Reinventing Japan (entire)
Summary
TLDRThe video script chronicles the U.S. occupation of Japan post-WWII, detailing the ambitious American mission to dismantle Japan's war-driven system and instill a new democracy based on American principles. It covers General MacArthur's role, the transformation of Japanese society, and the cultural and economic shifts that took place, including land and labor reforms. The narrative also highlights the challenges of the 'reverse course' and the eventual economic resurgence of Japan, influenced by the Korean War and leading to a unique blend of democracy and capitalism.
Takeaways
- 📜 The script details the major funding by the Annenberg CPD project and the Ford Foundation for a program discussing the post-WWII occupation of Japan and its transformation under American influence.
- 🏳️🔧 The U.S. aimed to dismantle Japan's war-driven system and instill a new democracy based on American principles, showcasing a strong sense of self-confidence in their democratic model.
- 🤝 General Douglas MacArthur played a pivotal role as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, leading the occupation with a vision to reshape Japan's political and social landscape.
- 👑 The status of Emperor Hirohito was a contentious issue; MacArthur chose to preserve him as a symbol to maintain stability and facilitate the occupation's goals.
- 🗽 The U.S. sought to inculcate democratic values in Japanese society, including freedom of speech, human rights, and political participation, which were previously suppressed.
- 🎬 American culture, including jazz and Hollywood films, was introduced to Japan as a means to promote democracy and personal freedom, becoming popular among the Japanese people.
- 🚫 Post-war Japan faced severe economic challenges, including unemployment, inflation, and food shortages, which were contrasted starkly with the American military's relative comfort.
- 🌾 Land reform was a significant change imposed by the occupation, redistributing land from wealthy landlords to tenant farmers to create a new class of landowners.
- 📊 The 'reverse course' marked a shift in occupation policy, moving away from democratic reforms towards rebuilding Japanese industry and big business to counter the spread of communism.
- 🛑 The February First General Strike of 1947 demonstrated the power of labor unions in post-war Japan but also led to a reassessment of the U.S.'s approach to supporting radical labor movements.
- 💼 The end of the occupation and the Treaty of Peace with Japan in 1951 allowed Japan to regain independence while solidifying its role as a U.S. ally and economic partner in Asia.
Q & A
What was the primary mission of the Americans when they came to Japan after the war?
-The primary mission of the Americans was to dismantle the system that had led Japan to war and to create a new system based on an American vision of democracy.
How did General Douglas MacArthur's role change during the occupation of Japan?
-General Douglas MacArthur was anointed as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) and was responsible for leading the occupation command, aiming to remake Japan's image and promote democracy.
What was the impact of the new democratic policies implemented in Japan?
-null
Outlines
🎖️ Major Funding and Initial Occupation
Major funding for the program was provided by the Annenberg CPD Project and the Ford Foundation. The third fleet gathered for the occupation of Japan after Tokyo announced surrender. General MacArthur ordered airborne and seaborne landings as American warships headed to Tokyo, witnessing total devastation. Americans aimed to dismantle Japan's wartime system and establish democracy, confident in their dynamic economy and societal freedoms.
🤝 MacArthur's Leadership and the Emperor
General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of the Allied powers, aimed to transform Japan and left a lasting legacy. The occupation intended to recast Japan's system. MacArthur respected Emperor Hirohito's power and refused to try him as a war criminal, believing in his influence over the Japanese people. Their meeting symbolized a new relationship between Americans and Japanese.
🎶 Cultural Exchange and Democratization
The occupation introduced American culture to Japan, symbolizing democracy through jazz and movies. Japanese people eagerly embraced new cultural forms, including baseball and American films. Free speech was promoted, leading to a surge in new songs, dances, and movies, while SCAP installed radio shows to democratize Japanese culture.
⚖️ Post-War Reforms and War Criminals
SCAP sought to eliminate wartime influences by identifying and trying war criminals, such as Hideki Tojo. The occupation purged military leaders, businessmen, and politicians associated with the war. This purge led to the removal of over 200,000 people from power, which was well-received by the next level of office holders. The aim was to dismantle the military-industrial complex and create a nation of small businesses.
📜 Drafting a New Constitution
MacArthur's government section, led by General Whitney and Charles Cadiz, was tasked with drafting a new Japanese constitution. Despite lacking constitutional expertise, they drew inspiration from various global constitutions. Significant changes included defining the Emperor as a symbol of the state and promoting women's rights, although some provisions were too specific for inclusion. The Japanese government was astonished by the draft, yet it was presented as their own.
✍️ Article 9 and Women's Rights
Article 9 of the new constitution called for Japan to renounce war forever, a radical move inspired by MacArthur's vision of history. Beata Sirota played a crucial role in advocating for women's rights, despite opposition. The constitution was presented to the Japanese public as their own draft and received strong support. The new document symbolized a commitment to democracy and freedom of expression.
