Reconstruction Of Japanese Essay

After Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration on August 15, 1945 that brought the war to an end, the Allied Powers, led by the United States, began to reconstruct Japan. The United States’ reconstruction of Japan could be seen as three phases. The first phase was an effort to punish and reform japan. During this time, 1945 to 1947, the most fundamental changes for the Japanese Government and society took place. The Allies first punished Japan for its “past militarism and expansion” by organizing trials in Tokyo for war crimes. Furthermore, the Japanese army was taken apart and former military officers who were active before and during the war were banned from taking on any political leadership roles in the new government. And not only did military leaders fall down ranks, but also the Emperor. The Emperor no longer held any power in the political sense, but was left as nothing but an icon. Along with a military and leadership changes, Japan also experienced a sudden land reform. This reform benefited tenant farmers and reduced the power rich landowners who had supported Japanese expansion in the 1930s. In addition to land reform, the Japanese business conglomerates (Zaibatsu) were also …show more content…
A reconsideration of occupation policies took place, known as the “reverse course”, and this lasted until 1950. At the center of this course was the concern that a weak Japanese economy would increase the likelihood of a domestic communist movement. With a communist victory in China’s civil war, the US saw preventing this as a priority. However, there was a problem of shortages of raw materials required to run Japanese industries and markets. Yet, when the UN began war with Korea, Japan became the principal supply depot for UN forces, a solution to the problem. Furthermore, Japan was secured behind the lines of U.S. defense, protecting Japan from any real threat on its