How to explain Japan's economic boom from the 1950's ?
When Japan surrender to the United States in August 1945, the Americans started occupying the country with main purpose to demilitarize and democratize.
In order to obtain the support of the population and assure a smooth transition, the US decided to retain the Imperial institution, although the emperor would lose his divine status. Women were immidiately given universal suffrage, which also proved very popular.
The Communist party became legal for the first time in Japan. The occupational forces thought of dismantling zaibatsu (financial combines), which they saw as the money-bags behind the military. They also wanted to decentralize education systems and the police, so as to weaken the power and influence of the central government. Nevertheless, the Americans did not care very much about Japan's economic recovery, and let it up to the Japanese to care about it.
When the Cold War began and China's Communists routed the Nationalists, the US government feared that the movement would spread to Japan and set on a "reverse course" in 1947. They sharply scaled back their plans to dissolve subsidiaries of the zaibatsu, relinquished their claims to war reparartions, then initiated a crackdown on Japanese Communists and pushed for the creation of a national police. Instead of having to pay war reparations to Britain and most Asian countries, the US arranged commercial treaties for Japan with countries such as the Philippines.
While the postwar inflation resulted in a total augmentation of of 15.000% from 1945 to 1949, the United States were now committed to solve Japan's economic problems. Japan's economy was to be cured by imposing three harsh measures : a balanced budget, the suspending of all state loans to industry, and the abolition of all state subsidies. The yen was set to a favourable rate of 360 for 1 US$ to stimulate exports.
But as these new regulations put tremendous stress on the Japanese economy, nearly drawing it into depression, the Korean War commenced. This misfortune for the ones, became a great fortune for the others. Americans military procurements surged. Orders from Japan amounted to two billion US$ between 1951-53, approximately 60% of all its exports. Large companies amassed profits for the first time since the end of the war and Japan's GDP soared like never before. Japan's economic recovery was launched.
The economic boom wasn't caused by the Japanese, it was caused by a foreign entity.
But it's not from the U.S.A., it's much more correct to say that the ones who are responsible for controlling the U.S.A. government, the U.K. government, the Nazi Germany government, and so on are responsible for the economic boom.
Come on people, those who have experienced first hand with Japanese people, do you really think that the Japanese are capable of doing that? I know that they are good people, but do you think that they are capable of doing that?
If you noticed, Japan had been reformed big time drastically for at least two times, not counting smaller reformations.
Anyway. Japan was reformed once in the Meiji restoration, and once also in the post Pacific war era.
It's also possible that one of the reasons on why the Japanese government was ordered to attack the U.S.A. (attacking Pearl Harbour seems to offer no great tactical benefit) is so that later on there's a reason for an entity to come to Japan under the name of the U.S.A. and the allied force, and then this entity start reforming Japan according to its image. Of course, the stealthiest way of doing it is to fooled people that the Japanese shinka/evolve by themself.
Note, if this is the U.S.A.'s actions, this seems to be unlikely, why go all the trouble of rebuilding the Japanese government and Japan itself? Especially in a stealthy way? Just make Japan as the U.S.A.'s 49th state, you don't go through all of the trouble of making an orphan become the head of his own family, instead the easiest and the painless way is to adopt him, and let him grow as part of your family. So its seems that the rebuilding of Japan seems isn't based on the U.S.A.'s self interest motive, nor any real desire of rebuilding Japan into a fine true independant country.
Anyway. I remember one joke about one country that was in a broke situation. One of the people in charge commented on how they should proclaim war on the U.S.A., then surrendered to the U.S.A. a few seconds (minutes?) later, so that they could get aids, supports, and so on from the U.S.A.
While it's a joke, there's indeed a truth in it. However, it's already been said on the unlikely fact that the U.S.A. do this on the base of self interest, and it's also unlikely that people on the Japanese did this on their own, it's probable that the whole thing was coordinated with the people from outside Japan (which comes from different places), considering that the ones who proclaim the war were the ones who get away, and probably given cushy jobs at the rebuilding process. What about some of their ignorant subordinates? Well.. If they weren't already dead, they probably would have been brought to the court and tried as war criminals.
Interestingly, the same thing that happened to Japan around half a century ago is currently happening Iraq, and of course the other recently 'liberated' countries.
If that's so, that would explain on why the Japanese 'Self Defense' Force was stationed in Iraq. 'They' made up the Japanese law, why should 'they' care about abiding to the law?
It's probable that the J.S.D.F. wasn't there because of request nor voluntary, it's more like that the J.S.D.F. was ordered to be there. Refuse? Well... 'they' are capable making the land of the rising sun into the land of the setting sun.
If many of the things in Japan in the post Pacific war wasn't really Japanese related. This beg the question, are some of the things that are often be associated with Japan are really Japanese, or they were just 'made in Japan'?
For example, many Japanese refused to be associated with such J-Pop culture like 'anime', feeling that it's not like the actual representation of themself.
(of course in Japanese, "anime" is a general term that covered EVERY kind of animation/'anime'eshon)
Interestingly, many U.S.A. citizens also refused themself to be associated with most or what ever Hollywood produces, with interestingly for the same reason.
It seems that these two type of entertainment industries are really belong to their host country at all, but if they don't belong to their host country, to whom do they belong?
My old prof woud have much to say about this subject
He gave a good lecture on it, too. The question is, how much of it can I remember?
:p
Anyways, if I recall correctly, he was infuriated by people who refer to it as an economic "miracle." His main points? Hmmm...... Man, it's foggy....
:relief:
I believe the essence of his argument revolved around Japan's post-war status. That is, cities might have been flattened, but there was a still a large infastructure of educated people. Highly literate society, a hulking bureaucracy, etc. If I recall correctly, many people involved in the Japanese government before the war remained involved after. There is one man in particular (whose name I can't remember...) who later went on to be a prime minister. (Anyone remember?)
How to explain Japan's economic
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Smart, discplined people, working hard !
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