J.Today Midterm Review - Japan Today Midterm Study Guide...

Japan Today- Midterm Study Guide
Essay: Discuss and analyze the US Occupation agenda of reform in Japan and how it
evolved and with what consequences. Also discuss how GHQ promoted transformation
and continuities with detailed reference to GHQ initiatives
GHQ/SCAP Agenda:
● General Headquarters/Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers- General Douglas
MacAuthur
●
○ demilitarize: demobilized all of J forces, tokyo tribunal, Article 9 of Const.
○ democratize: decentralize power, constitution, promote free press, unions,
human rights, check & balances, women’s right to vote; Zaibatsu/Keiretsu, land
reform, education reform; reverse course
● reverse course (continuity)- began Feb 1. 1947: MacArthur banned a general strike; cold
war- US shift from punitive- promoting recovery
● continuity vs. transformation:
○ continuity:
■ 1940 sys- bureaucracy (development state)
■ Hirohito
■ Zaibatsu--> Keiretsu
■ conservative political elite
○ transformation:
■
■
■ civil rights
■ gender equality
■ education reform
■ sep. of church and state
■ emperor--> symbol
■ decentralization police
■
■ land reform
■ education reform
● consequences- GHQ wanted to decentralize power, however they spread power so far
out that it can cause what we see J struggling with today being stuck in “deadlock”
where few laws get passed, there is frequent change in political leadership, political
leaders rely on precedence, no focus of being proactive
Identifications:
1. Economic Miracle:
WHAT IS IT:
● The name given to the historical phenomenon of Japan’s record period of socio-
economic growth following WWII (1950s & ’60s)

● Regarded as one of the world’s greatest success stories in the second half of the 20th
cent.
● Spurred mainly by U.S. investment but partly by Japanese gov. eco. Interventionism in
particular through their Ministry of International Trade and Industry
● Factors favoring recovery:
o Korean war - b/c of the gift from the God’s Yoshida; brought japan out of recession; J
had huge increases in production-Americans purchases war related materials
o U.S. market/licensing technology- J. companies have privilege access of money and
tech.
o Foreign exchange regulation - the govt. has leverage on import and export and gov.
has leverage on domestic production; no repatriation of profits; J. producers are
facing less competition at home
o 1940 sys -bureaucratic influence; administrative guidance (dev. State- industrial
targeting- which led to a red tapped bureaucratic driven economy )
o dodge line - joseph dodge aided j. on hyperinflation and budget deficits: forced J. govt
to adopted balanced budget, strict wage negotiation, fire unneeded employees, cant just
print out endless amounts of money. he solved the prob of hyperinflation but drove the
economy into recession (which was cured by the Korean war)
o GATT - General Agreement of Trades and Tariffs; J. greatly benefited from this; set