🗳️ New Political Landscape
The new constitution, backed by strong public support and newly elected female representatives, was officially proclaimed by the Emperor in 1946. Despite its American origins, it survived due to widespread acceptance of democratic ideals. The post-war period saw a surge in Japanese popular culture, with new creative freedoms and a focus on individual stories rather than national needs.
🌾 Land and Labor Reforms
The occupation's land reform redistributed over 30 million parcels of land to farmers, undermining Communist influence and creating a new conservative class. Labor reforms established independent unions, leading to widespread unionization and strikes. The general strike of 1947, intended to display political power, was called off by MacArthur, signaling a shift in occupation policy.
🛡️ Cold War Shifts
As the Cold War intensified, occupation policies shifted to prevent a Communist takeover in Japan. Influential Americans like George Kennan and William Draper advocated for rebuilding Japan's economy to counter Soviet influence. The new policy emphasized economic recovery over democratic reforms, aligning with conservative interests in the United States.
🔄 Economic Policy Reversal
The United States adopted a new plan to build up Japanese industry, turning Japan into a key player in the fight against communism. Shigeru Yoshida and Japanese conservatives gained power, and the red purge targeted communists previously freed by SCAP. This reversal favored economic stability over radical reforms, aligning with American and Japanese conservative interests.
📈 Post-War Economic Boom
The Korean War boosted Japan's economy, leading to significant military procurement from Japan by the United States. Prime Minister Yoshida negotiated Japan's independence while allowing U.S. military bases to remain. This economic recovery strengthened Japan's position and aligned it with American strategic interests in the Pacific.
🇯🇵 Japan's Dual Identity
As the American occupation ended, Japan maintained a unique economic system while adopting many democratic reforms. Both countries upheld myths about their relationship, with the U.S. seeing Japan as a protégé and Japan viewing America as a protective uncle. Japan's economic development followed a distinct path, combining centralized control with democratic principles.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Occupation of Japan
💡General Douglas MacArthur
💡Japanese Constitution
💡Emperor Hirohito
💡Zaibatsu
💡Land Reform
💡Red Purge
💡Korean War
💡New Deal Reformers
💡Symbol of the State
Highlights
Major funding for the program was provided by the Annenberg CPD project and the Ford Foundation.
Post-war Japan faced total devastation, with only remnants of structures like vaults and chimneys remaining.
The American mission in Japan aimed to dismantle the war-driven system and establish a new democracy based on American principles.
General MacArthur was appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, leading the occupation with the abbreviation SCAP.
MacArthur's approach to remaking Japan involved a mix of mystery, theater, and a force of nature-like presence.
The Emperor's meeting with MacArthur symbolized the new relationship between the Americans and Japanese and their new roles.
The Japanese public was skeptical of their former God, the Emperor, after he renounced his divinity and tried to soothe fears of famine.
Widespread unemployment, inflation, and food shortages were faced by Japan post-war, with 13 million unemployed and bad harvests.
The contrast between American affluence and Japanese poverty was stark, leading to questions about the Japanese way of life.
Democracy and jazz symbolized the new era in Japan, with American culture influencing Japanese society.
The occupation encouraged free speech and the liberation of suppressed voices in Japanese society, from workers to women.
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East tried Japan's war criminals, including Hideki Tojo, who was sentenced to death.
The occupation's 'reverse course' shifted focus from democratic reforms to rebuilding Japanese big business and industry.
The red purge aimed to root out communists from positions of power in Japan, affecting even non-communist union leaders.
Joseph Dodge's economic policies focused on balancing the budget and stopping inflation, impacting workers and businesses.
The Korean War inadvertently boosted the Japanese economy by providing a significant influx of cash through military procurement.
The Treaty of Peace with Japan in San Francisco concluded with Japan gaining independence and allowing U.S. military bases on its soil.
Despite American influence, Japan developed its own unique economic system, focusing on key industries and centralized control.
The end of the American occupation left Japan changed in many ways, yet still retaining its distinct economic and cultural identity.
Transcripts
major funding for this program is
provided by the annenberg CPD project
and the Ford Foundation the third fleet
gathers for the occupation of Japan
Tokyo announcing surrender Allied
commander General MacArthur has ordered
airborne and seaborne landings American
warships are on their way to Tokyo
there was nothing but total devastation
the only thing that remained were the
eerie remnants of vaults and and
chimneys but as far as you could see on
all sides there was just nothing left it
was really a horrible a horrible sight
the question was where you began
got to add to it positive
but if the negative latch on to the
affirmative don't mess with mr.
