Political History

1945-1950:

-Controlled Revolution- the partial uprooting of political, economic, and social structures that had contributed to the repression at home and aggression abroad (7). Many Occupation reforms changed less than their American sponsors hoped and the important parts of the pre-1945 power structure continued to operate in the new Japan.

-To the people of Japan, Occupation Commander General and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), Douglas MacArthur, had "displaced the United States Government." For instance, SCAP censors discouraged Japanese newspapers from describing actions of President Truman or his administration and the local press seldom printed the name of any American other than MacArthur.

-Many of Japan's postwar achievements can be credited to Japanese diplomat Yoshida Shigero who took part in urging the Japanese Emperor to end the war in 1945 before a Soviet invasion or leftist revolution.

-Interesting note: Congress passed War Brides Act of 1945 to permit Asian wives and children of military personnel to enter the U.S. Over 6,000 American soldiers married Japanese woman even though these marriages were discouraged by both cultures (127).

1945-1947:

-The reform agenda was a compromise between planners who believed a progressive Japanese government had been "highjacked" by militarists during the 30's and others who insisted that deeply flawed political, social, and economic structures in Japan led to dictatorship and war (10).

-The Program: Advocate socialistic reforms in an effort to purge a "decadent past" and "clear the way for the ultimate development in Japan of a healthy economy based upon free, competitive private enterprise." -Reforms: New constitution, democratization of the rural economy, reorganization of national police, reorganization of education system based on American ideals, voided repressive labor codes, cleansing of the landscape of militarists and ultranationalists. (11)

-Resisting change: Many powerful structures resisted change. Prewar career bureaucrats remained in charge of most ministries hardly touched by the purge or new constitution. Continuity and change characterized Japanese politics after 1945. Japanese government mostly remained in place subject to supervision and direction by American authorities. -In 1947 the Truman administration looked to Japan due to deterioration of relations with the Soviet Union. They found that MacArthur was wrecking the Japanese economy, yet Truman hesitated to intervene (13).

-In 1948 the Policy Planning Staff to the National Security Council proposed a plan for economic recovery as the prime objective in Japan. Truman approved this plan, Congress passed the Economic Recovery in Occupied Areas bill (offering substantial amounts of capital and raw materials), and Truman named Detroit banker Joseph Dodge to oversee SCAP and implement the new program (17).

-Dodge's goals: industrial recovery, export promotion, and containment of Communism. America could use a stable Japan as a key "border areas in the clash between communism and democracy" in the world. Also, Japan would aid the United States in its influence over relations with all of the Orient.

1952-1955:

-Occupation ended in April 1952. Over 200,000 American troops still remained in Japan on bases and Americans contrived Okinawa and other outlying islands. America controlled Japan's trade, diplomacy, and security. Japanese political and business leaders managed to steer many American initiatives in directions factorable to Japan.

-In order to hold the alliance together Japan and the United States needed to compromise on the issues of rearmament, relations with China, and commercial relations with South East Asia. America chose to favor the maintaining military bases in a stable Japan and isolating China over pressing Japan to rearm. Japan favored the need to assure procurements and access to American consumers over observing the "no war" clause of the constitution or establishing diplomatic ties to China (62).

-In Japan policy opinions were separated by the Conservative and Socialist parties. America urged, instead, organization of a single conservative party committed to the alliance with America, favoring rearmament, and imposed to the Socialists (64).

1954-1960:

-Japanese economy grows over 10% annually for next 15 years.By 1960, discontent at being attached to an unequal security treaty increase dramatically as does Japanese exports to the United States. U.S. would not tolerate any improving relations between Japan and the Communist bloc (113).

-Security treaty of 1951 altered in 1955. Security treaty was written during Korean War and said to be the "price to be paid for ending the Occupation." American forces, under 1955 amendment were empowered to intervene in domestic affairs but had no obligation to defend the country. U.S. could use Japan to station bases and troops for intervening in other countries, but Japan could not station nuclear weapons on its own soil (129).

-In 1958 a revised security treaty was proposed to assure the "closest possible relations with the Japanese government." The Eisenhower administration was prepared to surrender privileges and accept a limited military commitment from Tokyo. The issue of nuclear weapons was so controversial that it was not addressed in the treaty.

-Early 1960 negotiators in Japan and U.S. revised security treaty and an administrative agreement, getting the treaty signed was the "most bruising episode in postwar Japanese-American relations" (142). The new treaty eliminated many unequal provisions of the 1951 pact, but Socialists in Japan were still opposed to the foreign forces in Japan because they provided the chance of conflict with China and the Soviet Union.

-On May 20, 1960 the Diet members (favored by Liberal Democrats) approved the treaty, Congress voted 90-2 to ratify the treaty on June 22 of 1960.

-At the end of 1960 the relations between American and Japan were described as the following: Japan's stability rested on the U.S. as an important source of industrial raw materials and largest single market, and also for leadership in fostering liberal trade policies throughout the free would and especially among the industrialized nations of Western Europe. Also, MacArthur's nephew advised JFK to "view Japan as an equal, whom we respect and not as a formerly occupied country that we expect to follow along in our wake (162).

All information taken from:
Schaller, Michael. Altered States: The United States and Japan Since the Occupation. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.