Japan in the 1960s conservative politics economic growth

The Occupation August April 1952 Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) - General Douglas MacArthur Two main tasks: –demilitarization –democratization

Korean War (1950-3) Economic turning point for Japan: –war supplies to Korea –industrial resurgence –foreign currency –economic reconstruction growth rate: 9.4% growth rate: 10.9% 1952: Japan’s GDP matched prewar high

High Growth of Large investment in heavy industry Imports of energy and raw materials Government’s economic goals: –achieve economic self-sufficiency –achieve full employment –improve export competitiveness –keep domestic demand high

High Growth of Government’s plan to “double the national income in ten years” scheduled 9% annual growth rate large-scale infrastructure construction –Shinkansen (bullet train) –Olympic Games –port, road, and rails –human infrastructure

High Growth of labor-intensive in decline –agricultural subsidies –textile bankruptcies and “excess capacity” –coal industry in serious decline capital-intensive on the rise –large firms had 10- and 20-fold growth electronics and automobile

Government response government responded to some sectors’ decline with reorganization and subsidization technological improvement and facility modernization under government protection –Ministry of International Trade and Industry constant and critical role in developing the computer industry

The Iron Triangle bureaucrats LDP politicians big business executives

High Growth of Aggressive export strategy –businesses compete with foreign counterparts under government protection domestic market sealed off from competition Strict limitations on governmt expenditures 1965 Japanese exports exceeded imports for the first time in two decades

Government policies Macroeconomic success through internationally competitive firms –reduce the reliance on agriculture and small industry –capital-intensive industries –technically sophisticated products –improve national economic infrastructure –improve human infrastructure

Protection of domestic market U.S. products and capital dominated world markets to an unprecedented extent in 1950s and 1960s Japan remained virtually unpenetrated by –foreign firms –foreign products –or foreign capital Bretton Woods system ( )

Japan’s Economic Growth

Political & economic institutions Japan compared with other industrialized democracies –economic institutions dramatically different –economic performance was superior –longest dominance by one political party –far greater egalitarianism in political economy –foreign and security policy tied to that of US

Golden age of LDP Politics Liberal Democratic Party 1963, LDP won 55% of vote and 60% of seats in lower house elections LDP benefited from –the economy’s stellar performance –internal leadership coherence –fragmentation of political opponents –compensation of economically disadvantaged

Evolution of party system Combination of multiparty system with sustained dominance of one majority party Chaotic political party system –2 conservative parties, 2 socialist parties, communist party, and micro-parties Party merges in 1955 “One-and-a-Half Party System”

Major Political Parties Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) –conservative catch-all party –single largest party Japan Socialist Party (JSP) –“Japan Peace Party” Japan Communist Party (JCP) –anti-emperor, anti-capitalism, anti-military –only party untainted by money politics

National Vote Share

Suggested Readings e.html Journals in the UM library: –Japan Echo –Japan Quarterly New books in the UM library: –Japan in Transformation, –Japan's Emergence As A Global Power