歴史・文明

古代こだいローマの法律ほうりつは現代げんだいの法体系ほうたいけいにも大おおきな影響えいきょうを与あたえている。

The law of ancient Rome still strongly influences modern legal systems.

Usage 古代文明, 古代史, 古代ギリシャ. Japanese periodisation runs 古代 → 中世 → 近世 → 近代 → 現代, and the divisions differ from Western ones — 古代 here reaches to about the twelfth century.

Remember it 古 (old) + 代 (age) → the old ages.

現代げんだいの若者わかものはSNSを通とおじて世界せかいとつながっている。

Young people today are connected to the world through social media.

Usage 現代社会, 現代人, 現代語訳 for rendering a classical text into modern Japanese. Distinguish 近代, the modern era from Meiji, from 現代, the present one from 1945.

Remember it 現 (present) + 代 (age) → the age going on now.

ナポレオンはフランス帝政ていせいを樹立じゅりつし、皇帝こうていとして君臨くんりんした。

Napoleon established the French Empire and reigned as emperor.

Usage 帝政ローマ, 帝政時代, 帝政から共和制へ. The system of rule, where 帝国 is the territory ruled. Compare 王政 for monarchy and 共和制 for a republic.

Remember it 帝 (emperor) + 政 (rule) → rule by an emperor.

封建制ほうけんせいのもとでは、農民のうみんは領主りょうしゅに従属じゅうぞくし、土地とちを耕たがやす義務ぎむを負おっていた。

Under the feudal system, peasants were subordinate to the lord and owed him labour on the land.

Usage 封建社会, 封建主義. The adjective 封建的 has a life of its own in modern Japanese, used to call an attitude or a workplace backward and patriarchal.

Remember it 封 (enfeoff, grant land) + 建 (establish) + 制 (system) → the system built on granting land to vassals.

核戦争かくせんそうが起おきれば人類じんるいは滅亡めつぼうしかねないと科学者かがくしゃたちは警告けいこくしている。

Scientists warn that a nuclear war could destroy humanity.

Usage 核戦争の脅威, 核戦争防止. Related: 核抑止 for deterrence, 相互確証破壊 for mutually assured destruction, 被爆国 for Japan as the country that suffered the bombings.

Remember it 核 (nuclear) + 戦争 (war) → war fought with the nucleus.

両国りょうこくは長ながい交渉こうしょうの末すえ、平和条約へいわじょうやくに調印ちょういんした。

After long negotiations the two countries signed a peace treaty.

Usage 平和条約を締結する. サンフランシスコ平和条約 of 1951 formally ended the war for Japan. Distinguish 講和, the act of making peace; a 平和条約 is the document that records it.

Remember it 平和 (peace) + 条約 (treaty) → the treaty that sets down the peace.

領土問題りょうどもんだいは感情的かんじょうてきになりがちで、外交的がいこうてきな解決かいけつが難むずかしい。

Territorial disputes tend to become emotional and are hard to settle diplomatically.

Usage Japan's are 北方領土, 竹島 and 尖閣諸島 — they appear constantly in news Japanese. 領土 is sovereign territory; 領海 and 領空 extend it to sea and air.

Remember it 領土 (territory) + 問題 (issue) → the question of whose territory it is.

19世紀せいきの民族運動みんぞくうんどうがヨーロッパの地図ちずを大きくおおきく塗ぬり替かえた。

Nationalist movements in the nineteenth century redrew the map of Europe.

Usage 独立を求める民族運動, 民族自決 for self-determination. 民族 is a people defined by descent and culture, not by citizenship — hence 少数民族 for an ethnic minority.

Remember it 民族 (a people) + 運動 (movement) → a people on the move for its own cause.

18世紀せいきの産業革命さんぎょうかくめいは蒸気機関じょうききかんの発明はつめいをきっかけに始はじまった。

The Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century began with the invention of the steam engine.

Usage 第四次産業革命 is the current buzzword for AI and IoT, so the phrase is not only historical. 革命 itself is any revolution: 市民革命, 技術革命.

Remember it 産業 (industry) + 革命 (revolution) → the overturning of how things are made.

