I could recall Asian history to be a fascinating and frustrating subject. Chinese history would have the names be that easy to memorize though I never knew pinyin at that time. What was often taught in Philippine-Chinese schools was still the zhuyin, not the pinyin. It was common to mispronounce names in Chinese. Yet, memorizing the names like Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai Shek would be easier than memorizing certain Asian names and surnames that can be very hard to pronounce.
A good example would be Indian history. Try going to a Buddhist temple and ask if any person there could pronounce the names of their gods or saints in the Indian language. Sure, it would be very easy to pronounce Gayatri and Manjushri but can one pronounce names such as Avalokitesvara, Ksitigharba, and Samantabhadra. If asked for the history of Siddharta Gautama, they might even have a hard time pronouncing the names Mahamaya, Prajapati, and Sudhodhana. I could remember some Indian kings had names like Chandragupta Maurya. These names take extra effort to memorize. The teacher would definitely not accept the Chinese names of the gods and saints of Buddhism. The teacher would require one to write down the Indian names. One would need to write the names Ksitigarbha and Samantabhadra instead of Di Zang Wang Pusa and Pu Xian Pusa.
When it comes to Thai history, it's also a real challenge. There are names like Chulalongkorn, Rajananubhab, Vaijavudh, and Prajadhipok. Then maybe you heard of Thai stars like Thanapob Leeratanakajorn and Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul. Wow, that's a very long surname you have there right? Just when it's hard to memorize the names Avaloktisvara and Chandragupta. Thai history would make you memorize really long surnames.
Japan, the land of the rising sun also presents its challenge. The chief god of Shintoism is referred to as Amaterasu. Calling someone to eat is itadakimasu. Just think that some names and surnames in Japan can be very long like Yamamoto, Akimoto, Chosokabe, and Fukuyama. Though it's not as challenging as memorizing very long surnames from both Thai and Indian history.
I think memorizing these names can prove to be a challenge. It takes time and effort to do so. Sure, not everyone will be a historian. However, it can be used as a mental exercise to keep the minds sharp.