JAPAN OCCUPATION MacArthur AND JAPAN MADE IT WORK WAS THIS A LOVE STORY?

WHAT QUALITIES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO RULE JAPAN?

JAPANESE EMPEROR ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR WWII  RADIO BROADCAST TO JAPANESE PEOPLE VALIDATED THE SURRENDER DEFEAT WAS COMPLETE-MILITARILY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY CASUALTIES: 9 MILLION ALL MAJOR CITIES DESTROYED ONE ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED EACH ON HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

ECONOMIC DEVASTATION  MERCHANT MARINE GONE  FACTORIES AND MINES CEASED TO OPERATE  FOOD PRODUCTION CUT IN HALF  6 MILLION JAPANESE FROM ABROAD HAD TO BE RESETTLED IN JAPAN  JAPANESE MILITARY AND ELITE DISCREDITED

MacArthur BECAME THE MILITARY DICTATOR OF JAPAN  U.S. ARMY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN THE PACIFIC (Island-hopping and the Philippines)  REGARDED BY SOME AMERICANS AS ARROGANT AND DIFFICULT  JAPANESE REGARDED HIM AS THE EPITOME OF A WARRIOR  NEVER ONE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT THOUGH HE TRAVELLED IN THE OPEN

JAPAN HAD A FUNCTIONING GOVERNMENT UNLIKE GERMANY  EMPEROR WAS SYMBOL OF JAPANESE UNITY  WAR CRIMINALS WERE EXECUTED TOJO BLAMED WITH LAUNCHING THE WAR  MANY JAPANESE PEOPLE UNAWARE OF BRUTALITY OF THEIR ARMED FORCES

NEW CONSTITUTION FOR JAPAN  CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY (British model)  DIET had two houses Prime minister was “appointed” by the Emperor though chosen by the Diet  PACIFIST CLAUSE  FOLLOWED BEST PRACTICES OF EARLIER JAPANESE DEMOCRACIES

POLITICAL REFORMS  UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE  “LEGAL PROTECTION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS”  EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WITH INCLUSION OF FEMALES  POWER OF BIG BUSINESS AND LANDOWNERS REDUCED

EONOMIC REFORMS  REDISTRIBUTION OF FARMLAND MacArthur ACCUSED OF SOCIALISM WHERE ELSE DID THIS HAPPEN?  ABSENTEE LANDLORDS PAID LOW PRICE WHICH REALLY BECAME CONFISCATION  NEW INDEPENDENT FARMERS BECAME CONSERVATIVE FORCE OF THE NEW ORDER

LESS SUCCESSFUL REFORMS  ENCOURAGED SMALL BUSINESS  ENCOURAGED LABOR UNIONS TO CHECK THE ZAIBATSU OLIGOPOLIES THAT RAN THE ECONOMY LARGE CONGLOMERATES LATER MADE A COMEBACK (keiretsu)

LABOR MILITANCY IS HALTED  SHORTAGES AND INFLATION CAUSED WORKERS TO TURN TO THE SOCIALIST AND COMMUNIST ORGANIZERS  BITTER STRIKES IN 1946 AND 1947  MacArthur CANCELED A NATIONWIDE STRIKE IN 1948  ECONOMICALLY STABLE JAPAN NEEDED FOR U.S. SECURITY INTERESTS (COLD WAR)

SOCIALIST PARTY WINS 1947 ELECTION  STALIN ORDERED JAPANESE COMMUNISTS TO FIGHT THIS “BOURGEOIS DEMOCRACY”  US OCCUPATION AUTHORITIES DID NOT FAVOR FURTHER SOCIAL REFORMS  POLITICAL POWER SHIFTED TO THE CONSERVATIVES

YOSHIDA ELECTED PRIME MINISTER  LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DOMINATED  FAVORED BIG BUSINESS  WANTED TO END US OCCUPATION  US NOW PREOCCUPIED WITH THE COLD WAR AND RELIED ON PRIME MINISTER TO HOLD STATUS QUO

MacArthur ORDERED END TO SOCIAL REFORMS  REDUCTION OF BUDGET DEFICIT  REDUCED INFLATION  COMMUNISTS PURGED FROM LABOR UNIONS  NEW UNIONS COOPERATED WITH MANAGEMENT  WAGES HELD DOWN AND INVESTMENT INCREASED

JAPAN BECAME CLOSE ALLY IN THE COLD WAR  GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE TO THE SU  PROVIDED AIR AND NAVAL BASES  OCCUPATION ENDED IN 1951  US-JAPANESE MILITARY TREATY SIGNED IN 1952  JAPAN DID NOT RECOGNIZE CHINESE COMMUNIST REGIME

JAPANESE ECONOMIC MIRACLE  MASSIVE US PURCHASES OF MATERIALS FOR THE KOREAN WAR  DODGE PLAN SIMILAR TO MARSHALL PLAN  FOOD RATIONING ENDED  HIGH SAVINGS RATE FUNNELLED INTO INVESTMENT NO MILITARY SPENDING  ECONOMY GREW AT FAST RATE

WHY THIS MIRACLE?  MacArthur watched out for them?  STRONG EDUCATION SYSTEM  HIGHLY TRAINED AND ADAPTABLE WORKFORCE  FAVORABLE TRADING OPPORTUNITIES  GOVERNMENT SUPPORT (MITI)  TARIFFS

MANUFACTURING EXPERTISE  Created atmosphere for creative thinking  QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY W. Edwards Deming Award  LOW COST-LOW PRICE STRATGY  PROFITS LESS IMPORTANT THAN MARKET SHARE  ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS THAT CONSUMERS CRAVED

KEIRETSU  BIG BUSINESS TIED TO EACH OTHER  COMPANY UNIONS WITH GUARANTEED LIFETIME EMPLOYMENT  HIGH WAGES  NEW TECHNOLOGIES  RELIED ON NUCLEAR POWER TO CUT DEPENDENCE ON OIL IMPORTS  LARGE ACCUMULATION OF FOREIGN ASSETS

KEIRETSU (vertical and horizontal integration) MITSUBISHI GROUP STEEL COMPANY PARTS SUPPLIER BANK TRUCK AND CAR COMPANY INSURANCE COMPANY TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATION POWER COMPANY

EXPORT MACHINE  HIGH DOMESTIC PRICES BRED CULTURE OF SAVING  WORLD MARKET SHARE MOTIVATED BUSINESS DECISIONS  FOREIGN COMPETITORS FROZEN OUT OF DOMESTIC MARKET  BANKS WERE BUSINESS PARTNERS NOT LENDERS

UNITED STATES AND JAPAN LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP  ECONOMIC COMPETITORS  MILITARY TIES THAT BIND  TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS  CONSULTANTS ON ASIAN POLICY