in-between after a long brutal war
Americans came to Japan with a mission
to dismantle the system that had sent
Japan to war and create another based on
an American vision of democracy we had
no doubt the most dynamic economy in the
world we have a society where human
rights and freedom of expression and
opportunities for political
participation were unparalleled we had a
great deal of self-confidence we felt
that that we had a repository of
knowledge and experience about
democratic government that was that
would be useful in other societies as
well and may I say so good many Japanese
well I think I not leader don't worry I
said when the Americans came I was so
surprised how big they were I used to
hang out with the GIS and I would ask
them hey what's your name where do you
come from so people did though many
people wondered what kind of trouble
there would be when the Americans came
but there really wasn't I think most
Japanese felt they were being liberated
the occupation idea was to remould
the Japanese recast the bonamo remake
Japan we're going to create a new
democracy our problems in the brain
inside of the Japanese head
there are 70 million of these in Japan
physically no different than any other
brains in the world actually all made of
exactly the same stuff as office these
brains like our brains can do good
things or bad things all depending on
the kind of ideas that are put inside
we're here to make it clear to the
Japanese that their time has now come to
make sense modern civilized sense
that is our job in Japan
such an ambitious mission demanded an
ambitious leader General Douglas
MacArthur MacArthur was anointed supreme
commander of the Allied powers the
abbreviation SCAP came to be the name of
the entire occupation command he wanted
the occupation to be a success and to be
a monument to his memory
the Japanese adore ago he wrapped
himself in more clouds of mysteries and
even theater and that is just the way
they wanted the NGOs alone it's like a
force of nature he was like the river
that flows or the wind that blows along
the field does I stole all that she
stood up to very few people thought of
MacArthur is the animal it was just as
if a new emperor had arrived I thought
she didn't know if that the whole yukata
the seal the new emperor was charged
with the task of remaking the image of
the old Emperor during the war Hirohito
was a symbol of national unity
now many wanted to try in as a war
criminal MacArthur was very
old-fashioned
he believed in royalty he regarded
himself as royalty and every time Dean
Acheson
or someone in Washington would say hang
Hirohito he would say blood will flow in
the streets we're not going to touch
that man MacArthur believed that the
emperor held a special power over his
people
if he was a god to the Japanese and he
could work miracles for the occupation
finally in the third week of September
word became secured to slay the Emperor
would like to come and pay his respects
would that be all right and MacArthur
said well about time he recognizes I'm
here
the Emperor arrived promptly I saluted
very smartly and I took the Emperor's
had said hey go bushy and he looked
quite startled he didn't want me to take
his hat but once I had started the
motion I did as I led the Emperor to
MacArthur MacArthur strode toward them
to make it very clear that they were
meeting he as equals no one was standing
still in the other Cummington and he
said you're very very welcome sir and it
was the lowest I had ever seen any
Japanese bow he bowed all the way down
so that the handshake was over the
Emperor's head and then MacArthur simply
took the interpreter and the emperor in
to the large drawing-room but first they
posed for a picture and in the first
picture the general blinked in the
second picture the Emperor had his mouth
open and started to walk away and then
the third picture was the one that you
normally see because the one with the
general blinking can't be printed in
America the one with the Emperor's mouth
can't be printed in Japan so there's
only the one for many the photograph
symbolized the new relationship between
the Americans and the Japanese and the
new roles of MacArthur and the Emperor
the first broadcast of the Emperor's
voice ended the war
then he renounced his divinity now he
tried to soothe the fears of famine
among his people but they were skeptical
of the power of their former God
no I can remember a 9-mil Adonis so they
Cunha a new style - you know Cordoba -
Takashi Saito Samuel put the venom of
squamous chaotic spirit I am kind of
scrawny
and all I'm not gonna cry gieux oh momma
ha but the war ended Sheila I was in
China in Shanghai I was a prisoner I
returned to Japan in 1946 and forgot the
whole modular party shogi or when I
arrived there was widespread
unemployment inflation was severe and it
wasn't enough to eat with my own house
had been burned to the ground
the six million civilians and soldiers
returned to a country that could not
support them in the cities the Japanese
lived in rubble in the countryside bad
harvests cut the food supply in half
there were 13 million unemployed food
was rationed
but newspapers carried reports of death
by starvation
in 1945 in 1946 there were still people
living in piles of rubble
the contrast between what Americans had
and what the Japanese had was so
startling that the natural assumption
would be that they've done everything
wrong as if we had the secret of success
yes folks this is army life in Tokyo one
face of it anyhow
roof garden Japanese dancing girls and
everything not bad what
excuse it please Joe seemed better
a [ __ ] jazz band - for Joe and mrs. Joe
and the ernie pyle canteen looks just
like home
when you put it to music this job of
occupation in Nippon could be worse
Japanese are a rather pragmatic people
and their system had failed them had
failed them completely and any number of
times walking along the Ginza young
people would come up and ask me what is
democracy is tell me what is democracy
