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Change and development of Japan
Content Focus
• Overview the political, social, economic and
cultural conditions in the early 20th century
• Factors for the rise of militarism and its impact
• Factors for postwar economic growth
• Relations with other Asian countries (Political,
economic and cultural)
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Early 20th Century
Meiji Period
Taisho Period
Showa Period
[1868-1912]
[ 1912-1926]
[1926-1989 ]
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
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•
•
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Political conditions
Social conditions
Economic conditions
Cultural conditions
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Political Conditions
1. Democratic Development
Meiji Constitution
Rise of political parties, e.g. Seiyukai (政友會) &
Minseito (民政黨)
Rise of ultra-nationalist activities
How democratic?
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
2. Foreign Relations
1900-01: Eight-Power Expedition
1902: Anglo-Japanese Alliance
1904-05: Russo-Japanese War
1914-18: WWI
1921-22: Washington Conference
1924-27 & 29-31: Shidehara Diplomacy
1931: Shenyang Incident
Relations:
• friendly? peaceful? hostile?
• change and continuity
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Social Conditions
1. Westernized? Traditional?
Westernized:
• Social equality
• Western style of living: e.g.
food, clothing, ceremony,
western movies,
 Traditional:
•Food, e.g. Sushi, Sashimi
•Religious ceremonies
•Kimono
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Social Conditions
1. Westernized? Traditional?
Westernized:
• Social equality
• Western style of living:
e.g. food, clothing,
ceremony, western movies,
 Traditional:
•Food, e.g. Sushi, Sashimi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw8y
I2giR14
•Religious ceremonies
•Kimono (和服)
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
2. Prosperity? Poverty?
Urbanization
Widening gap
between the urban
and rural areas
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
3. High degree of freedom?
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
The
women's
class of the
Iwate
Teachers'
School.,
1914
Basic human rights under the Meiji Constitution
Many labour organizations & movements
1920: New Women’s Association
Extent of the freedom?
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Economic Conditions
1. Economic prosperity? Rapid industrialization & strong
influence of Zaibatsu
Mitsubishi
(三菱)
Mitsui (三井)
Sumitomo
(住友)
Yasuda
(安田)
A Match Factory in Late Taisho
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
2. Economic Ups
and Downs
 Economic boom:
 Economic bust:
• 1923: Great
Tokyo Earthquake
• 1927: Bank Crisis
• 1929: Great
Depression
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Cultural Conditions
1. Western Culture? Traditional Culture?
-Western and Japanese movies, drama
-Shintoism (state religion), Confucianism, Ukiyo-e (浮世澮)
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Overview of the political, social, economic
and cultural conditions in the 20th century
Characteristics:
 Pseudo-democracy
 Bi-polarisation
 Co-existence of westernization and tradition
 Race between freedom and power/authority
 Alternation of amity and hostility
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Rise of Militarism
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Factors of the Rise of Militarism
1. Militaristic Tradition
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Factors of the Rise of Militarism
2.Weaknesses of the Party Government
Corruption of the Parties
Lack of Mass Support
Economic Crises
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Factors of the Rise of Militarism
3. Rise of domestic needs
A Japanese poster recruiting youngsters
to join the army to invade Manchuria
A Japanese poster promoting
emigration to Korea and
Manchuria in the 1930s
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Factors of the Rise of Militarism
4. Inglorious Foreign Policy
Japan in Washington Conference
Japan in London Naval Conference
of 1930
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Factors of the Rise of Militarism
5. Rise of Extreme
Nationalistic Ideas
6. Western
Discrimination
7. International
Circumstances
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
• Reasons for the Rise of Militarism
Militaristic Tradition
Weaknesses of the Party Government
Western discrimination against Japan
Inglorious Foreign Policy
Growing domestic needs
Rise of Extreme Nationalistic Ideas
International Situation
•Relations between conditions in the
early period and the rise of militarism
•Relative importance?
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Characteristics of militarism:
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•
•
•
•
Emphasis on the use of force
Stress on absolute loyalty and obedience
Promotion of foreign expansion
Pan-Asianism
Anti-communism
Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Impact on Japan’s
Relations with other
countries
Impact of the Rise of Militarism
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Impact of the Rise of Militarism
Foreign Expansion
Just this one?
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Impact of the Rise of Militarism
Impact on Japan’s
domestic development
Rise of extreme
nationalists
Militaristic associations
Political instability
Collapse of the party
government
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Factors for the Rise of Militarism & its Impact
Impact on Japan’s
domestic development
Political Control of the
militarists
Suppressive livelihood
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
Stages of the Postwar Economic Growth
1. Economic Reconstruction (1945 – 1952)
2. Economic Boom (1955 – 70)
3. Period of Transformation(1971 - 79)
4. Economic Slowdown(1980 onwards)
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
Postwar Economic Situation
Hiroshima after WWII
Nagasaki after WWII
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
Postwar Economic Situation
百年物語 disk2
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
• Reasons for each period???
• Common Factors???
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
• Common Factors
 Role of the US: SCAP & Post-SCAP Policies
 Active Role of the Japanese Government
 National Characters of the Japanese
Favourable International Circumstances
Importance? Relative Importance?
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
Economic recovery
Open-air shopping street in 1945
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Factors for Postwar Economic Growth
Economic recovery
A shopping street in 1955
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Jusco in the 1970s.
Relations with Other Asian Countries
• Political Relations
• Economic Relations
• Cultural Relations
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Relations with Other Asian Countries
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Relations with Other Asian Countries
• Chronological approach
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s and after
•Problem: confined to political and economic
aspects
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•Relations with Other Asian Countries
Thematic
approach
Political: improving relations with
Asian countries
Obstacles:
• Denials of Aggression
• Official visits to Yasukuni Shrine
• Denials to Asian people's Quest for War
Compensation
• Territorial Disputes with China
•Change and continuity??
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Relations with Other Asian Countries
Thematic
approach
Economic: From limited economic
contact to strengthening economic
relations with Asian countries
•Change and continuity??
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Relations with Other Asian Countries
Thematic
approach
Cultural: increasing cultural
influences of Japan in Asian
countries
•Change and continuity??
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Change and development of Japan: Highlights
• Compare economic conditions between the early 20th
century and late 20th century.
• Compare foreign relations between the early 20th
century and late 20th century.
• Can we need to compare political, social and cultural
conditions of Japan between the early 20th century
and late 20th century??
• Compare the Meiji Constitution and Showa
Constitution???
– Please check the Curriculum Guide!!!! Of course!!! no
need!!!
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Change and development of Japan: Highlights
• What are the characteristics of the political, social,
economic and cultural conditions in the early 20th
century Japan?
• What economic problems did Japan face? What
attempts did the government make to solve them?
• Was Japan a liberal country in the early 20th century?
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