Modern Japan

What We Will
Learn Today:
What did the United States do to Japan after WWII?
How did Japan become an economic success?
What is a favorable balance of trade and interdependence?

Japan Review

Japan Review
Japan is an archipelago located on the “ring of fire”
Japan was a feudal society
Shinto originated in Japan

Japan Review
Commodore Perry opened Japan
Meiji Restoration

Japan Review
Imperialist victories: Russia & China

Japan Review
Pearl Harbor ? WWII ? atomic bombs

Japan After WWII

After WWII Japan lost her overseas empire and was occupied by US forces. General MacArthur led the military government that ruled Japan and wrote a new constitution which brought the following great changes:
A constitutional monarchy made the emperor merely a figurehead.
A democratic government was established with an elected parliament.
Japan After WWII

Japan After WWII
Japan’s military was greatly reduced so they could never use war as a political weapon again.
Basic human rights were guaranteed such as freedom of the press and assembly, and women were given the right to vote.

MacArthur & Hirohito

Economic Success

Along with a constitution and democracy, the US also brought the following economic reforms:
Japanese workers were given the right to form unions.
Land reform divided large estates among tenant farmers.
Ziabatsu, or powerful family-run businesses that controlled the economy were weakened.
Economic Success

After WWII Japan’s economy quickly recovered and the value of Japanese goods and services, or gross domestic product (GDP), rose dramatically. Japan has a favorable balance of trade which means it exports more goods (such as cars, cameras, TVs, and electronics) than it imports.
Economic Success

Economic Success
Japan’s great economic success after WWII is attributed to the following factors:
Japan has a well educated and highly skilled work force.
Japan adapted the latest western technology to its industries.

Economic Success
Students and businessmen have a samurai work ethic.
With low military spending, the government funds the economy.

High import tariffs and regulations limit foreign competition.
Japanese savings gave banks capital to invest in industry.
Economic Success

Economic Success
As a small archipelago nation Japan depends on trade because it lacks natural resources such as oil and iron.
Interdependence – the reliance on goods, resources, and knowledge from other parts of the world.