so that we can adopt democracy and in
that way Japan can recover and become a
great and respected country once again
negotiating off you die tennis all war
war fight fight
it's always been hearing for years but
after the defeat suddenly everything was
democracy
jazz was the sound of democracy
trumpets and saxophones echoed through
the ruins of Tokyo as the Japanese
rebuilt the city
while Japanese tried to learn American
words Americans tried to democratize
Japanese culture
on national radio SCAP installed a new
show called amateur hour which looked
for new talent among the people baseball
was discouraged during the war as a
symbol of the enemy the occupation
released the pent-up enthusiasm for the
grand old game
Japan's favorite pastime during the
occupation was the movies during the war
Japanese movies were made for the good
of the Japanese nation and her allies
mother's smiled as they sent their sons
off to war powerful sensors banned any
books or films that damage the Empire
the Soraa not coming I could not stand
the Japanese centers and I was glad that
the Americans fired them immediately
Americans installed new sensors they
promoted the very things the old censors
had banned SCAP imported American movies
to teach democracy to the Japanese and
Japanese poured into movie theaters to
watch them Hollywood films seduced
Japanese viewers tired of sacrifice and
ready for more personal freedom before
the war kissing on-screen was banned
now it was an order from the American
sensor lovers on screen must kiss I like
that
I'd like mom
the occupation promoted free speech
Americans believed that big business and
big government had suppressed the voices
of the little people in Japanese society
from workers to women to intellectuals
now SCAP encouraged them to speak out
liberating the Japanese people from the
subjugation that they had undoubtedly
been subjected to it was a police state
and and people were glad to be liberated
from from those from that type of
existence
SCAP sought to root out all vestiges of
wartime Japan there'll be no more
Japanese walk back
no more Japanese warplanes
there'll be no more Japanese warlords
stop identified and tried Japan's war
criminals the most notorious and
unrepentant was Hideki Tojo the man who
led Japan's war effort accused Tojo
Hideki the International Military
Tribunal for the fiery sentences you to
death by hanging
many Japanese business leaders
considered partners of the military were
removed from their positions of power
this was the purge the removal from
office of over 200,000 military leaders
businessmen and politicians oh that was
a terrible experience to these people I
have my family at first you know that
clearly you were told not to go to
office how to make living was a good
question a great deal of dead wood was
discarded as a result of the purge and
the purge was very popular with the next
level of office holders in the next
level of managers in fact it was so
popular that at the time I used to refer
to it as early retirement Japan's war
effort had been run by a powerful
military industrial complex
at its heart were the Zaibatsu huge
business conglomerates owned by a
handful of families when Japan had
expanded its Asian Empire the Army and
the zaibatsu worked together to exploit
natural resources and cheap labor from
Southeast Asia Manchuria and Korea
there were familiar names Mitsubishi
built the zero fighter Nissan built its
first cars in Manchuria to remake Japan
occupation reformers wanted to break up
concentrations of power to change Japan
from the nation of big business to a
country of little businesses they would
bust up the Zaibatsu and release their
natural enemies the Communists
Japan's Communists were one of the few
groups who had consistently opposed
Japanese militarism when SCAP released
them from jail
the Communists renewed their attacks on
military government and big business
across organs in all sin doses a secret
economist Hindustani so they did not
understand what Arthur was thinking
maybe he was looking for a poison to
destroy the old Japanese system one of
the poisons available was communism so
mica poison he released the Communists
into the Japanese system it's got the
thornway male seal Japan's conservatives
were appalled by the American reforms
they asked MacArthur if he was trying to
turn Japan red and they wondered what
kind of people would ferment such a
revolution from above the broad
directives came from Washington but it
was from the Daiichi building in
downtown Tokyo that a few hundred
American men and women said about
reinventing Japan few had any knowledge
of the country they were trying to
change my knowledge was zero I had no
knowledge other than what one would
glean from a daily newspaper about Japan
MacArthur was remarkably ignorant about
Japan there are only 60 Japanese he ever
met and none of them was lower in rank
than a Supreme Court justice I remember
in the first election that Japan held
under the occupation I rushed it and
said Katayama has been elected first
Christian in Japanese history for a
socialist in Japanese and MacArthur just
looked up from his desk and said does he
speak English
many young reformers were ignorant of
Japan but they shared a faith in the
American principles embodied by the New
Deal of Franklin Roosevelt using the
power of government to promote social
equality I think it was their mindset a
an openness to change not only an
openness but but they a an impulse to to
promote change with missionary zeal the
occupation reformers tried to translate
the New Deal into Japanese the
occupation was as arrogant as it was
idealistic one country trying to remake
the other in its image
the biggest changes in Japan were
engineered by scaps government section
it was headed by MacArthur's friend
General Whitney a conservative
Republican but day-to-day it was run by
a more liberal man Charles Cadiz
I was a thorough new dealer and I think
we had people to the left of the New
