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100+ Free Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Exam

50 min / 100 points

Length and maximum score of the Hyogo social studies paper (held March 12, 2026, 11:30-12:20)

Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education Reiwa 8 selection guidelines

250 + 250

Academic test 500 halved to 250 plus 250-point naishinten report card, equal 1:1 weight

Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education Reiwa 8 selection guidelines

Mar 12, 2026

Reiwa 8 academic examination date; results announced March 19, 2026 at 10:00

Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education Reiwa 8 selection schedule

JPY 2,200

Entrance examination fee for prefectural full-time high schools, paid with Hyogo revenue stamps or online settlement

Hyogo prefectural high school entrance selection guidelines

1 : 1

Academic test and junior-high report card weighted equally in Hyogo selection

Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education selection method

100

Free original practice questions in this bank

OpenExamPrep

The Hyogo public high school entrance social studies paper is a 50-minute, 100-point written exam held on March 12, 2026, covering geography, history, and civics, set by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education. This page offers 100 original practice questions with explanations as a study aid.

Sample Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Hyogo Entrance Social Studies exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Japan Standard Time is based on the meridian at 135 degrees east longitude. Which city in Hyogo Prefecture does this meridian pass through, and what stands there to mark it?
A.Akashi, home to an astronomical museum on the meridian
B.Kobe, where the prefectural capital lies
C.Himeji, site of the famous castle
D.Awaji City, on Awaji Island
Explanation: The 135°E meridian, the basis of Japan Standard Time, runs through Akashi City in Hyogo Prefecture. The city houses an astronomical museum (the Akashi Municipal Planetarium) on the meridian line, and the whole country keeps a single time zone based on it.
2Which prefecture borders both the Sea of Japan to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south, earning it the nickname 'Japan in miniature' for its varied climate and geography?
A.Kyoto
B.Hyogo
C.Tottori
D.Okayama
Explanation: Hyogo Prefecture stretches from the Sea of Japan coast in the north to the Seto Inland Sea coast in the south, with the Chugoku Mountains running through its middle. This gives it both snowy winters on the Japan Sea side and the mild, dry Setouchi climate on the Inland Sea side, hence the nickname 'Japan in miniature.'
3What is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture, located on Osaka Bay at the foot of the Rokko Mountains?
A.Himeji
B.Akashi
C.Kobe
D.Nishinomiya
Explanation: Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture, sitting on Osaka Bay between the Rokko Mountains and the sea. It has been a major port city since Kobe Port opened to international trade in 1868, and it is the political and economic center of the prefecture.
4On a world map, the line of 0 degrees latitude that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is called what?
A.The prime meridian
B.The equator
C.The International Date Line
D.The Tropic of Cancer
Explanation: The equator is the line of 0° latitude, running east-west around the middle of the Earth. Latitude measures distance north or south of the equator, while longitude is measured from the prime meridian.
5Hyogo's urban and industrial lowlands lie on the Osaka Plain, one of Japan's three major plains. Which set correctly matches each of those three plains with its anchor city?
A.Kanto — Tokyo, Nobi — Nagoya, Osaka — Osaka and Kobe
B.Kanto — Nagoya, Nobi — Tokyo, Osaka — Sapporo
C.Kanto — Osaka, Nobi — Kobe, Osaka — Tokyo
D.Kanto — Sapporo, Nobi — Osaka, Osaka — Nagoya
Explanation: Japan's three major lowland plains are the Kanto Plain around Tokyo, the Nobi Plain around Nagoya, and the Osaka Plain around Osaka and Kobe, the last of which includes Hyogo's principal urban belt. The Ishikari Plain in Hokkaido is also large but is treated separately from the 'three major plains' of Honshu.
6Which continent is the largest in both land area and population, and includes Japan, China, and India?
A.Africa
B.Asia
C.Europe
D.North America
Explanation: Asia is the world's largest continent by area and population, containing more than half of humanity, including the populous states of China and India. Japan lies at Asia's eastern edge, off the Eurasian landmass.
7In most of Japan, the rainy season of early summer, when a stationary front brings weeks of cloudy, wet weather, is called what?
A.Tsuyu (baiu)
B.Taifu
C.Kosa
D.Shurin
Explanation: Tsuyu (also written baiu) is the early-summer rainy season caused by the seasonal rain front (baiu zensen) lingering over the Japanese islands from June into July. It moves gradually northward as summer approaches.
8On a 1:25,000 topographic map, what real-world distance does 1 cm on the map represent?
A.25 m
B.250 m
C.2.5 km
D.25 km
Explanation: A scale of 1:25,000 means 1 cm on the map equals 25,000 cm on the ground. Converting units: 25,000 cm = 250 m, so each map centimeter represents 250 m.
9Japan's population and industries are heavily concentrated in a belt along the Pacific coast linking Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. What is this belt called?
A.The Japan Sea coastal belt
B.The Pacific Belt (Taiheiyo Beruto)
C.The Setouchi industrial corridor
D.The San'in region
Explanation: The Pacific Belt (Taiheiyo Beruto) stretches from the Kanto region through Chukyo to Kinki and northern Kyushu along the Pacific coast. It holds Japan's largest metropolitan areas, including Kobe and Osaka, and the greatest concentration of factories and population.
10Which body of water lies between Hyogo's southern coast (including Awaji Island) and Shikoku, known for its mild climate and many sunny days?
A.The Sea of Japan
B.Osaka Bay only
C.The Seto Inland Sea (Setouchi)
D.The Pacific Ocean
Explanation: The Seto Inland Sea (Setouchi) lies between Hyogo's south coast and Awaji Island on one side and Shikoku on the other. Mountains on both sides block the seasonal winds, giving the region a mild, dry, sunny climate suited to fruit-growing and industry.

