Week 4 - Riley Frederking

             By the close of 1945, Japan had seen and suffered widespread destruction of human and material resources. An estimated 3 million citizens had been killed, industrial infrastructure had been lost, and they had little to no national wealth to speak of. However, between 1950 and 1973 Japan experienced, what British economist John Maynard Keynes called, an “economic miracle” as their “Gross Domestic Product (GDP) averaged 10% growth, a rate…never before seen (“Zaibatsu”). 

   Postwar Japanese reconstruction growth and development was a result of serval components and circumstances, many a result of the Yoshida Doctrine. This doctrine had a threefold strategy “aimed at spurring and advancing Japan’s economic development” while keeping domestic defense at the lowest possible levels (Tang 119). As part of the Yoshida Doctrine, Japan provided bases for the United States military, which had the benefit of increasing security while decreasing expenditure. This strategy resulted in Japan spending only 1% of their Gross National Product on the military’s defense abilities (Pile 241). This allowed for the nation to focus on “rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and support facilities” as well as reestablishing “Japan’s industrial and manufacturing capacities” (Tang 120). For example, “machine gun factories were converted to make sewing machines and optical weapons factories produced cameras and binoculars” (Pile 242). 

            

             Even though the Yoshida Doctrine provided a road map for economic recovery, it is Tang’s belief, and my own, that it was truly Japan’s steadfast “single-mindedness” which lead to such incredible and sustainable growth. What is even more impressive, is Japan has managed to continue growing and thriving. Just this past Wednesday, Japan’s main stock index rose to its highest level in almost 21 years and their GDP has expanded for six consecutive quarters (Soble). However there are still several facets that are preventing Japan from reaching their full potentional. Even though unemployment is at “multidecade” lows, Japan is currently facing a hefty job surplus. Japan needs to find workers, and “it needs them now” to fix a very strained labor market. Otherwise, this deficit could lead to a much larger economic problem down the road (Barron).

Question: Tang’s article and the Yoshida Doctrine gave the impression that Japan “allowed” the United States to have military bases in Japan. I wonder how much of that was coercion and insistence instead. 

Barron, Laignee. “Japan Has a Labor Crisis That Refugees Could Fix-If Only Its Government Would Let Them.” Quartz, Quartz, 6 July 2017

Egan, Matt. “Japan's Stock Market Hits 7-Year High. Can It Last?” CNNMoney, Cable News Network, 12 Nov. 2014. Digital Image. 13 Oct. 2017.

Fernandez, Chantal. “How American Style Fueled Postwar Youth Fashion In Japan.” Fashionista, 2 Dec. 2015.

Mewati, Sunny. “Japan and The Aftermath of WWII.” Quora, 21 Feb. 2015, 13 Oct. 2017.

Pile, Kenneth.  The Making of Modern Japan, 2nd ed.  Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1996. Web. 12 Oct. 2017.

Soble, Jonathan. “Japan Stocks Hit 21-Year High as Investors Shrug Off Concerns.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Oct. 2017. 13 Oct. 2017.

Tang, Siew Man. "Japan’s Grand Strategic Shift from Yoshida to Koizumi: Reflections on Japan’s Strategic Focus in the 21st Century."Akademika 70 (2007): 117-136.
“Zaibatsu Dissolution, Reparations and Administrative Guidance.” Seeking the Principles of Power and Danger, 15 Oct. 2008. 13 Oct. 2017.