Deal colonel Cadiz was a man of
tremendous talent tremendous charm I
believe he was able to persuade general
Whitney to go along with a number of
reforms that Whitney might have been
skeptical of because he was a profoundly
conservative person MacArthur wanted to
shake the foundations of the Japanese
state he ordered Japan's government to
rewrite its 19th century Constitution
when he didn't like the results he
turned the job over to General Whitney
and the government section one day
General Whitney called us in and said
you are now a constitutional assembly
and will work on writing the
constitution because General MacArthur
is not satisfied with the various drafts
which have been presented to him we were
to be operating in top secret
and that this draft constitution would
when completed be presented to the
Japanese government so they could
present it to the diet and to the people
as the Japanese government's draft to do
the job MacArthur gave the government
Section six days well I never thought we
could do it but once I heard him say he
wants it by the end of the week oh you
know I was thinking in terms of a month
or six weeks this was the opportunity
that many people would really give their
right arms for because here they the
small group of people were invested with
the responsibility of drafting a
constitution for one of the great
nations of the world here we were a
group of officers although not a single
one of us was a
career officer but still we were hardly
comparable to the founding fathers who
drafted our Constitution in the US and
we realized we knew that there were 24
authors among them a congressman a
novelist a newspaperman a doctor two
academics and five lawyers
no one had any constitutional expertise
I guess I was picked because I had a
freshly minted PhD in politics from
Princeton and maybe because Chuck Cadiz
wanted another Cornell alumnus there
were eight civilians there civilians
were picked pretty much by random except
for one young woman by the name of B
Odyssey rota who would had lived in
Japan so she knew what it was to live in
a police state consequently she was
assigned to the civil liberties
committee when we were given this task I
thought my goodness we have to have some
prototypes and I took a jeep and the
driver
and I drove from one University library
to the other and gathered up as many
constitutions as I could because I
didn't want to gather up all the
constitution one library because it
would might make the librarian
suspicious so I came back I think with
maybe 10 12 constitutions Richard Poole
was born on Hirohito's birthday he was
chosen to write the new constitutional
role of the Emperor we can't help but
ponder the role of a young Anson's in
drafting provisions that will govern the
functions of the imperial throne and the
emperor well it is it is rather a large
order to swallows we didn't want him to
be just window dressing in the other
hand we didn't want to give him the
powers that he had in the previous place
he finally arrived at the term that the
Emperor is the symbol of the state and
of the unity of the people memories of
the war haunted the Constitution article
9 called on Japan to lay down its arms
forever it's very difficult to require a
country forever and the day to forswear
armed forces even in self-defense so I
raised the questions and Colonel Cadiz
looked at me and said fool do you know
where that draft camp comes from I said
no sirs he said the general and he said
you need I say anything more and I said
no sir
MacArthur was concerned with his place
in history and wouldn't it be remarkable
than a military man was able to induce a
society like Japan to renounce armaments
I therefore come in Japan proposal for
the renunciation of war the thoughtful
consideration of all of the peoples of
the world it's worked out greatly to the
advantage of the Japanese because while
we spend six plus percent of our GNP on
for military purposes they've held
theirs to one percent
the article on women's rights was
written by Beata
sirota the idea that a woman couldn't
decide whom she wanted to marry the idea
that she couldn't divorce a man that she
really had no rights as far as property
was concerned it was very disturbing to
me and so I wrote in many many very
specific rights such as even prenatal
care and maternity leave all kinds of
things of that type which appear in many
other constitutions in the world not in
the American Constitution but when we
presented this to the steering committee
the steering committee which was made up
all of men said that this went further
than the American Constitution and was
too specific the provisions went into
great detail almost like a social
security law and so we struck them out
and I argued for quite some time and I
think I even cried a little bit she was
very emotional about this Here I am in
uniform you know or the 20 slip of a
girl really
and finally the Sirian come he said well
they would incorporate the main rights
that I had written on women's rights
changing the role of the Emperor these
radical changes never occurred to
Japan's conservative government
including future Prime Minister Shigeru
Yoshida then Yoshida and the others saw
the new American version
the reaction of the Japanese was one of
complete astonishment they were
dumbfounded General Whitney passed four
copies out to them so that they could
read the draft and said now we know you
want to read this and consider it so my
staff and I will go into the garden when
Shiraz who came to bring us back he said
to Whitney I'm we're sorry we've kept
you so long standing out here and
Whitney said Oh think nothing of it
we've been enjoying your atomic sun
shining at which point incidentally a
b-29 all over the foreign minister's
residence rather a load I thought it
certainly had a persuasive element
Japan's Conservative government hated
the new constitution but they were in a
bind because elections were coming up
and according to national polls most
