Constitution of Japan

roles were redefined following the Western standards, many roles were outlined in the Imperial Constitution and other legal documents. Women faced harder segregation compared to the Tokugawa Era. In the Imperial Constitution it defined the definition of a “family”. It segregated women, men, and children into roles in the traditional family, with the father as the head of the household. The Imperial Constitution allowed polygamy, which is where a husband is allowed to have many wives and the kids…

US General Douglas MacArthur was tasked with revising the country’s constitution and ending the Japanese Empire. To remove Japan’s perceived war-like tendencies, MacArthur launched an “enlightenment campaign,” in which American films were screened throughout Japan for the duration of the occupation. These films showcased the American way of life and seeked to introduce America as a social, political, and cultural model for Japan (Olson). Films like Steel Town (1952), Country Store (1950), and…

As two neighboring countries, both of which containing exceedingly complimentary economics and societies, it seems absurd to many that Japan and China continue to struggle with relations. However, few know of the historical backgrounds, political relations and bilateral economics that have led the countries to have such an intricate relationship. Japan and China have many things to gain from a proper alliance, and under the administration of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two could…

for everyone. General MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender and took control of the US occupation of Japan. Right when he took leader he was determined to build a new stabilized foundation full of peace and order. He began this new process with something called demilitarization. This getting rid of Japanese forces. This didn't take long to do at all and he ended up leaving the Japan army with only a small armed force. The next part to his new strategies was the…

During World War II, Japan suffered an onslaught of air raids, fire bombs, and atomic bombs leaving the nation all but destroyed. Despite this widespread devastation, Japan was able to reconstruct itself in order to become one of today’s leading industrialized economic superpowers. In class, we briefly discussed the United States’ occupancy in Japan between the years 1945 and 1952 as well as the economic miracle that took place during and after the Korean War, which helped launch the country…

The emperor of Japan would modernize and adapt through education, military and local administration reform in order to create a strong national identity among Japan’s people. As the Meiji government established a constitution an economic transformation would occur, where great company’s like Mitsubishi would dictate the Japanese economy and create an impressive growth. The Japanese expansionism would create conflicts with neighboring countries. As other modernizing countries, Japan would…

As President George W. Bush led a march of troops into Afghanistan, one of his strongest allies was notably missing. The Japanese, refrained by their strict interpretation of their constitution, refused to participate in any use of force in the region. Instead Japan’s powerful Self-Defense Forces (SDF), the fourth highest-funded military in the world , went to nonviolent regions of Iraq to participate in humanitarian relief efforts . Additionally, these Japanese troops required foreign troops…

modernization, started when the 16 year old emperor Mutsuhito selected the era name Meiji for his reign. This period commenced with the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate and led to Japan’s transformation from a feudal nation into a modern industrial state. Japan emerged from the Meiji Period with a parliamentary form of government and as a world power through military expansion abroad. The Meiji regime first began as an alliance between Satsuma and Choshu, the two domains responsible for the…

The occupation of Japan by the United States at the end of World War Two was at the time and still today a very controversial subject. This difference in analysis is very pronounced in Walter LaFeber’s “To Create a New Japan: Reforming, Reversing, and Warring (1945-1951)” and Edwin Reischauer “The American Occupation”. Both accounts tell about the American occupation of Japan but differ in specific facts, events, and implications of the event. Ultimately in analyzing the pieces Reischauer…

Meiji took a stand in history by playing an active role during the prosecution of the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, adopting the cabinet system of government for Japan, and issuing an edict that proclaimed the conquest of Korea to Japan. Emperor Meiji’s impact on history was writing the Meiji Constitution, developing the Imperial Diet, having a well-developed transport and communication system, creating his own form of government, and developing a highly educated population free…