About the Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Exam

The Hyogo Public High School Entrance Examination social studies paper is created by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education. The single 50-minute, 100-point paper, sat on March 12, 2026 in the Reiwa 8 general selection (11:30-12:20), spans geography, history, and civics on the 2017 MEXT junior-high Course of Study, frequently featuring Hyogo-specific material and heavy document, map, and statistical interpretation. The paper is overwhelmingly selection-based, but its options run to six choices of full-sentence length and often ask which statement is NOT appropriate, so careful reading decides the mark. Admission combines the five-subject scores (halved to 250 points) with the 250-point junior-high report card for a 500-point total in which the test and report card carry equal weight. This page provides 100 original English-language practice questions with detailed explanations as a study adaptation — not an official translation or a simulation of the official format.

Assessment

The real Hyogo social studies examination is a 50-minute paper scored out of 100 points (500 total across five subjects: kokugo, social studies, mathematics, science, and English including a listening test); in the Reiwa 8 (2026) general selection it was sat on March 12, 2026 (Thursday) from 11:30 to 12:20, with selection results announced on March 19, 2026 (Thursday) at 10:00. The paper is created by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education on the 2017 (Heisei 29) MEXT junior-high Course of Study for social studies and spans geography, history, and civics, frequently using Hyogo-specific material on the prefecture's regions, Kobe and Himeji industries, and disaster learning from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, with heavy document and data interpretation. The paper is overwhelmingly selection-based; its signature difficulty is the option sets, with six-way choices appearing ten or more times per paper, options written as long sentences, and many items asking which statement is NOT appropriate. Topographic maps, statistical tables, and document extracts appear often, including sources not printed in textbooks. Each school admits applicants by combining the academic examination with the 250-point junior-high report card (naishinten, the grade-3 main-five-subject rating total multiplied by 4 for 100 points and the grade-3 practical-four-subject rating total multiplied by 7.5 for 150 points): the 500-point academic total is halved to 250 points and added to the 250-point report card for a 500-point selection score in which the academic test and the report card carry equal weight (1:1). Most full-time general and comprehensive courses use multiple-choice selection (fukusu shigan senbatsu) letting applicants list a first and second choice with a first-choice bonus of about 20-30 points by school district, while specialized courses use single selection (tandoku senbatsu), with optional special handling (tokubetsu atsukai) giving a 10% border-score reduction for notable club and special-activity records. This local bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation providing 100 original practice items.

Time Limit

50 minutes for the social studies subject paper (held 11:30-12:20 on March 12, 2026 in the Reiwa 8 general selection)

Passing Score

No fixed pass mark; scored out of 100 points (500 total across 5 subjects, halved to 250); selection adds the 250-point naishinten report card for a 500-point total with the academic test and report card weighted equally (1:1), with a first-choice bonus of about 20-30 points in multiple-choice selection

Exam Fee

JPY 2,200 entrance examination fee for prefectural full-time high schools, set out in the Hyogo selection guidelines, paid with Hyogo prefectural revenue stamps attached to the application form and from Reiwa 8 also payable through online settlement (Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education (兵庫県教育委員会))

Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Exam Content Outline

About 30% of this practice bank

Geography

World regions and climate, Japan's regions including Hyogo, population and trade, maps and statistics.

About 35% of this practice bank

History

Japanese history from the Jōmon period through the Heisei era: key events, figures, reforms, and source-material interpretation.

About 35% of this practice bank

Civics

The Constitution of Japan, human rights, the three branches of government, elections, the economy, and international issues.

