1. AFTERMATH OF WW II & ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN JAPAN

2. American Occupation of Japan The United States and its allies wanted to make sure Japan would never threaten world peace They believed the chief cause of war was Japanese militarism It had encouraged overseas expansion It supported the tradition of no democracy General MacArthur commanded the occupation force Introduced reforms to destroy Japanese militarism and build a democratic government Occupation ended in 1952 and the Japanese regained control of their affairs

3. American Occupation of Japan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPYzWnT1aA&featur e=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPYzWnT1aA&featur e=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKHSYdFWCs&featu re=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKHSYdFWCs&featu re=relmfu

4. Security and Defense In reaction to WW II, the Japanese followed a policy of pacifism, or the opposition to the use of force under any circumstances. Constitution of 1947 renounced war and forbade the government to maintain a military force During the Cold War, Japan aligned itself with the U.S. It established a Self-Defense Force as pressure to rearm increased Some Japanese believe their status as a world power requires rearmament Most prefer to avoid the hazards and expense of becoming a military power

5. Economic Miracle American aid helped Japan to rebuild their war torn economy Factories were rebuilt with the latest technology As a result, they were able to out produce to older factories in the U.S. Japan recaptured old markets and opened new ones for the manufactured goods. From the 1960s-1980s the economy experienced uninterrupted growth. Japan became a world superpower and its products dominate the world market.

6. Shift to High Tech Industries In 1973, OPEC quadrupled the price of oil Japan experienced an oil shock as rising prices slowed their economic growth They shifted from industries that used large amounts of energy to high tech industries Since the 1970s, Japan has become the leading producer of electronic goods Its economic success was built on producing these goods for export

7. Trade As a small island nation with few resources, Japan depended on trade Imports most of its energy sources, including oil from the Middle East Buys food from other countries It exports manufactured goods Japan’s foreign policy has focused on trade issues A trade imbalance exists between Japan and its trading partners Japan exports more goods to those nations than it imports from them It has been criticized for their trade barriers which has created unfair trade policies

8. Japan’s Economy Today Growth of China and impact on Japan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXA40KiknKE Impact of the earthquake and tsunami http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaw2caLOgNY&feature= results_main&playnext=1&list=PLC57A7B23200D0C87