This annotated bibliography will examine secondary sources on Japan in the post-World War II years, with specific emphasis on the reform efforts made by the allies. It will study the position of Japan when the country was occupied by the allies and under reconstruction in regards to society, economy, and politics.
Castle, Alfred L. “William R. Castle and the Postwar Transformation of Japan, 1945-1955.” The
Wisconsin Magazine of History 74. No. 2 (Winter 1991): 125-137. URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4636318.
Alfred Castle is a professor and author of articles, journals, and books that discuss philanthropy and history. The Wisconsin Historical Society Press is an organization dedicated to publishing books, articles, and journals on the history of North America.
This is a summative overview journal article that offers a general analysis of the subject and time period. It is biased in that it examines the situation with specific regard to one single person, William R. Castle.
Castle argues that the restructuring of Japan that was intended as a consequence of responsibility of World War II actually worked out as a positive for the country, serving more as a reward than a punishment. However, the United States control was selfish in nature and only intended for America’s benefit, which caused some forms of revolt and uprising in Japan. William R. Castle, the author argues, played a significant role in shaping American-Japanese relations between 1945 and 1955. He was one of the “Japanists” that was hired by the Hoover government to restore these relations and promote the interests of Japan.
This source relates to the subject of the potential essay because it examines details about what happened when America was attempting to transform Japan according to Western influence. It will be useful for the essay because it outlines some of the positive as well as negative consequences that came out of reconstructing Japan the way that the United States believed it should happen. It will also provide details and evidence of what actions the allies took in order to punish Japan and create a better structure within the country.
Hajimu, Masuda. “Fear of World War III: Social Politics of Japan’s Repairment and Peace
Movements, 1950-3.” Journal of Contemporary History 47, no. 3 (July 2012): 551-571.
DOI: 10.1177/0022009412441650
Masuda Hajimu is a historian who focuses on American foreign relations, the history of East Asia, and the Cold War. He has written multiple books, journals, and articles on the subject. He currently teaches at the National University of Singapore. The article is published by Sage Publications, an independent publishing company in the United States that publishes books, articles, and eBooks on various academic subjects.
The article is a general survey of the time period with specific emphasis on the society of Japan and the citizens in the country. It provides an overview of the primary sources that are available from the time.
Hajimu argues that the outbreak of the Korean War had a significant impact on the building of concern in Japan about another World War taking place. He goes on to argue that post-war Japan was guided by these fears and concerns, allowing for the rearmament of the country as well as its transformation. The article uses three specific phases to trace the process of this transformation: reactions to the beginning of the Korean War, peace movements in Japan, and the compromises and debates that were taken on by political leaders during the time period.
This article is relevant to the topic of occupation and reconstruction in Japan after World War II because it showcases the popular sentiment in the country and how Japan managed to make a comeback after the consequences they had been ordered to face. There were a lot of changes made after the initial end of World War II, and this information will be useful in the potential research essay.
Masafumi, Okazaki. “Chrysanthemum and Christianity: Education and Religion in Occupied
Japan, 1945-1952.” Pacific Historical Review 79, no. 3 (August 2010): 393-417. DOI:
phr.2010.79.3.393.
Okazaki Masafumi is a post-doctorate fellow who teaches at Nihon University in the Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities. Nihon University is a private institution in Tokyo, Japan. The article is published by the University of California Press, which publishes academic and scholarly articles, books, and journals on a variety of disciplines.
This article is a historical review that takes a somewhat bias approach in regards to favouring Japan. The author is Japanese, so this might be the reasoning, but it makes an effort to point out the mistakes that America made and Japan’s strength in resisting those changes.
Masafumi argues that the American occupation of Japan aimed to spread Christianity throughout the country, but the operation ultimately failed because of the contrast between two factors: Douglas MacArthur’s personal belief and the government structure. MacArthur believed that Christianity should be an integral part of a country’s government, but the principle of the separation of church and state had long been established in the country’s constitution.
This article relates to the topic of the potential essay because of the fact that it discusses American conquest and dominance, Western ideals, and Japan’s resistance as a country to the implementation of a new religion. America tried to occupy Japan completely as punishment for World War II, but was met with resistance in many areas that they attempted to transform, including religion.
Pape, Robert A. “Why Japan Surrendered.” International Security 18, no. 2 (Fall 1993):
154-201. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2539100
Robert A. Pape is an assistant professor at Alabama’s School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University. He works as a political scientist with specific reference to air warfare and terrorism. The article is published through The MIT Press, which publishes academic and scholarly articles and books on science, technology, history, and political affairs.
Pape argues in this article that the reason Japan surrendered in World War II was because of military vulnerability, contrary to many theories that say it was because of threats to the population. He examines three major events to prove this theory: the blockade at sea by the Allies that cut off supply, the fall of Okinawa, and the collapse of the Japanese armies by the Soviet Union that were in Manchuria. In addition, he provides background information on Japan’s position in regards to military, political status, and foreign relations leading up to the country’s surrender. He uses data from the results of surveys and studies to back up his arguments.
This source relates to the concept of Japan after World War II because it gives a background and context for the theme of the research paper. It is important to begin a study of post-war Japan with an idea of what the country was like at the time that the war ended. This will help in creating a clear background and introduction on the subject for the essay.
Sugimoto, Yoshio. “Labor Reform and Industrial Turbulence: The Case of the American
Occupation of Japan.” The Pacific Sociological Review 20, no. 4 (October 1977):
492-514. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1388712
Yushio Sugimoto grew up in Kyoto, Japan, and attended Kyoto University. He is currently a sociology professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. The article is published by the University of California Press, which is a reputable company associated with the University of California that publishes scholarly articles, books, and journals on a variety of subjects.
This article is a research study that utilizes the scientific approach of a hypothesis, research analysis, and presentation of findings. It takes an expository approach of the primary data on the situation of Japan during American occupation.
This article examines two opposite approaches to the occupation of Japan under the United States. Each approach takes a side on the relationship between equality of social conditions and political turbulence or discontent. With a focus on labor history in post-war Japan, Sugimoto studies the data on sociological conditions within the country at the time, and the influence that the American armies had on Japanese society. He argues that political development was hindered by the growing spirit of revolt of the people, and the workers of Japan were increasingly discontented with the status of their government.
This source directly relates to the topic of occupation in post-war Japan because it explains how society changed during the American influence. It will be helpful in writing the research paper because one of the thesis argument points is going to be about society and how it changed while the country of Japan was under occupation. This will describe the exact influence that the United States had and what specifically it changed.
Biography
Castle, Alfred L. “William R. Castle and the Postwar Transformation of Japan, 1945-1955.” The
Wisconsin Magazine of History 74. No. 2 (Winter 1991): 125-137. URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4636318.
Hajimu, Masuda. “Fear of World War III: Social Politics of Japan’s Repairment and Peace
Movements, 1950-3.” Journal of Contemporary History 47, no. 3 (July 2012): 551-571.
DOI: 10.1177/0022009412441650
Masafumi, Okazaki. “Chrysanthemum and Christianity: Education and Religion in Occupied
Japan, 1945-1952.” Pacific Historical Review 79, no. 3 (August 2010): 393-417. DOI:
phr.2010.79.3.393.
Pape, Robert A. “Why Japan Surrendered.” International Security 18, no. 2 (Fall 1993):
154-201. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2539100
Sugimoto, Yoshio. “Labor Reform and Industrial Turbulence: The Case of the American
Occupation of Japan.” The Pacific Sociological Review 20, no. 4 (October 1977):
492-514. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1388712