Japanese firmly backed its principles if
the government continued to resist SCAP
threatened to put the American draft
before the Japanese people the
government gave in and presented the
Constitution as a Japanese draft few
people were fooled newspapers said it
smells of butter
meaning distinctly American omakase uxt
MacArthur's occupation came in because
imposed the Constitution on Japan we
didn't do it ourselves
true freedom true democracy must come
from within I agree with many of the
ideas but the process was wrong we
should have done it ourselves so you can
pause even day thank you estimate or
delegate
all during the summer of 1946 the
National Assembly debated and fought
over the Constitution among its
strongest supporters were 39 female
representatives newly elected when women
voted for the first time in Japanese
history strong popular support and the
backing of the Emperor secured passage
of the new document finally on November
3rd 1946 the emperor officially
proclaimed the adoption of the new
constitution it has never been amended
despite its foreign origins it was an
American document and every Japanese at
that time knew it and they they they
know it today so why has such a foreign
imposition survived the democratic ideas
were not something that we brought to
Japan these democratic ideas were there
many people paid very heavily for
espousing them the writers the teachers
the artists the labor unions the women
there has been I think a tacit coalition
among these groups to resist any basic
change in that Constitution which would
have the effect of resent realizing
government or remilitarization in any
way the freedom of expression
freedom of expression led to an
explosion of Japanese popular culture
new songs new dances and new movies
filmmaker akira kurosawa on location for
the first time since the war felt a new
sense of creative freedom I will see
assume there will not the woman saw the
joys of youth boy and the girl having a
picnic
these were subjects forbidden during the
war for the gunnel the homeland alone
that was typical of the way the Japanese
army thought suiting feel the flowing
romance
innocent playing all this would have
been censored that we were finally
allowed to shoot scenes like this
no regrets for our youth was a
groundbreaking film about the struggle
of a modern woman in pre-war Japan
mama Stockton at the time the status of
Japanese women was very low Muslim Oh
what do you mean Raquel metallic on all
night she I thought I would do a story
in which women have their own ideas and
self-awareness no it's good though only
the story is a spiritual Odyssey that
takes the heroine from the city to the
hard life of the country it was the
story of an individual not the needs of
the nation and that was powerful in
post-war Japan
I disagree no my sentence
in 1946 half of Japan's population lived
off the land
many were tenant farmers bitterly poor
tilling the soil for a handful of rich
landlords to stave off rising discontent
the occupation ordered its most enduring
change land reform MacArthur forced the
Japanese government to buy over 30
million parcels of land and sell it
cheaply to the farmers MacArthur once
said that I found without his own land
is like a man without a soul no sato who
was one of the leaders in the Communist
Party told me personally that that the
land reform had undermined for the
Communist Party because peasants who
would otherwise have been adherence to
the Communist principles had become
capitalist land reform created a new
class of conservatives in Japan labor
reform set free more radical elements
although kiyaah choose labor unions were
established very quickly in the course
of history this was a very unusual
development a country that lives a war
occupies the nation defeated and
installs independent labor unions
Japanese labor unions were very much and
they had like bamboo shoots they sprang
up in the first year of the occupation
four and a half million workers joined
labor unions
for years wages and union activity had
been suppressed by the military in the
cybot sooo now with unemployment and
inflation rising workers were ready for
more radical action
one of the first bold moves caught
everyone by surprise late in 1945 rail
workers seized control of the Tokyo
train and trolley system and let
everyone ride for free on May Day 1946
and the biggest demonstration in the
nation's history over two million men
women and children took to the streets
to demand wage increases political power
and worker control of the factories
by the fall over a hundred stripes hit
Japanese industries from newspapers to
car factories to movie studios the
movement peaked in the winter of 1947
when confident labor leaders called for
a general strike a display of political
power intended to shut down the entire
country boys imagine you doing that
macho Clio the February first general
strike from the point of view of most
workers was an attempt to help them eat
better and and get higher wages from the
point of view of the Communist Party
Jimmy it was an attempt to seize power
and topple the Yoshida College where she
died was the enemy of the left he called
the labor unions lawless he mocked the
economic reforms as revolution from
above leading to revolution from below
as the general strike approached said
Yoshida Japan was submerged in a sea of
red flags
the plan was to make this the biggest
strike the world had ever seen every
union had agreed participate in this
general strike all the factories all the
offices would have been shut down a lot
stall of Japan some members of the
occupation worried that democracy was
going too far
concern in the occupation especially
among general willoughby and in his
people the Communists were gaining
control though the labor unions and
there was some truth to that if the
trains would stop running communications
of bakoto of food was very short shelter
was was short also it would have been a
situation closely approaching anarchy
