Allied Occupation & Postwar Japan

Post War

Loosing the war brought foreign occupiers to its shores. General Douglas MacArthur led the occupation by introducing new sets of reforms influenced by Americans only. During the occupation, more than 5 million Japanese troops were disarmed. 25 Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes. Seven of them executed, including the Prime Minister Tojo, the rest sent to prison.

Reforms began in 1946 with a new Constitution. Results of this document meant the emperor lost all power and became a mere symbol of the country. Civilians gained more control over who led the country by a majority vote selecting the new head of government.

Economic and social reform also took place. Farmland was redistributed, labour unions legalised, and women and children given more rights. Education followed a more democratic system than before.

The Allied Occupation ended on August 28th 1952 when Japan signed a Peace Treaty with 48 other nations. Japanese people suffered greatly from the second world war. With the majority unemployed and living in very poor conditions in small rural villages they survived from the help of friends and neighbours.

The Japanese yen fell so low that they were unable to purchase foreign goods. Over the next ten years the Japanese government promoted the reconstruction of Japan and rebuilt the country to a lot of what is now modern Japan. With the introduction of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and Ministry of Finance, Japan impressed the world with advanced infrastructure, high rise buildings, internal transport systems. Already a very hard working nation who were big savers meant Japan soon became very economically stable. By the mid-1950s industries had matched their pre-war levels.