1945-2000
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The mushroom cloud over Hiroshima is a
representative image of Japan’s catastrophic
defeat in the Pacific War…..
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Came into office
1948.
Former diplomat
and antiCommunist.
1951 signing of the
Peace Treaty at SanFrancisco
U.S. – Japan Security
Treaty Signed
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Korean War acted as major stimulus to the
Japanese economy – Yoshida called it ‘the gift
from the Gods’.
Fear of economic recession.
May 1954: Yoshida agreed to set up SelfDefence Forces – an army, navy and air force in
all but name – with a maximum of 150,000
men.
December 1954 forced out of office.
Japan paid price politically and diplomatically.
U.S. refused to allow Japan to trade with PRC
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1954 growth of
strong pacifist
movement centred
on Hiroshima.
Stories of the
hibakusha became
heard.
Lucky Dragon
incident causes
concern about
nuclear testing
Japanese popular
culture: Godzilla and
Barefoot Gen
‘No’ to revision of
Clause 9
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November 1955: Socialists re-established previously
banned Japanese Socialist Party (JSP).
Prompted merger of conservative parties into LDP.
LDP ruled uninterrupted until 1993 with the JSP as the
main opposition party.
1990s amid corruption scandals and demands for
reform, conservatives alligned with JSP to break LDP
monopoly.
July 1993 coalition of oppositions parties led by PM
Hosokawa.
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1994 coalition collapsed.
Replaced by LDP-SDP coalition, led by the
Socialist Murayama Tomiichi.
1996 a government headed by Hashimoto
Ryutaro without socialists.
Japanese politics failed to stabilise due to
economic situation.
1997 economy tipped once more into recession.
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1960 Kishi Nobusuke
attempted to revise the
security treaty.
Signed in Washington
in January 1960.
May 1960: JSP tried to
obstruct ratification in
Lower House of the
Diet.
Kishi removed 500 JSP
demonstrators and
treaty was ratified and
became law.
24th June 1960 Kishi
resigned.
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Ikeda created new consensus by rebuilding the
dialogue with the JSP
Aimed to double Japan’s national income by
the end of the new decade.
Vital turning point in Japanese history.
Emphasis on economic growth set policies for
next three decades.
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1960s economy grew at an average rate of 10.4% per
annum, overtaking France, Britain and West Germany.
Tariffs used to protect nascent Japanese industries.
Good practices such as quality control were diffused.
Companies encouraged to disseminate technology and
patents.
Public and private capital made available to favoured
industrial sectors.
Removal of protective barriers lead to huge increase in
Japan’s exports.
1964 Tokyo Olympics signified Japan’s acceptance into
the international community once more.
Ralph Hewins The Japanese Miracle Men (1967)
P. B Stone Japan Surges Ahead: The Story of an Economic Miracle
(1969)
Robert Guillain, The Japanese Challenge (1970)
Herman Kahn The Emerging Japanese Superstate (1970)
Hakan Hedberg, Japan’s Revenge (1972)
Ezra Vogel Japan as Number One: Lessons for Americans (1979)
Chalmers Johnson MITI and the Japanese “Miracle”. (1982)
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Four main explanations
The national character explanation
The no-miracle-occurred explanation
The unique structural features analysis
The free-ride theory
Gross national product:
 1951-53 = 100
 1934-36 = 90
 1961-63 = 248
 1971-73 = 664
Index of manufacturing production:
 1951-53 = 100
 1934-36 = 87
 1961-63 = 400
 1971-73 = 1,350
Over the whole postwar period the Japanese economy
increased 55-fold.
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Treaty revision
taken to extreme by
novelist Mishima
Yukio.
25 November 1970
commited suicide
Jietai (self-defence
forces) HQ.
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1972-1993 Japan become a major player in international
politics due to economic power.
Inspiration to the newly industrialising states in Asia.
Admitted into the G7
Emerged as the largest provider of foreign aid to the
Third World.
Trade friction with the United States
Japan’s trade surpluses with the US and the European
Community spiralled out of control.
Late 1980s countries urged tougher action against
Japanese exports.
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1950 – Itai-Itai (lit. ouch-ouch) – cadmium poisoning
1956 – Small town of Minamata reported an outbreak
of mercury poisoning
1961 – Asthma in Yokkaichi
1965 – Mercury poisoning in Niigata
Minamata victim
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1964 Sato Eisaku won election on
environmental promise.
1967 Basic Law for Environmental Pollution
Control - criticised as little more than a
symbolic gesture.
Rise of citizen protest groups
President nixon cited lack of pollution control
as ‘an unfair trade advantage.
U.S. National Environmental Protection Act
provided model forJapan to follow.
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1971 Establishment of the Environment Agency
1972 The Nature Conservation Law
1974 Pollution-related Health Damage
Compensation Law: Allowed victims to claim
compensation without recourse to law under
certain circumstances.
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Early 1970s Japan’s consumption of oil accounted for
10.1% of the world’s total – twice that of Western
Europe.
1973 – 73% of Japan’s primary energy supply was oil.
99.8% imported – 85% from OPEC countries.
Price of oil from US $3 per barrel October 1973 to
almost $12 per barrel in January 1974.
GNP growth dropped to 0 in 1974.
Resulted in a massive technological impetus in
pollution abatement investment.
Led to a massive restructuring of the Japanese
economy.
Heavy industry exported to Asian or Latin American
countries where environmental regulations nonexistent.
Japan accused of pollution and deforestation overseas
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1985 Ministry of Finance
eased control over the
money supply.
Increase in liquidity
sparked wave of speculative
investments in property and
share values.
Bubble economy of the late
1980: Value of shares traded
on Japanese stock exchange
between October 1987 and
December 1989 increased by
120%.
1989-90 the bubble burst:
Japanese banks and
companies crippled by debt.