9th or 10th Grade
Global Studies Module
THE JAPANESE ECONOMY:
POST WWII TO THE FUTURE
Prepared by:
Lewis E. Huffman
Education Associate – Social Studies
South Carolina Department of Education
(KKC Class of 2009)
for
The Keizai Koho Center
THE JAPANESE ECONOMY:
POST WWII TO THE FUTURE
This module of five lessons focuses on the Japanese economy from the
post World War II period to projections into the future. It was developed
to be used in a course on Global Studies but it may be used as a component
of World History, International Studies or Economics.
9th or 10th Grade
Global Studies
Module
GS-6
Standard GS-6 The student will demonstrate an
understanding of the effects of economic, geographic, and
political interactions that have taken place throughout the
world from the period of the Cold War to the present day.
Indicator GS-6.4 Summarize the impact of economic and
political interdependence on the world, including efforts to
control population growth, economic imbalance and social
inequality and efforts to address them, the significance of the
world economy for different nations, and the influence of
terrorist movements on politics in various countries.
Lesson 1: The Japanese Economy after WWII
Introduction to the Lesson:
“Economic miracle” is the term given to describe the Japanese economy
following WWII. This “miracle” occurred due to several factors including,
but not limited to, investment from the United States and direct
intervention by the Japanese government. Students will examine several
documents to determine the causes and effects of the post WWII economic
turnaround. This lesson will be followed by an examination of economic
growth in Japan through the 1980s.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2124.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_post-war_economic_miracle
http://tk014.k12.sd.us/WH%20Notes/32sect5.pdf
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will introduce the lesson by distributing the article titled
Japanese History: Postwar (since 1945) or have the students log on to
japan-guide.com. Students will be divided into groups of 3-4 and asked to
read the article and complete the chart below on post WWII Japan:
Post WWII Japan (1940s)
Category
Status
Transportation
Industry
Food
Government
Media
Territory
Severely damaged
Devastated
Severe shortages
Reorganized under a new constitution
Subject to rigid censorship
Lost everything acquired after 1894
After the charts have been completed, the teacher will ask students “What
effects do you think WWII had on the Japanese economy?” Possible
responses might include:
The economy was ruined.
Japan was
devastated.
The teacher will distribute the article titled Japanese Post-War Economic
Miracle or have students log on to Wikipedia.org. Students will remain in
their groups of 3-4 to read the article and complete the chart below:
Post WWII Japan (1950s)
Contributors to the
Economic Recovery
Economic Results
Supreme Commander
of the Allied Powers
Korean War
Fostered economic development to democratize
Japan and prevent militarism
Boosted the Japanese economy from “special
procurement” payments by the US government
Stimulated private sector growth
Formalized cooperation between the Japanese
government and private industry, controlled all
Japanese imports and established the Japan
Development Bank
Efficiently allocated resources to help Japan
compete internationally
Pursued a policy of “heavy industrialization”
Japanese Government
Ministry of
International Trade and
Industry
Keiretsu
Ikeda Administration
Assessing the Lesson:
After the charts have been completed, the teacher will ask students to
answer the following question in a one page essay: “Why do you think the
Japanese economy was able to rebound so quickly following the
devastation of WWII?”
Possible responses might include:
The
collaboration and cooperation between the Supreme Commander of the
Allied Powers and the Japanese government, the money that Japan
received from the US as procurement payments during the Korean War, the
actions taken by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the
actions of the Keiretsu and the Ikeda Administration following the war.
Individual assignments will be graded by the teacher using established
criteria.
Lesson 2: Economic Growth through the 1980’s
Introduction to the Lesson:
“Economic rollercoaster” is the term that might be given to the period
encompassing 1960 to 1989 in Japan. Following the “economic miracle”
after WWII, referenced in lesson one, the Japanese economy grew during
the 1960s, shrank during the 1970s and expanded throughout most of the
1980s.
Students will visit two web sites to gather information to
determine the causes of the up and down economy of Japan during these
three decades.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
http://www.photius.com/countries/japan/economy/japan_economy_pos
twar_development.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_Japan#1980s
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to complete a
K-W-L chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned) about
the Japanese economy in the decades following WWII.
Possible Responses
What I KNOW
The Japanese economy
was devastated after
WWII
What I WANT to know
How did the US
This section will be
occupation contribute to
completed at the end of
the rebuilding of the
the lesson
economy?
Post-war economic
How did education
development was
fostered by the Supreme contribute to the
Commander of the Allied recovery?
Forces
The Japanese
government stimulated
private sector growth
The Ikeda
Administration pursued
a policy of “heavy
industrialization”
What I LEARNED
This section will be
completed at the end of
the lesson
Did the oil crisis of the
mid-1970s affect the
economic recovery?
This section will be
completed at the end of
the lesson
What were “the factors
of growth” in Japan
during the period 19601989?
This section will be
completed at the end of
the lesson
The teacher will distribute the article titled, “Japan Postwar Development”
or have students go to:
http://www.photius.com/countries/japan/economy/japan_economy_pos
twar_development.html to find the article online. The students will read
the article and summarize the key points verbally in class.
The teacher will then divide the class into small groups representing the
questions identified in the K-W-L chart. Each group will be assigned a
question to research and answer. Information can be found in the article
listed above, “Japan Postwar Development”, and on the following web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_Japan#1980s.
