the three major competetors in the world of konbini in Japan.
- What kind of food can you purchase at a konbini?
Valentine's Day: In the Everyday Life section (under Various
Issues), click on Holidays. Then, go to February 14th, and click on the red
Valentine's Day icon. Read the first three paragraphs.
- In Japan when do women give men chocholate, and when do men give women chocolate?
- According to the survey, white day is more popular among married people.
Gift Giving: In the Everyday Life section (under General Background),
click on Etiquette. Then, under Etiquette, click on Gift Giving.
- There is a custom of Japan of giving gifts to friends, relatives, and co-workers
twice a year in December and in June.
- Omiyage are gifts brought back from a trip for friends, co-workers, and relatives.
- Japanese give Christmas gifts.
In addition...............
* Study the content of the Class Notes for Week 5.
*Be able to answer questions from the assigned reading.
* Review the B.O.P.J.C.’s for Week 6.
* Extra Credit items will come from Japanese artifact items introduced in class
on Monday 5/3/10.
Updated for Quiz on 5/11, 2010
Read the article entitled, Career Women In Japan Find A Blocked Path, <http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/06/asia/06equal.php>. This article would not be my first choice as something to have you read about women in Japan, but it has some important qualities that will serve to balance the rather neutral version of gender equity I provided to you in class. There just isn’t much good information out there in English about women in Japan that gives a balanced etic/emic view. This lack of good information in Japanese pertetuates the myth that women in Japan are second class citizens.
What I like about this article is that what happened to Ms. Kurose and Ms. Ariyoshi actually does happen to many women in Japan. But what I don’t like is that it’s an inelegant etic interpretation of an emic reality perpetrated by a non-Japanese publication in a piece written by an author who obviously doesn’t speak Japanese or understand the culture. Sure the article describes the experience of Japanese women… but only in one context, the context of business Japan – the cut -throat world of Japanese family owned small and medium sized businesses notoriously unkind to women and men who aren’t willing to or can’t put in long hours. It’s not an environment very representative of how women are treated professionally in Japan as a whole. In other parts of the Japanese manufacturing and corporate professional environment, women are free to own their own businesses, have time built into their corporate schedules to attend to family matters, and hold leadership positions. My sister-in-law recently got a one-year maternity leave from her administrative job at a hospital! This author makes it seem like Ms. Kurose is an example of how it is for all women everywhere in Japan - which just isn't true. If Ms. Kurose had a husband who could take care of their child and she could put in the time, she wouldn’t have gotten fired. Conversely, if Ms. Kurose had a husband who had to leave to go to day care, he would have gotten fired too. In other words, her treatment and that of the women depicted in this story are not necessarily because they are women, but because of the work ethic required by employers in that particular sector of the economy. Furthermore, domestic scholars often site the Equal Opportunity Law as contributing to the discrimination against women because employers are deterred from hiring women who they have to provide perks for they can’t afford and wouldn’t think of giving to anybody else.
Not to diminish the terrible experiences of Yukako Kurose or any of the other women portrayed in this article, and I’m not saying that discrimination against women doesn’t exist in Japan, because it does, but there is a lot more going on here. These examples are not the best, but do give a partial picture of what is going on.
So keeping this in mind…..
- What work expectations make it difficult for Japanese men and women in manufacturing
jobs to have children? (What do experts on women’s issues in Japan say?)
- How might women staying in Japan’s workforce affect the nation’s
population level and pool of brain power?
- What are some practical problems with the Equal Opportunity Law?
- Where does Japan rank on the United Nations Development Program’s “gender
empowerment measure?
- Where does the U. S. rank on this same measure?
- According to Ms. Tsuda, a Tutoring (cram) School Operator, what is the pay
disparity between men and women in this field?
- How is Japan’s declining birth rate associated with discrimination against
women in the workforce?
Also, be sure to review answwers for discussion questions related to the following readings:
Office Lady: Ch. 10 (11pgs.) RS21
Office Lady: Ch. 11 (20pgs.) RS22
Learning to Bow: Ch. 18 (10pgs.) RS23
In addition...............