How to Pass the Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: No fixed pass mark; scored out of 100 points (500 total across 5 subjects, halved to 250); selection adds the 250-point naishinten report card for a 500-point total with the academic test and report card weighted equally (1:1), with a first-choice bonus of about 20-30 points in multiple-choice selection
  • Assessment: The real Hyogo social studies examination is a 50-minute paper scored out of 100 points (500 total across five subjects: kokugo, social studies, mathematics, science, and English including a listening test); in the Reiwa 8 (2026) general selection it was sat on March 12, 2026 (Thursday) from 11:30 to 12:20, with selection results announced on March 19, 2026 (Thursday) at 10:00. The paper is created by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education on the 2017 (Heisei 29) MEXT junior-high Course of Study for social studies and spans geography, history, and civics, frequently using Hyogo-specific material on the prefecture's regions, Kobe and Himeji industries, and disaster learning from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, with heavy document and data interpretation. The paper is overwhelmingly selection-based; its signature difficulty is the option sets, with six-way choices appearing ten or more times per paper, options written as long sentences, and many items asking which statement is NOT appropriate. Topographic maps, statistical tables, and document extracts appear often, including sources not printed in textbooks. Each school admits applicants by combining the academic examination with the 250-point junior-high report card (naishinten, the grade-3 main-five-subject rating total multiplied by 4 for 100 points and the grade-3 practical-four-subject rating total multiplied by 7.5 for 150 points): the 500-point academic total is halved to 250 points and added to the 250-point report card for a 500-point selection score in which the academic test and the report card carry equal weight (1:1). Most full-time general and comprehensive courses use multiple-choice selection (fukusu shigan senbatsu) letting applicants list a first and second choice with a first-choice bonus of about 20-30 points by school district, while specialized courses use single selection (tandoku senbatsu), with optional special handling (tokubetsu atsukai) giving a 10% border-score reduction for notable club and special-activity records. This local bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation providing 100 original practice items.
  • Time limit: 50 minutes for the social studies subject paper (held 11:30-12:20 on March 12, 2026 in the Reiwa 8 general selection)
  • Exam fee: JPY 2,200 entrance examination fee for prefectural full-time high schools, set out in the Hyogo selection guidelines, paid with Hyogo prefectural revenue stamps attached to the application form and from Reiwa 8 also payable through online settlement

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Hyogo Entrance Social Studies Study Tips from Top Performers

1Learn to extract answers from tables, graphs, and short documents — the official paper rewards answers grounded in the given material, which MCQ practice only partially trains.
2Build a Hyogo fact sheet: the Kobe and Himeji heavy and chemical industries, the prefecture's five school districts, and disaster learning from the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake appear regularly in the official paper.
3For history, anchor each era with one dated landmark event and one key figure, then practice ordering events across era boundaries.
4Because the report card carries equal weight to the test in Hyogo, keep your grade-3 ratings high across all nine subjects, not just social studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the real Hyogo social studies entrance paper multiple-choice?

Largely yes, and that is a Hyogo hallmark — but the official options are much harder than four short choices. Hyogo uses six-way option sets ten or more times in a single paper, writes each option as a full sentence in Japanese, and often asks which statement is NOT appropriate, so the reading load is the real test. The paper is also built on topographic maps, statistical tables, and document extracts, sometimes from sources not printed in textbooks. This bank is an English-language four-option MCQ study adaptation with original items, not official past problems, so it understates that reading load. Work past papers with the real six-option sets and source materials.

Are these questions official past exam problems?

No. Although the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education publishes the actual examination problems after each sitting, it does not publish them as a multiple-choice set. This bank is an original English-language MCQ study adaptation aligned to the 2017 MEXT junior-high Course of Study, covering geography, history, and civics with source- and data-interpretation items, including Hyogo-specific geography and history content.

How long is the social studies paper and what is the maximum score?

The social studies paper is a single 50-minute exam scored out of 100 points, sat on March 12, 2026 in the Reiwa 8 general selection (11:30-12:20). The five subjects total 500 points, which are halved to 250 and added to the 250-point junior-high report card (naishinten) for a 500-point selection score in which the academic test and the report card carry equal weight (1:1).

What is the Reiwa 8 (2026) application and results schedule?

Recommendation and special selection was held February 16, 2026 (some schools February 17) with results February 20 at 14:00. General selection applications were accepted February 25-27, 2026 with application-change through March 4 at 12:00 and the JPY 2,200 fee paid with Hyogo prefectural revenue stamps or online settlement. The academic examination was held on March 12, 2026 (Thursday), with selection results announced on March 19, 2026 (Thursday) at 10:00.

What parts of the junior-high social studies curriculum does the exam cover?

The paper covers the 2017 MEXT junior-high social studies curriculum: geography (world regions, Japan's regions including Hyogo, population, industry, and trade), history (Japanese history from Jōmon to Heisei with world context), and civics (the Constitution of Japan, government, elections, the economy, and international issues including the SDGs). This bank distributes its 100 items across those three fields.

Do these details apply to the next (Reiwa 9 / 2027) entrance examination?

Most figures on this page describe the Reiwa 8 cycle, whose academic examination was sat on March 12, 2026. For the Reiwa 9 (2027 entrance) cycle, the Board has published the schedule: recommendation and special selection on February 16, 2027 (some schools February 17) with results February 22, 2027, and the general-selection academic examination on March 11, 2027 (Thursday) with results March 18, 2027 (Thursday). The five-subject, 50-minute, 100-point structure and the equal-weight (1:1) selection method have been stable, but confirm the current year's application windows, fees, and selection ratios on the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education's own pages before relying on them.