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By the end of the Meiji Period (1868~1912),
Japan was a considerable power in Asia. And following
its participation during the short Taisho Period
(1912~1926) in the First World War, under the Anglo-Japanese
Alliance of 1902, it was recognized as one of the world's great
powers. But following the World War and the Russian Revolution,
the world was undergoing great turmoil. As if to mirror this,
Japan suffered the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 in
which 140,000 people were killed or missing. This
was followed by the succession of the Emperor Hirohito (Showa) and his
Showa Period (1926~1989).
This reign started out well, with continued progress in the country's
industrialisation. But the Great Depression from 1929, a series
of incidents in China and political scandals at home all combined
to take their toll on Japanese society. In 1932, Japan established
a puppet-state in 'Manchukuo' or Manchuria. In 1933, the country
withdrew from the League of Nations. Japan signed an anti-communism
treaty with Germany in 1936. As the political parties began to
lose their influence, the military started to increase theirs,
invading northern China in 1937, an event partly covered in Bernardo
Bertolucci's film 'The Last Emperor' (this second Sino-Japanese
War actually lasted until the end of World War II in 1945). In
1938, premier Konoye Fumimaro pressed China for concessions and declared Japan's goal of a
new order in East Asia.The political parties were forced to back
the war and were later dissolved and a united national party formed
in their place. This party and the Diet (parliament) itself were
effectively powerless in the years up to the Second World War.
Fires rage after
the 1923 earthquake |
Prime Minister
Konoe Fumimaro |
Tojo Hideki at the
Tokyo War Crimes Trial |
Japan joined the Axis alliance with Germany and Italy in 1940.
The totalitarian regime of premier Tojo Hideki apporoved
the air attack on the US Navy base at Pearl Harbour
in 1941, which signalled the start of the Pacific War
(1941~45). The Imperial army followed up with invasions of the
Pacific islands and most of South-East Asia in the pursuit of
its so-called Greater Asian Prosperity Zone. Kamikaze pilots,
Zero fighters, Iwo Jima, Bridge on the River Kwai - there are
many provocative names and images associated with Japan and the
Second World War. But the most powerful must be the two atomic
bombs dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
in August 1945. Much has been said about the rights and wrongs
of the bombings but ultimately they did bring about the end of
the war. For the first time in history, Japan had been conquered.
Following his radio announcement to the nation that the war had
been lost, the Emperor also gave up the claim to divinity and
became a symbol of the state (many have argued that he should
have stood trial alongside Tojo in the Tokyo Tribunal of 1946.
Instead, he remained as a figurehead until his death in 1989).
Japan remained under the control of General Douglas MacArthur
and the US occupation forces. Considerable social reform was
carried out. Women were given the right to vote, workers gained
the right to form unions and to strike and freedom of speech,
assembly and religion were guaranteed. The signing of the San
Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951 led to full Japanese sovereignty of the main archipelago
the following year. The treaty marked the return of Japan to the
international community. By 1972, all of the smaller islands under
US control had been returned. But even today, the US maintains
a considerable military presence in Japan, particularly in Okinawa.
Disputes remain between Japan and other countries such as Russia
and China over several territories. The 1947 war-renouncing constitution
prevents Japan from having conventional armed forces but the Self
Defense Forces, started in 1954, are one of the world's strongest.
Douglas MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito at the US Headquarters, Tokyo, Sept. 1945 |
Romanized street signs in Tokyo, Sept. 1945 |
Politically, postwar Japan has been dominated by one party - the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). There have been claims that they were considerably helped
by covert financial assistance from the CIA in the US and the
yakuza, or Japanese mafia. The party remained practically invincible
for almost half a century. But in 1993, years of scandal (particularly
the Lockheed scandal in 1976 and the Recruit scandal in 1984)
finally proved too much for the electorate and an opposition coalition
government was formed. However, the LDP was not about to fade
away. After an unlikely coalition with the Socialist Party put
it back in government in 1994, the LDP recovered its majority
in 1996 and continues to rule today.
The economic miracle that Japan experienced in the latter half
of the century is the stuff of fiscal legend. The Tokyo Olympics
and the launch of the first shinkansen, or bullet train in 1964, signalled the country's return to the
world stage. Continuing technological advances combined with the
Oil Shock of 1973 to push Japanese industry into ever-increasing efficiency
and miniturisation. Suddenly, Japanese cars, robots and electronics
were dominating world markets and the foundations were laid for
a long-term economic boom. But the combination of almost-feudal
business practices, corruption and political indecisiveness led
to the so-called Bubble Economy, which finally burst in the mid
1990's. The so-called "lost decade", a prolonged period of stagnation
and recession which followed caused revolutionary changes
to the banking system, increased unemployment and a sharp rise
in foreign investment in Japan, which in turn is bringing about
changes to the Japanese way of doing business.
A shinkansen passes Mt. Fuji |
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko |
The final years of the Japanese 20th century saw the death of
the Emperor Showa and the start of the Heisei Period (1989~ ).
It also saw drastic changes and human tragedies which
caused the country's people to examine, evaluate and criticize
their society. The Hanshin Earthquake and Aum Shinrikyo
sarin gas subway attack in 1995 sent shockwaves through the land
as has the recent rapid increase in violent and juvenile crime.
On a more positive note, the last few years have seen Japan performing
well on the world stage. The Winter Olympics in Nagano in
1998 were hailed as a great success. Japan secured
its first ever place in the World Cup in France in the same year
as well as winning the right to co-host the event with South Korea
in 2002. Japan continues to be a major provider of ODA (Overseas Development
Assistance) and has recently begun to play a more active role
in the UN and international peace-keeping efforts. Economic and
social changes and the arrival of an increasing number of foreigners
in recent years have caused some fundamental changes in the Japanese
people's way of thinking. Young people in particular are more
interested in self-expression and pursuing their own goals. Environmental
awareness is on the increase although it is still lacking at some
levels of government. Although behind the pace set by the US,
the Japanese government is making efforts to bring the country
in line with Western countries in terms of information technology,
connectivity and computer usage. Changes to the oppresive educational
system are also in the works.
Having entered the 21st century, Japan is facing serious challenges in
its struggle to remain as a major international player. With a crippled
financial system and a constitution that restricts the country's military
activities, even in peace-keeping operations, it is unclear how Japan can
contribute on the international stage.
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