Essay: Japan – reform following WW2

Japan experienced major reforms after it was defeated in WWII. The allied powers had emerged victorious and had plans to “demilitarize and democratize” Japan. Of-course this was no easy task, as Japan was a traditional nation with a strong belief in militarism. However, with major sanctions put in place to limit their military, as well as the Allied forces taking control of their government, the nation shifted from a militaristic to a capitalistic mindset. Over the past 75 or so years since World War 2 ended, Japan, under extremely unlikely circumstances was able to reinvent themselves as a global economic super power.
Immediately the signing of the Potsdam Declaration, which attempted to remove any barriers to a democracy succeeding, hopes were high, however establishing democracy in Japan was still no small task. President Harry Truman, named American war hero General Douglas MacArthur the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or SCAP. General MacArthur’s duty was to lead the occupation of Japan, and hopefully accomplish the overall goal of establishing them as a legitimate democracy as well as easing the pain that, disease, hunger, and poverty had brought upon Japan after the war. Although he was well respected, the Generals heavy task of putting an end to the emperor system left many doubting him, assuming that a communist revolution would soon come as the allied forced this revolution. MacArthur’s early laws proved his intentions to be pure as he banned his own men from harming Japanese citizens or eating their already scarce amount of food. As well as making it one of his first priorities to address and help with the extreme hunger Japan was experiencing. With this he also originally implemented laws restricting the flying of the “rising sun flag” which was seen as a symbol of their communist regime, however these restrictions would eventually be lifted. General MacArthur knew in order for his plans to be successful he need the trust and support of the Japanese citizens. Gaining the support of Emperor Hirohito would greatly help him earn the respect of the Japanese Citizens and so he sought out to do just that. When the Japanese War Crimes Trials began, many pushed for Emperor Hirohito to be held accountable for his role in the war, however General MacArthur helped save Emperor Hirohito, arguing that it would be an extremely unpopular move among the Japanese population, hurting their rebuilding efforts. MacArthur’s argument was heard and the Emperor was not tried in the cases that resulted in 25 of the 28 being found guilty, the three who weren’t either found insane or died over the course of the trial. Of those 25 seven were given the death penalty and sixteen were given life in prison. MacArthur is responsible for Hirohito not being one of them. Along with this rather than stripping the emperor of his title he was stripped of political power and left to serve as a sign of unity and peace.
MacArthur had the respect of the people and he and SCAP had created a new constitution in which they believed Japan could strive. As part of the new constitution The Emperor was stripped of political power and the legislative houses or the Diet gained it, creating more ability for checks and balances and decentralizing the government. Discrimination was also outlawed. Extremely significant in the new constitution was “Article 9” which stated that the nation must “forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat of us of force as means of settling international disputes”. For a once military centric country this was a very significant shift. With these shifts towards democracy and increased freedoms, labor unions gained traction eventually leading to the Trade Union Law. With a large percentage of the company working in agriculture land reform was extremely important for economic development. As many people were working on government owned land in a feudal system, policies were put in place to ensure people could buy land with reasonable interest rates, meaning they have a chance to make real profits off much more products on much more land. Finally, Japan started to experience major economic growth. When the cold war began and American attention shifted and the efforts of SCAP decreased Japan experienced a “Reverse Course” as Zaibatsu’s or financial cliques began to reemerge, and the new labor laws were being changed. However, with the setbacks Japan still has grown into a major economic power.
Clearly, Japan experienced extreme reform following WW2. They began as a country who prided themselves on military strength to a nation focused on its economy and the well-being of its citizens. Through the great leadership of General MacArthur and SCAP, Japan smoothly made a very difficult transition and the goal to “demilitarize and democratize” has absolutely been achieved.