Post WWII Japanese Policies

Japan's worldwide presence was shaped, in a large part, after World War II.

The Japan of today is a parliamentary democracy with a powerful international, economic presence. Many of the world's electronics and automotive manufacturers are headquartered in Japan, and the country maintains memberships with international groups such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. All of these facets of Japanese life have been formed through adherence to policies crafted shortly after World War II by American and Japanese leaders.

Before World War II

Prior to World War II, Japan was an isolated kingdom, ruled by an emperor. The emperor, regarded as a direct descendent of the Shinto sun god, led a nearly ruthless imperial expansion that involved the invasion of Manchuria, located mainly in northeast China, in 1931, and the invasion of the rest of the Chinese mainland in 1939. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, put Japan at war with the United States, a war that ended August 15, 1945 following the detonation of nuclear warheads by the United States on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Keeping the Emperor and Adding Democracy

One of the first and more controversial policies by the United States after the war was to ensure that the emperor of Japan retained his role within Japanese government. General Douglas MacArthur went so far as to shield the royal family from indictment for war crimes. The emperor was, however, required to denounce his family's ascendency from royalty, going from "imperial sovereign" to "constitutional monarch." This relegated the role of the emperor of Japan to one that was predominantly ceremonial in nature. A parliament, led by a prime minister, became the new governing body of Japan.

Disbanding of Military

During WWII, Japan occupied numerous territories through its military might. These included areas of China, Korea and islands throughout the Pacific. As a condition of surrender, Japan's entire military force was dismantled and the occupied territories were returned to their sovereign, pre-World-War-I state. Furthermore, the U.S. sought to impress upon the people of Japan that future military expansion was detrimental to their goals as a free society.

Economic Equality

In addition to promoting Japan's peaceful role to the world through the removal of their military, policymakers also sought to make them equitable contributors to the world economy. New economic policies included a unionized, fair work force. Since Japan was not allowed to form a military, the U.S. Pacific command protected its markets without the Japanese government incurring a direct cost. A U.S. policy document called for the Japanese to be "non-discriminatory" contributors to the world economy, opening Japan's trade borders to cheaper resources and a wider array of export opportunities. These policies would contribute strongly to Japan's international economic strength and the quality of life for Japanese people through most of the remaining years of the 20th century.

References

• CIA World Factbook: Japan
• National Diet Library of Japan: Japan: The Postwar Objectives of the United States in regard to Japan; 1944
• National Diet Library of Japan: Japan: The Postwar Objectives of the United States in regard to Japan; 1944
• History Channel: Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• PBS: Emperor Hirohito
• Indiana University Northwest: Japanese Economic Takeoff After 1945