1. Asian Communism and the “Reverse Course”

2. American Occupation Initial Purposes Conduct Contrast with Iraq
Disarmament
Democratization
Conduct
MacArthur as SCAP
Thin US layer
Use Japanese bureaucracy
Contrast with Iraq

3. Shift in US Thinking Interplay of foreign/domestic issues
Foreign factors
Fear of Soviet Communism
Rise of Mao and CCP in China
North/South split in Korea
Southeast Asia as well

4. US Shift (Cont)
Domestic Factors (partial response to foreign “threat’)
Cost factors in Occupation
Republican criticism of Truman administration
China Lobby
Ultimately, McCarthyism

5. Upshot US change “Bulwark of democracy” in Asia
From idealistic democratic Japan
To a renewed and economically viable Japan
“Bulwark of democracy” in Asia
Requires rebuilding and not reforming

6. Reverse Course Breath of fresh air for conservatives
Shock of purge of government and business leaders, constitution, growth of left
Disappointment of left
Struggle into 1960s, effecting student movement, large segment of society
Seeds of postwar system
The Japan with which we are familiar
Shift unmistakable by 1948
Pronounced after Mao’s victory in 1949

7. Political Implications
Depurging of right
Many returned to civil, political life
Kishi Nobusuke most famous example
Now, “Red Purge”
Thousands fired from labor unions, businesses
Many jailed
Especially hurt labor

8. Conservative Revival Left-wing coalition governments lose out
Yoshida Shigeru in power
Established the conservative political base, still unbroken
Cemented US-Japan relationship
Sticking point: Article IX

9. Economic Implications
Dodge Line adopted to facilitate revival
3/19/49 Joseph M. Dodge in Japan
Stem inflation, balance budget
Reduce money supply
Set 360 yen to dollar
Bitterly opposed
500,000 lost jobs
Deflation
But successful in stabilizing economy

10. Zaibatsu Policy Reversal
No longer attacked:
cosmetic changes in ownership patterns
Still around today (keiretsu), neo-zaibatsu
Irony: great US business support for not breaking up zaibatsu

11. Japanese Labor Shift from SCAP pro-labor stance Conservative gov’t.
MacArthur forbids
May Day demo ‘47
Labor loses support of SCAP and Japan
Never becomes a political force in Japan
Conservative gov’t.
repression

12. Key Role of Korean War,
June 1950:National Police Force of 75,000 (later SDF)
Helped speed San
Francisco Treaty
Sept. 8, 1951
“Gift from the Gods”
Economic boom

14. Ending the Occupation Occupation ends formally 4/28/52
De facto earlier as
SCAP role ceased due to war
Soon followed by US-Japan Security Treaty
Japan as US client
US bases in Japan
Nuclear umbrella

15. Assessing the Occupation I
Mixed review
Better than anyone expected
Uniqueness of the experiment
Compare with Iraq?
Confidence/arrogance of US
An unintended consequence
Founding fathers of Japanolgy
Like Peace Corps and Mormon missions

16. Assessment II Positive side:
Constitution—no amendments to a foreign constitution
Land Reform—support for LDP
Negative:
Zaibatsu busting—Mitsubishi et al still with us

17. Assessment II Mixed assessment: Education Labor Local government
Economic recovery still stunning
The human connection still stands out Popcorn on the Ginza and “Sayonara”
Question for the semester: How democratic is Japan? What is the US credit/blame for that?