Reinventing Japan (entire)

Summary

The 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?

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Outlines

00:00

🎖️ 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.

05:01

🤝 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.

10:03

🎶 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.

15:05

⚖️ 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.

20:05

📜 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.

25:06

✍️ 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.

30:07

🗳️ 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.

35:09

🌾 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.

40:10

🛡️ 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.

45:10

🔄 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.

50:13

📈 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.

55:16

🇯🇵 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.

Keywords

💡Occupation of Japan

The occupation of Japan refers to the period after World War II when Allied forces, led by the United States, took control of Japan to dismantle its military capabilities and introduce democratic reforms. This occupation aimed to reshape Japan's political, social, and economic structures to prevent future military aggression.

💡General Douglas MacArthur

General Douglas MacArthur was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers during the occupation of Japan. He played a pivotal role in overseeing the reconstruction of Japan and implementing democratic reforms, including drafting a new constitution. His leadership was seen as both authoritative and transformative for post-war Japan.

💡Japanese Constitution

The Japanese Constitution, drafted under the supervision of the Allied occupation, introduced significant democratic reforms. Key elements included the renunciation of war (Article 9), the establishment of civil liberties, and the redefinition of the Emperor's role from divine ruler to a symbol of the state. This constitution remains a foundational document in Japan's democracy.

💡Emperor Hirohito

Emperor Hirohito was the figurehead of Japan during World War II and the subsequent occupation. His role was redefined by the new constitution, transitioning from a divine figure to a symbolic one. MacArthur's decision to retain Hirohito was controversial but aimed at ensuring stability and smooth transitions during the occupation.

💡Zaibatsu

Zaibatsu were powerful Japanese business conglomerates that had close ties with the military and government before and during World War II. The Allied occupation aimed to dismantle these conglomerates to decentralize economic power and prevent future militarism. This was part of broader economic reforms to democratize Japan's economy.

💡Land Reform

Land reform was one of the major economic changes implemented during the occupation. It involved redistributing land from large landowners to tenant farmers, thereby creating a new class of independent, small-scale farmers. This reform aimed to reduce economic disparities and curtail the power of the traditional landed elite.

💡Red Purge

The Red Purge refers to the post-occupation crackdown on communists and leftist elements in Japan. Initially, the occupation authorities had allowed communists to operate freely, but with the onset of the Cold War, policies shifted towards suppressing communist influence to prevent Japan from leaning towards the Soviet bloc.

💡Korean War

The Korean War (1950-1953) had significant economic implications for Japan. The conflict increased demand for Japanese goods and services, leading to an economic boom that helped Japan recover from the devastation of World War II. This period is often referred to as the 'procurement boom' due to increased American military orders.

💡New Deal Reformers

New Deal Reformers were American officials who brought their experiences from Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies to Japan. They aimed to promote social and economic equality through democratic reforms, including labor rights, land redistribution, and economic decentralization, inspired by their previous domestic policy successes.

💡Symbol of the State

The term 'symbol of the state' refers to the redefined role of the Japanese Emperor in the post-war constitution. Emperor Hirohito's status was changed from a divine sovereign to a symbolic figurehead representing the unity and identity of Japan. This was a key aspect of the democratic reforms aimed at reducing the Emperor's political power.

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