The Democratization of Japan

I. The demilitarization of Japan

A. initial expectations

battles to the death

civilian sabotage

kamikazes

B. actual event

a few die-hards

acceptance, cooperation and sabotage

C. demobilization

on paper

repatriation

the Russian POWs

D. breaking the war machine

what war machine?

the question of reparations

the FEC and the War Crimes Tribunal

the purge directives

release of political prisoners, Oct. 4, 1945

E. other immediate issues

starvation and social order

fraternization, pam-pams, and brothels

F. how to rebuild Japan

the liberals: an agrarian democracy: anti-militarist

the conservatives: a showplace for capitalism in Asia: anti-communist

II. The liberal phase, 1945-1947

A. Who are the liberals?

MacArthur, Whitney, and Willoughby

the enemy of my enemy

a question of priorities?

Washington v. SCAP

Truman and the New Dealers

SCAP and the Japanese government

the myth of national autonomy

SCAPINS

implementation, sabotage and cultural relevance

"unconditional democracy"

reforms by directive

censorship and the media

historical ignorance and American beliefs about democracy

B. The constitution, May 1947

writing the constitution, Feb. 1946

MacArthur's list

Beate Sirota and the guys

electing a new Diet

the first election, May 1946

universal suffrage by fiat, Apr. 1946

Ichikawa Fusae and Ethel B. Weed

the purge and female candidates

the LDP, JSP, and JCP

the question of experience

passing [rubber-stamping?] the new constitution

the sovereignty of the people

executive, legislative and judiciary

checks and balances

the non-divinity of the Emperor

New Year, 1946 announcement

Shinto and the separation of church and state

article 9 [renunciation of war and military]

articles 17 and 24 [women's rights and suffrage]

the law v. creation of law arguments

C. Education reforms

Shinto, the ethics texts and censorship

the Ministry of Education [Monbusho] and decentralization

6-3-3-4 and the new provincial universities

democracy in the classroom

memorization v. creative thought

the teacher-student relationship

the teachers' union

D. Land reform

the unfinished bourgeois revolution and defeudalization

independent farmers as liberals or conservatives

gerrymandering and contemporary trade policies

E. Economic reforms

zaibatsu dissolution: dead in its tracks

labor unions

American trade unions and the mainstream

Japanese trade unions, socialism and communism

censorship, the media, and the printers' strike

economic desperation and the impact of a strike

cancellation of the General Strike, Feb. 1, 1947