you know you're not fiddling for I feel
with my MacArthur band the general
strike his action crippled the
Communists but many Japanese workers
felt betrayed by the American reformers
who had given the union's the right to
strike it was a signal of reversals to
come
by 1947 events outside Japan were
starting to change the course of
occupation policy in China communist
forces led by Mao Zedong were routing
the armies led by America's ally Chiang
kai-shek in Eastern Europe new communist
regimes emerged many influential
Americans feared that the Soviet Union
led by Joseph Stalin was directing a
campaign to spread communism throughout
the world to continue a policy of
persecution and slaughter dooming our
neighbor nations in ourselves to reap a
rocket harvest of appeasement this
choice must be God against Stalin ISM
George Kennan was the man who wrote the
American blueprint for containing
communism he looked at Japan and
concluded that the occupation reforms
were paving the way for a communist
takeover to Kenan the occupation had
brought democracy but not prosperity he
saw the weakness of Japan's economy as
fertile soil for the growth of communism
as the Cold War became apparent then
there was this powerful argument that we
can't afford to weaken Japan any further
because Japan has got to be a bulwark of
the Western defense system and all these
reforms better this better stop and get
down to the business of rebuilding the
Japanese economy
to change the course of the occupation
George Kennan flew to Japan he was
followed by the Undersecretary of the
army William Draper a former investment
banker Draper was known as The Wall
Street general Draper tried to persuade
MacArthur to stop punishing big business
in Japan and start building up the
country
I personally taught the Draper to a
Kennedy they had no vision of a future
defending
a strong economic giant and a barrier to
communism but there was no idealism in
at all
was nothing about democracy scaps
reformers had pushed economic democracy
by busting up big business to make a
nation of small capitalists but that
meant taking from the rich and giving to
the poor which upset conservatives in
the United States Republicans won
control of Congress in their fall
elections in 1946 and there was some
concern among conservatives in this
country that the land reform that the
breaking up of the zaibatsu that the
purges were having a negative effect on
property rights and they were
complaining that this was much too
radical moving in the direction of
socialism Washington's growing distrust
of McArthur and thus cap reformers soon
began to circulate in the US press it
indicated that the occupation was in the
hands of mindless leftists who were
making Japan very vulnerable to
communism chaos perhaps even Anarchy
inside SCAP a division was growing
between those who wanted to maintain
democratic reforms and hardline ante
communists who wanted to build up the
country the division in the headquarters
became known to the Japanese and they
took advantage of that division of
opinion
to try to sabotage the reforms that were
suggested to them by the government
section because a she-devil oh not
anymore
new data inside McCarthy's headquarters
there were these new dealers and other
vessels we saw these people and worried
that they were trying to turn Japan and
don't mind of socialist country sort of
meta na na caixa Giratina can you
necessarily local to it operate of
general strikes and other signs okay are
surround us then it's the move that
keeps the pan from turning red ha so you
pay technical thought you'd say to uh
you hold my world okay tonight Japanese
and American conservatives joined forces
to undermine some of the earlier reforms
they sought to rebuild Japanese big
business under the guidance of elite
bureaucrats and politicians it was
called the reverse course moving away
from what yo should have called the
excesses of democracy it was a pity that
the emphasis was shifted when it was
shifted because there was no internal
Menace from the Communist Party in Japan
whatsoever in 1948 the United States
officially adopted a new plan build up
Japanese industry Japan would become the
workshop of Asia in the fight to contain
communism Shigeru Yoshida rejoiced a
month after the occupation changed
course so did the course of Japanese
politics in 1948 Japanese voters looking
for stability and economic growth swept
Yoshida and the Japanese conservatives
into power they are still in power today
by the end of 1949 Japan began a new
purge the red purge to root out the
communists cap had set free four years
before
conjure the abdominal Saki da cunha Oh
chi-su there is a bird called the ton
chosen it's a sacred crane with a red
head and a white body that bird was like
the Japanese label leadership was rancid
all did not embody it she sought the
rank-and-file workers with rather
moderate hope we stole money they were I
think this that I thought so when the
red head was chopped off labor movement
lost its radical direction Japanese
managers also used the red purge in
their battle against labor unions well
the roles of a pod you I was not a
communist but I came close to being
purged because I was a union leader
during the red purge many people who
were not communists lost their jobs
simply because they took a hard line
Colima official policy toward labor
unions had changed when the Touhou movie
union tried to occupy the studio and run
it themselves the police broke down the
studio gates
they were backed up by American tanks
and airplanes with the unions in check
the u.s. sent a new emissary to remake
Japan's economic policy on February 1st
1949 a Detroit banker named Joseph Dodge
arrived in Tokyo he was given total
authority to fix Japan's economy to
dodge the main problem was obvious
inflation money was losing its value for
this dodge had a simple banker solution
balance the budget inflation stopped
dead in its tracks
I still remember or ten months after
dodge policy but in effect there was a
