Significant parts of the Japanese adult population take written examinations for pleasure. A wide range of agencies carry out examinations on hobbies and cultural topics, from Japanese cuisine to MIDI music. History-themed tests play a prominent role in this ecosystem: two of the most popular ones are the Kyoto tourism and culture examination (Kyoto kankō bunka kentei shiken) and the Edo culture and history examination (Edo bunka rekishi kentei). Dozens of similar tests of history and geography exist on the local and regional levels.

This paper discusses the phenomenon of historical examinations as a prominent element of Japanese public history. After introducing some exemplary tests, it specifically focuses on the Edo culture and history examination. The paper first introduces the environment and infrastructure of the test, from the responsible organizations to the special privileges for successful examinees, and explains how the test works in terms of teaching materials, preparation and test design.

The central question of this paper, however, is how historical examinations function as a historical genre and part of historical culture – in other words, how they contribute to building a specific relationship to the past. To that end, the paper analyzes the framing and selection of content – which aspects of Edo history are curated and highlighted by the test designers? Which narrative of the Edo period emerges in the textbooks? And secondly: How does the genre of the written multiple-choice examination engender a particular mode of relating to the past and understanding of what history is and does?