情報革命じょうほうかくめいによって、知識ちしきの伝達でんたつスピードが飛躍的ひやくてきに向上こうじょうした。

The information revolution dramatically raised the speed at which knowledge travels.

Usage Usually set beside 産業革命 as the next great shift, and sometimes called 第三次産業革命. Related: 情報化社会, IT革命.

Remember it 情報 (information) + 革命 (revolution) → the overturning of how information moves.

明治政府めいじせいふは西洋せいようの制度せいどを取とり入いれ、急速きゅうそくな近代化きんだいかを推進すいしんした。

The Meiji government adopted Western institutions and drove rapid modernisation.

Usage 近代化を推進する, 急速な近代化. 近代 is the modern era — for Japan, Meiji to 1945 — so 近代化 is the process of entering it. 現代化 is not used the same way.

Remember it 近代 (the modern era) + 化 (‑isation) → being brought into the modern era.

明治めいじの西欧化せいおうかは伝統でんとう文化ぶんかとの軋轢あつれきを生うむ一方いっぽう、国力こくりょくを大きくおおきく高たかめた。

Meiji Westernisation created friction with traditional culture while greatly strengthening the country.

Usage 西洋化 is an equally common variant. Narrower than 近代化: 西欧化 specifies that the model being copied is European. 脱亜入欧, leaving Asia and joining Europe, is the slogan from that era.

Remember it 西欧 (Western Europe) + 化 (‑isation) → being made over on a European pattern.

伝統文化でんとうぶんかを次世代じせだいに伝つたえるためには、担にない手ての育成いくせいが急務きゅうむだ。

Passing traditional culture to the next generation urgently requires training successors.

Usage 伝統文化を守る, 伝統文化の継承. 担い手 — the people who carry it on — is the word that recurs in every discussion of it. Examples: 茶道, 能, 歌舞伎.

Remember it 伝統 (tradition) + 文化 (culture) → the culture handed along.

文化遺産ぶんかいさんの保護ほごと活用かつようのバランスをとることが重要じゅうような課題かだいだ。

Balancing the protection and the use of cultural heritage is an important challenge.

Usage 無形文化遺産 is intangible heritage, 有形文化財 tangible cultural property. 遺産 also means an inheritance in the ordinary legal sense — 遺産相続.

Remember it 文化 (culture) + 遺産 (what is left behind) → what a culture left to those who came after.

世界遺産せかいいさんに登録とうろくされることで、保護ほごと観光かんこう振興しんこうの両面りょうめんで注目ちゅうもくを集あつめる。

Being inscribed as World Heritage draws attention both for protection and for tourism.

Usage 世界遺産に登録される is the fixed phrase for inscription. Divided into 世界文化遺産 and 世界自然遺産. Run by ユネスコ.

Remember it 世界 (world) + 遺産 (heritage) → heritage held to belong to the whole world.

一次いちじ史料しりょうを批判的ひはんてきに読よむ能力のうりょくが歴史れきし研究けんきゅうの基本きほんだ。

Reading primary sources critically is the foundation of historical research.

Usage 一次史料 for primary sources, 二次史料 for secondary. Distinguish the homophone 資料, materials of any kind — 史料 is specifically historical evidence.

Remember it 史 (history) + 料 (material) → the material history is made from.

小説しょうせつは史実しじつを基もとにしているが、創作そうさくの部分ぶぶんも多おおく含ふくむ。

The novel is based on historical fact but contains much invention as well.

Usage 史実に基づく for 'based on a true story' in a historical setting, 史実を歪める for distorting the record. The pairing 史実と創作 frames most debate about historical fiction.

Remember it 史 (history) + 実 (fact) → what actually happened.

歴史観れきしかんは国くにや文化ぶんかによって大きくおおきく異ことなるため、対話たいわと相互理解そうごりかいが重要じゅうようだ。

Views of history differ greatly by country and culture, so dialogue and mutual understanding matter.

Usage 歴史観の違い, 歴史認識 for historical understanding — a politically charged term in East Asian diplomacy. 自虐史観 and 皇国史観 name opposing positions in Japan's own debate.

Remember it 歴史 (history) + 観 (view) → how you look at history.