* Study the content of the Class Notes for Week 6.
*Be able to answer questions from the assigned reading.
* Review the B.O.P.J.C.’s for Week 6.
* Extra Credit items will come from Japanese items described in class on Thursday
2/12/09.
For Quiz 7: Japanese Culture and Tradition - Seasonal Celebrations
Updated for Quiz on 5/25, 2010.
Go to: <http://hospitalityjapan.com/japaneseculture/Frame-39-japaneseseasonaleventspage39.html?refresh=1229878709660>
From main page: Be able to match descriptions with the month during which each cultural holiday is celebrated and answer general questions about each:
January: O-shogatsu (New Year's Day), Seijin-No-Hi (Coming-of-Age Day) * See <http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/things_japanese_24.html>
February: Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Ceremony) * See <http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2285.html>
March: Hina Matsuri or Momo-No-Sekku (Girl's Festival)
April: Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival)
May: Kodomo-No-Hi or Tango-No-Sekku (Children's Day)
June: (None.)
July: Tanabata (Star Festival)
August: O-Bon (Festival of Souls)
September: Tsukimi (Moon Viewing) * See <http://www.jpn-miyabi.com/Vol.5/tsukimi-e.html>
October: Taiiku-No-Hi (Health-Sports Day)
November: Shichi-Go-San (Festival for children 3, 5, 7 yrs old)
December: New Year's Eve and New Year's Holidays
Be able to answer questions about the following from information listed about each topic above:
1. Seijin-No-Hi (Coming-of-Age Day) - January
2. O-Bon - August
3. Taiiku-No-Hi - October
4. New Year's Even and New Year's Holidays
In addition...............
* Review the Kriska discussion questions since Week 7 after Quiz 6 up through RS 23 on 5/25.
* Review the Feiler discussion questions since Week 7 after Quiz 6 up through RS 23 on 5/25.
* Know and be prepared to produce in writing the definitions/ explanation of the review BOPJCs in the class notes section for the past week.
* Review course material in Notes section of this Web site since Quiz 6.
* Be prepared to answer cultural questions related to Sumo and Sado (Tea Ceremony).
* Extra credit questions will consit of content covered during weeks 7 and 8.
For Quiz 8: Japan - Yesterday and Today
Updated for Final Quiz on Friday, June 4th, 2010 up to the dotted line. Content may be updated until Thursday evening (6/3/10) however, so check back a final time after 5pm on this day.
First, go to the following page, and to the very bottom to click on
the links listed below for answers to the following questions.
< http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/history/index.html>
How was rice-growing introduced into Japan?
- During which period ( and what century) and from where was rice agriculture
introduced to Japan?
- In what part of Japan was rice agriculture first introduced?
- In what way other than as food has rice been used in Japan’s historical
past?
Who was Prince Shotoku?:
- When did Prince Shotoku live?
- Why is Prince Shotoku soo important?
- Who was Prince Shotoku’s predecessor?
Who was Tokugawa Ieyasu?
- When did Tokugawa Ieyasu live?
- Why is Tokugawa Ieyasu important?
When and where were the atomic bombs dropped?
- When and where were the atomic bombs dropped?
- How has this history influenced Japanese state policy toward nuclear weapons?
In addition...............
* Review all material covered in class since Quiz 7 (Weeks 9 and 10 - in particular, material in the Class Notes section of this Web page) and be able to:
- answer questions about the Feiler and Kriska readings such as those covered in class and/or on the discussion question sheet since Quiz 7.
- describe the basic characteristics of Shintoism, and Buddhism including Zazen.
- demonstrate a basic understanding of all BOPJCs covered in class this quarter up through Week 10. You won’t have to produce them all, but you will have to utilize them (describe and/or explain a number of them) in some way.
- demonstrate a basic understanding of Gluck’s “Top 10 things to know about Japan” and be able bring up examples from class, readings, or guest speakers to demonstrate your understanding of one or more which will be presented to you.
* Extra credit questions will consit of content pertaining to material covered in class during Week 10.
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