newspaper news that some burglars took
money instead of goods which are this
Dajjal visibly pleased to know the store
that money is now getting some some
worse but for workers the cure seemed
worse than the disease dodge had cut
government subsidies to balance the
budget without government funds
thousands of firms went bankrupt in 1949
public and private companies laid off
over 2 million workers union leaders
were the first to go
economic conditions inflamed political
passions newspaper headlines were filled
with news of mysterious murders and
political sabotage the Yoshida
government promised recovery but the
Dodge line was mocking his promises of
economic prosperity Yoshida called it a
gift from the gods
it was the Korean War North Korea backed
by the Soviet Union invaded South Korea
backed by the United States the
Americans bought their trucks and
supplies from Japan the Japanese called
it divine aid that really boosted the
Japanese economy which had been under
severe recession so that I think the
real successful dodgy policy was helped
by this Korean War no doubt about it so
now I'll send you over country trying to
rebuild the infusion of cash from the
korean war effort was as important as
the baby Joe Santos also sent us a song
a Korean War boosted the Japanese
economy but it also allowed the Japanese
people to forget about what Japan did to
Asia in World War two Lee it was the
beginning of a new epoch in Japan like
if it makes money it's good on sale you
died between 1950 and 54 the u.s. spent
nearly three billion dollars in Japan
for military supplies it was called the
procurement boom it jump-started Japan's
economy and saved the regime of Shigeto
Yoshida in 1951 Prime Minister Yoshida
flew to the United States to make a deal
Yoshida wanted Japan's independence
Americans wanted Japan to rearm and side
with America
to San Francisco went times Frank Gibney
to interview Prime Minister she guru
Yoshida Mo Kio silat Aloha Donna Henley
ayahuasca
hey Joey after they say you must have
been a word rather stuffy yeah he was in
every sense of general of the old school
but he was the only Japanese statesman
of that day who was willing and capable
of standing up to the Americans and
holding out for what he thought Japan
should be no should have resisted
American pressure ER because he was
afraid military spending would damage
Japan's fragile economy oh what a mess
what mr. Yoshida said was that after the
peace treaty is concluded although Japan
will certainly have its political
independence Japan must then definitely
get its economic independence to go with
this we didn't realize the master notion
of his finance minister mr. akkada and
others were already planning the new
economic Japan
nine years nine months and one day since
Pearl Harbor and the bloody Pacific war
that ensued delegates from 52 nations
convened in San Francisco's Opera House
to conclude a Treaty of Peace with Japan
a little more than Yoshida signed the
peace treaty giving Japan independence
if desired
in exchange for allowing the u.s. to
keep its military bases on Japanese soil
but many Japanese feared the u.s. would
lead Japan into another war if we felt
betrayed when our democratic society was
marred from the start
this happened solely for the sake of
American self-interest initially there
were lofty ideals of remaking Japan into
a forefront nation for democracy and
global peace but by the early 50s
Japan's development was tied to our role
as an American base in the Pacific the
American Eagle has spread its wings over
mount Fujiyama a thousand years of
Japanese history has abruptly ended and
the new history is being written slowly
and laborious Lee even as the birth of
our own democracy ancient Japan were the
temples and pagodas our ancestors and
her guards may indeed become the outpost
of democracy in the eastern world
we wanted to change Japan into something
like ourselves we were the mentor they
were the Protege mentors always like
their protegees to be like them and for
a long time the Japanese were eager
people and they gave every indication of
absorbing the lessons and diligently
studying the ways of the teacher and
that was gratifying and flattering to
what the teacher did not notice was that
the student had his own very different
economic program while Americans urged
Japan to stick to toys bicycles and
cocktail napkins Japan put all its
resources into steel mills cars and
electronics they protected and nurtured
those key industries it was a system of
centralized economic control the
government working with banks and big
business for national goals this was the
old Japan ink that everyone likes to
talk about it wasn't a new system it was
born before the war after the war it was
democratized but the basic system was
invented before the war
McArthur arrived in Japan with a vision
of changing history not content to
simply occupy the country he assumed the
authority to remake it by the time he
had left Japan's military machine had
been dismantled and many democratic
reforms had taken root but the economic
system was still uniquely Japanese
as America ended its occupation Japan
had changed so much and so little that
both countries could maintain their
favorite myths about the relationship we
imagined that Japan was just like us and
Japan believed America would always
protect its right to be different they
thought of Uncle Sam as the rich uncle
an uncle that would be happy to see his
nephew do well we thought they'd
probably have a modest future trading
with Southeast Asia and other countries
in Asia we had no idea that they were
developing an economic pattern of their
own which was going to make history
got to access to it the positive you
line if the negative latch on to the
affirmative don't mess with mr. in the
treatment to judge the spread jaw
major funding for this program was
provided by the Annenberg CPV project
and the Ford Foundation to
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