American Military Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) Changed Japans Term Paper

American Military Occupation of Japan (1945-1952) Changed Japans Political Institutions And Processes - Term Paper Example Japanese people religiously believed that they were superior, but when they started to think that the Americans regarded them as inferior creatures, the conflict has intensified. The attack in Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 were the major violent charges happened between the U.S. and Japan. After the atomic bombings, Japan has accepted its defeat, and Emperor Hirohito requested his military forces to submit to General Douglas MacArthur being the appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan. The American conquerors occupied Japan from 1945-1952, and within these years, the relationship between the two countries was strengthened. In 1952, the Occupation authorities have returned Japan to the Japanese people; however, they make sure that Japanese leaders were already equipped with knowledge, dedication, and sincerity on their positions. Thus, they were already capable of bringing the country to success and not to demis e. Source: â€Å"Australia and Japan† Figure 1 illustrates the GDP of Japan after the American Occupation. It shows that Japan and the U.S. have equal footings in terms of GDP growth, but there is a reverse of growth on the 20th century. According to Hobbs and Dolan, â€Å"Japan’s special relationship with the United States boosted the economy long after the American occupation ended† (402). At present, the two countries are now very good friends and closest military allies. In fact, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that the whole Japan is truly thankful for the U.S. unwavering support, and he further acknowledged the â€Å"importance of the U.S. military presence for the peace and security of the region† (Ito). The American people also felt... The Occupation has made Japan a strong democratic country and its basic objectives include the â€Å"abolition of militarism and ultra-national organizations in all forms; disarm and demilitarize Japan; strengthen democratic tendencies and processes in government†. When the Occupation started to dominate the country, the Westerners concluded that the change process would not be visible because people would not cooperate. However, Occupation authorities have been good to the Japanese people; in fact, they have been compassionate and did not abuse their power to show to them that they were not enemies, but friends who were willing to help. They have also emphasized that they could not enforce anything to Japan without their approval and support because democracy is all about freedom of expression. Thus, understanding, respect, and cooperation have been formed between the two countries. The American Military Occupation of Japan is very significant to the history of Japanese people, particularly to their political setting. Most of the reforms introduced during the Occupation are still intact until today; in fact, these are the reasons why Japan has become one of the most developed countries in the 20th century. Also, it helped Japanese leaders to regain the trust and confidence of their people, which was wasted during their surrender in 1945. Japan totally became a democratic country under the American conquerors, which had unlocked the gap between the two countries and became close allies in military and political matters. The Japanese people are very grateful to the American’s influence during the Occupation, and the American conquerors have appreciated the people’s willingness to accept their fate under their governance.