The US occupation (1945–1952): social, political and cultural changes; the reverse course (1950)

Background: Extremely paternalistic system of reform. No feudal system. By 1952 – full sovereignty given back to JP (San Fran Treaty).

Social

• Freedoms
  • Rights: public discussion, speech, racism, religion, equality
    • 1945 – women had the right to vote, equal rights in 1946
    • Women gained right to free choice of spouse + where to live
    • Initiate divorce, use their own names, inherit property
    • Parents have equal right to custody (care of children)
      • But… JP still very paternalistic, traditional
  • Persons unjustly confined (since PPL 1925) released
  • Similar to US Bill of Rights – press, assembly, religion, speech
    • 1947 – collective bargaining (union) allowed
  • Militarism
    • Any societies that are ultra nationalistic must be dissolved and prohibited
    • Militarism excluded from supervisory and teaching positions
• Complete revision of the civil code in 1948
  • Old civil code
    • Father’s authority in the family was analogous to the Emperor’s authority on a national scale (full control over all family property according to the 1898 meiji civil code, right to approve or disapprove marriages and divorces…)
  • NEW civil code:
    • women gained the right to free choice of spouse + where to live
    • Women had the right to initiate divorce and own inherit property in their own name
    • Parents have equal right in children custody cases
    • Women’s position still remain low (traditional expectations and social conventions)
• Education reform
  • Education must promote democratic values and the individual rights
  • Restructured school system: compulsory education to nine years from six years in the prewar period.
    • A 6-3-3-4 system based on the American model
  • Democratic values, individual rights
    • Children had to cross out former inappropriate values e.g. devotion to the emperor, eliminating the Imperial Rescript on Education
    • Basic Law on Edu 1947 – compulsory edu now 9 years, instead of 6. Mirrored US edu system
    • 99 new unis opened

Political

• Government
  • UN will be involved + occupation forces under MacArthur ⇒ SCAP had complete power
    • All the allied policies are implemented by the existing government – did not change bureaucracy, ministry, buildings
  • Authority of the emperor is subject to the Supreme Commander
    • Any changes to the government machinery is subject to Supreme Commander
  • Militaristic activities dissolved, excluded from public office
  • New constitution in March 1946 – written entirely by the Americans
    • Initial draft from JP was rejected by SCAP
    • JP given 15 minutes to read
      • Sovereignty in JP people
      • Japan to renounce war forever, abolish armed forces
    • Came into effect 3 May 1947
    • Central Change – Emperor is a “symbol of state and unity of the people”
      • All ceremonial
      • Renounced his divinity – he was human, New Year’s Day 1946
• Democracy
  • April 1946: first elections – 360 parties (Liberal Party, Progressives, Socialist parties)
  • Favoured left-wing policies ⇒ unemployment insurance, reform of law system
  • YET… the reverse course
    • During Cold War
    • Wanted to turn JP against communism ⇒ putting political and economic conservatives back into power (all till the 90s)
      • Prime Minister Yoshida
  • Relations with US:
    • US-Japan Mutual Defense treaty, US station troops on JP soil
      • Lots of backlash but enabled JP to focus on economic growth rather than military spending
• Demilitarisation
  • 5m troops and 3m civilians spread throughout China, Korea and Southeast Asia
    • Dispatched mission in 17 Aug ⇒ surrender JP troops in China, Manchuria, Korea and Indochina
  • Factories for munitions were closed down, thousands lost their livelihoods
  • 1946 (early) – purge of JP military aggressors – prohibited from active role in public life
    • Targeted 200,000 people = gov’t, military, business leaders, members of ultra-nationalist organisations, teachers
      • Not allowed to take public roles
    • 2,500 political prisoners released
    • Special Higher Police dissolved in Nov 1945
    • Constitution = Had to renounce war forever (Article 9)
  • Treatment of War Criminals
    • Trial May 1946 – 40 individuals arrested in the International Military Tribunal
      • 5-6000 people tried for war crimes
      • 930 executed (B criminals – commanded troops, C – minor atrocities)
      • 28 class A war criminals – planned JP aggression
    • Tojo hung, other nationalist leaders insane – unfit for trial, others died during trial
    • Was not on JP’s own initiative
    • Hirohito was not tried for his crimes = obstacle for discussing wartime responsibility
      • “Organ theory” ⇒ sovereignty is in the state, not the emperor, emperor was subject to constitution
        • But… war was declared in his name
    • UN agencies war criminals – UN prisoners, arrested, tried and punished
      • Judicial, legal, police system reformed to be more progressive

Cultural (see below)

• Education must promote democratic values and the individual rights
• Shintoism removed as state religion
  • Religious connection between Emperor, People and State was cut- people free to believe what they want
• Freedom of religious worship: Shinto removed as state religion
  • US + democracy – history, institutions, culture → learned at school
  • Discrimination on race, nationality, political opinion not allowed

Historiography

• Douglas MacArthur – “I believed that if the Emperor were indicted, and perhaps hanged, as a war criminal, military government would have to be instituted throughout all Japan, and guerilla warfare would probably break out.” (in Hane, p. 368).
• Former PM Shigeru – “It was the attitude adopted by General MacArthur towards the Throne, more than any other single factor, that made the Occupation an historical success.” (in Hane, p. 368)

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