Post-war Japan
History of Japan |
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Post-war Japan refers to the period in Japanese history immediately following the end of World War II in 1945 to the present day. Before and during the war Japan was known as an empire but is now simply known as Japan (日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) .
Timeline
Occupation and democratization
Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers until 28 April 1952. During the period of the occupation, Japan was changed to a democratic state. By the enforcement of the Constitution of Japan on 3 May 1947, the Empire of Japan was dissolved.
Democratic politics: the abolition of the secret police in October 1945, the participation of women in politics in April 1946, the Fundamental Law of Education, 1947, and so on.
Prewar Japanese politicians (former empire) were convicted in the Tokyo Trial. But the supreme politician Emperor Hirohito was not convicted, and was enthroned to the emperor of the new state. After the death of seven war criminals, some of those convicted in the Tokyo Trial were restored to political positions. The reactionary wave is called the "reverse course", considered to be an effect of the Cold War. In this way, Post-war Japan started under the nuclear umbrella of the United States.
Economic power state
The end of the occupation is the San Francisco Treaty which was enacted on 28 April 1952. After the occupation, Post-war Japan joined the Western Bloc, which was led by the United States.
In 1952, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Nobusuke Kishi signed the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan. They were enemies of each other in World War II, but returned to the alliance after the war.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Japan entered a period of rapid economic growth. During this period, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen was constructed, and the Expo '70 was held. Many thermal and nuclear power plants were constructed, most notable plant was the Fukushima Daiichi NPP in Ōkuma. In these ways, Post-war Japan became an economic power during the Cold War.
From 1973 to 1985, Japan entered stabilized growth. Japan's post-war cultures began to form during this period. From 1985 to 1991, the bubble economy occurred.
1990s to present
The Revolutions of 1989 terminated the Cold War; Japan continued its close relations with the United States.
In 1991, the bubble economy and the Soviet Union collapsed. The 1990s and 2000s in Japan were called by many commentators the "lost decades" because of lower economic growth than in previous decades, although this idea was criticized by some as inaccurate.
On 11 March 2011, the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami affected the whole eastern coast of Japan. This earthquake triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Politics
The politics of post-war Japan under the Constitution of Japan.
During the Cold War, the Liberal Democratic Party dominated the political system. The 1990s was a period of ephemeral parties; in the 2000s the Democratic Party finally gained power.
United States Forces Japan
During the post-war period, the United States Forces Japan act under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. In Okinawa this is especially controversial; see Futenma.
Economy
Culture
Popular culture dominates the mass media, although traditional Japanese arts continue.
- See also
See also
- Japan (Details of post-war Japan)
- Empire of Japan (pre-war Japan)
References
Further reading
- Smith, Dennis B. (1995). Japan since 1945: The Rise of an Economic Superpower. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0312127588.
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