Introduction
The Japanese citizens perceived the end of World War II as a war for races. The memory of the Second World War in Japan is often shaped by commemorating the last year of the war with the dropping of the atomic bomb and from a victim’s perspective (Tanaka 17). Critical questions regarding one’s crimes remain largely unasked.
The memory of World War II played only a minor role in Japan in the months and years following the cessation of hostilities in the Asia-Pacific region. After Japan’s capitulation on August 15, 1945, the country was primarily concerned with reconstruction in almost all socially relevant areas (Tanaka 17). The only exception was the early commemoration of the atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima in the southwest of the island of Honshū, whose inhabitants fell victim to the first military use of nuclear weapons in human history.
The end of the Cold War profoundly impacted Japan’s position in the international community. The country was exposed to a new reality and uncertainties surrounding the world, as Japan was not prepared for this (Sunahara 28). The key point where changes in its posture were required was the Gulf War in 1990 (Sunahara 28). The invasion of Iraq on August 2, 1990, forced the country to face the reality of its status as a major economic power for the first time (Sunahara 28). According to Sunahara, Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki, in November 1990, declared that Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait was the biggest test of the country’s foreign policy since the end of World War II (28).
Impact of World War II on Japan
War always has an adverse impact that depreciates the livelihoods of the citizens, touching all aspects of life. This serves as a reminder to future generations that conflict is never profitable. Komisarchik et al. claim that the nation that prevailed in the conflict suffered just as much as the nation that lost (27). Of the many wars, World War II is said to have had the broadest impact in various fields, including the Japanese’s economic, social, and cultural livelihoods.
Impact of World War II on the Japanese Economy
World War II had a lot of impact on the Japanese economy. Among other things, the world economy is in chaos. This led the United States to emerge as a creditor nation. Meanwhile, Germany and Japan grew into industrial countries (Komisarchik et al. 34). From the 1950s, the military decline was followed by an extreme economic boom. Living standards increased as the Japanese economy recovered and became competitive worldwide. The Japanese relied on high efficiency and cost control.
Until the 1980s, Japan became one of the most important economic powers in the world, especially in consumer electronics and automobiles (Komisarchik et al. 38). However, due to various political and economic crises, growth flattened out significantly in the years after 1985. The lack of reforms has contributed to the fact that various Asian economic crises led to problems in Japan, from which the country has not fully recovered. However, Japan is the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks.
To avoid any military interference, Japan proposed to the US, which was pressuring it for humanitarian aid. That amount rose to four billion dollars after several days. As the Archipelago was one of the countries that most purchased oil from the Middle East, its position was questioned, showing it as a petty state that wanted to make only a symbolic contribution. This value was closed at thirteen billion dollars (Chong and Xiaoyang Li 200). Even after becoming the second largest financier of the Gulf War, behind Saudi Arabia, the image of token aid and “check diplomacy” emerged and remained.
From that point on, new academic debates emerged in Japan. The two main currents defended a stronger position for Japan in international relations. However, there are differences in the way of acting: one currently defends that Japan should emerge as an Affirmative Civil. In contrast, others defended that Japan should return to being a Normal Nation (Chong and Xiaoyang Li 198).
Defenders of the country as an Affirmative Civil Power argue that security issues are less and less linked to military power. It seeks the development of a foreign policy of cooperation with other nations, predominantly using power and economic interests to act on multilateral structures (Chong and Xiaoyang Li 200). Basically, these current states that Japan must continue its political and military alignment with the US, as this relationship has brought economic prosperity (How to Write a Senior Thesis 200). It also defends that the country should assume greater positions in multilateral forums, mainly on issues related to the environment, development aid, disarmament, refugees, and other humanitarian issues.
Impact of World War II on Japanese Politics
World War II also had an impact on the political field. The US, which came out victorious, then became a superpower. United States-led Allied forces controlled the country after Japan’s capitulation in 1945, ending World War II and bringing about significant changes (Chong and Xiaoyang Li 200). Japan’s empire was dismantled, it became a democracy, it dismantled and rebuilt its economy, and it dismantled and dismantled its educational system. Moreover, Japanese colonies in East Asia, such as South Korea, China, and the Philippines, regained their independence after the United States oversaw the powerless Japanese, ending World War II. Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were destroyed to coerce Japan to surrender.
Impact of World War II on Japanese Social Aspects
There has been no criticism of new nuclear power plants for a long time because they ensure cheap and sufficient energy supplies. However, in 2011, a massive earthquake struck Japan, followed by a devastating tsunami (Sugawa-Shimada 59). The tidal wave destroyed large coastal areas, claimed countless lives, and led to a malfunction in the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As a result, there was a multiple-core meltdown with extensive area contamination.
The long-term consequences of Fukushima, due to the mismanagement of the operating company and the government, are hardly foreseeable. Anti-nuclear movements are forming in Japanese society for the first time, although they are far from reaching the scale of Western environmental protection movements (Sugawa-Shimada 59). In the meantime, however, there seems to be progress in overcoming the mega crises, which is why Japan’s history will certainly not end here for a long time.
Impact of World War II on Japanese Cultural Aspects
As in many other countries, the general memory of the Second World War in Japan is also significantly influenced by popular culture media. For example, the choice of topics made by film producers contributes in a way that should not be underestimated to what and in what form the post-war generation, especially teenagers and young adults, learn about the topic of “Japan in the Second World War” and what historical image is anchored in collective memory (Sugawa-Shimada 59).
But even ultra-patriotic and nationalist-seeming productions of the recent past focus noticeably on the painful and trend-setting year 1945 for Japan. For example, the lavishly produced film “The Yamato Men” is one of the most successful movies in Japan to date. It is about the last voyage of the warship “Yamato,” which was sunk by American forces at the beginning of the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945 (Chong and Xiaoyang Li 204). Parts of the “Yamato” were faithfully reproduced for the shooting. The focus of the glorifying depiction is the self-sacrificing commitment of the team, which symbolizes the entire Japanese nation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Japan perceived World War II as a war of races since it was the only country that underwent massive destruction due to unpreparedness. In addition to impacting people’s perceptions, World War II resulted in economic, social, and cultural changes. Economically, the Second World War made Japan a borrower since most industries were struggling to survive in the dilapidated markets. Socially, World War II resulted in the formation of anti-nuclear movements, which opposed the application of nuclear weapons by Western countries. Politically, Japan lost its colonial states, such as South Korea, and also its empire was disbanded. Culturally, the Second World War resulted in praises and worship of the Japanese individuals who fought for the country before and during the nuclear attacks. In general, Japan changed during World War II from a sovereign and stable nation to a decaying one.
Works Cited
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Komisarchik, Mayya, Maya Sen, and Yamil Velez. “The Political Consequences of Ethnically Targeted Incarceration: Evidence from Japanese-American Internment During WWII.” Historical Events, vol. 3, no. 10, 2020, www.scholar.harvard.edu/msen/japanese-internment.
Sugawa-Shimada, Akiko. “Playing with Militarism in/with Arpeggio and Kantai Collection: Effects of Shōjo Images in War-Related Contents Tourism in Japan.” Journal of War & Culture Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 53-66.
Sunahara, Ann Gomer. The Politics of Racism: The Uprooting of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, 2020.
Tanaka, Yuki. Hidden Horrors: Japanese war Crimes in World War II. Routledge, 2019.