The
groups will record their responses on chart paper, post them on the board
or wall and select a reporter to share the information with the class. The
responses will be summarized and added to the third column (What I
Learned) on the K-W-L chart.
Assessing the Lesson:
Students will be assessed on this lesson via teacher observation of their
participation, collaboration in group work and the completion of the final
column of the K-W-L chart.
Lesson 3: The “Lost Decade” of the 1990’s
Introduction to the Lesson:
Throughout the 1980s, the Japanese economy expanded very rapidly
fueled by successes in the export markets, a strong tariff policy, and a
massive buildup of cash. In December, 1989 the Nikkei 225 Index closed
at 38,915.87. In less than a year it lost almost half of its value and the
decline continued throughout the 1990s. In this lesson students will
review several data charts and graphs about the Japanese economy and
draw conclusions.
Lesson Time:
Two class periods (45 – 55 minutes each)
Materials Needed:
http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/earth/samples/japanbubble/bubble.html
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will divide the class into small groups (it could be the same
groups used in the previous lessons or new groups could be created). The
students will identify a web master, a recorder, and a reporter for each
group. Using available technology, the teacher will direct students to the
web site listed above, “Japan’s Bubble and Post-Bubble Economies”. Each
group will analyze data from the sections titled Trade Data and
Macroeconomic Data and draw conclusions about the causes and effects of
the economic downturn during the 1990s (one class period). The groups
will then develop a series of visual presentations, which should include
both charts and graphs, to support their conclusions about the Japanese
economy during this period and present them to the class (one class
period).
Assessing the Lesson:
The group presentations will be assessed using pre-determined criteria
which could include: clarity of presentation materials, accuracy of
information, and logical conclusions based on the available data.
Lesson 4: Economic Recovery in the New Century - 2000
Introduction to the lesson:
The beginning of the new millennium brought renewed economic hope to
Japan and an end to the “Lost Decade” of the 1990s. A brief review of the
information from the previous lesson would be useful to remind students
that most of the lines on the graphs and charts they examined were
trending upward by the late 1990s and early 2000.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20051012-72.html
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1511/Japan_s_economy.html
http://www.alliancebernstein.com/investments/us/StoryPage.aspx?nid=5344&cid=
48315
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will distribute the two charts below or display them on an LCD
projector or SMART Board and ask the question, “What do these charts tell
you about the Japanese economy between 1990 and 2005?” Possible
responses might include: Profit margins and consumer confidence in Japan
declined dramatically in the early 1990s, rebounded slightly in the mid
1990s and began to increase in the early part of the new century. Profit
margins in large manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms followed the
same trends as business in general.
Source:
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1511/Japan_s_economy.html
Source:
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1511/Japan_s_economy.html
The teacher will distribute the full article from the OECD Observer by
Randall Jones titled, “Japan’s Economy: Firming Up?” or have them access
it online at:
http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1511/Japan_s_economy.html
and ask students, “Based on the article, do you think Japan’s economy was
in a sustained recovery in the period 2000 – 2005?”
Possible responses might include: Economic growth up through 2004,
powered by a double digit increase in exports and corporate restructuring,
had slowed by the end of the year and deflation was still a concern. Other
indicators, such as decreasing unemployment, improved labor markets and
external demand provided hope for continued growth.
Assessing the Lesson:
Students will be assessed on this lesson via teacher observation of their
participation.
Lesson 5: The Future of the Japanese Economy
Introduction to the Lesson:
This is the culminating lesson in the study of the Japanese economy over a
half century. It will require students to synthesize the information they
have learned in the previous four lessons, analyze new information from
other sources and make predictions about the economic future of Japan.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
http://www.shareswatch.com.au/blog/japan/outlook-for-the-japaneseeconomy-in-2009/
http://www.moneymorning.com/2008/11/14/japanese-stocks/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to provide a brief
description of each of the time periods in the Japanese economy identified
in the previous four lessons. Possible responses might include: 1950s –
rapid growth, 1960s through the 1980s - rollercoaster or up and down,
1990s – decline, crash or “lost decade”, 2000 – slow growth or volatile.
The teacher will divide the class into three groups. One group will be
assigned the online article “Outlook 2009: If Japan Bounces Back in the
New Year, So Will Investors” by Martin Hutchinson. The second group will
be asked to go online and find the Economic Overview section from the CIA
World Factbook (see web address in Materials Needed above). The third
group will be assigned to go online and find the article “Outlook for the
Japanese Economy in 2009” from Shareswatch Blog (see web address in
Materials Needed above). Each group will have twenty minutes to read,
analyze and synthesize the information from their respective articles. The
groups will list their findings on poster paper and report this information
to the other members of the class.
Assessing the Lesson:
Copies of all the articles, except “Outlook 2009: If Japan Bounces Back in
the New Year, So Will Investors” by Martin Hutchinson (this article will
have to viewed online because reprinting without permission is prohibited)
from this lesson will be distributed to each member of the class. The
culminating activity will require students to take the information with
them and write an essay of not more than 500 words on the topic, “The
Future of the Japanese Economy – 2010-2020”. The assignment will be
due the next day. Grading criteria could include: clarity of reasoning,
logical conclusions based on factual information, and conceptual
understanding.