Japanese History Exam #2

Yoshida Doctrine

The post-WWII grand strategy, articulated by Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru, in which Japan relied on the United States for its military security (via the US-Japan security treaty) while focusing its national resources on rebuilding and developing its economy.

National Police Reserve (1950-1952)

A national police force established in 1950, largely in response to the outbreak of the Korean War and the redeployment of US troops. It was the direct predecessor to Japan's Self-Defense Forces.

Self Defense Forces (1954)

Japan's de facto military forces, established in 1954. They were created from the National Safety Force and are constitutionally limited to self-defense operations.

Economic White Paper 1956

A famous government report issued by the Economic Planning Agency which declared that Japan was "no longer the postwar," symbolically marking the end of postwar recovery and the beginning of a new era of high economic growth.

Transwar

A concept (cited from Gordon) suggesting that the period from the 1930s through the postwar 1950s should be seen as a continuous whole, with many prewar and wartime institutions, practices, and attitudes persisting and shaping postwar society.

Enterprise Unionism

A system of labor unions in Japan where workers are organized by their individual company or enterprise, rather than by craft or industry, which was a key feature of postwar labor relations.

Spring Labor Offensive (Shuntō)

An annual, coordinated campaign of wage negotiations and strikes led by labor unions each spring, designed to put unified pressure on employers to grant wage increases.

Three Pillars of Housing Policy

-1950 Housing Loan Corporation (home purchase)

-1951 Public Housing Law (for those in need)

-1955 Japanese Housing Corporation

1955 Japan Housing Corporation (JHC)

A public corporation established in 1955 to build large-scale, modern apartment complexes (danchi) for middle-class salaried workers in major urban areas.

Danchi

Large, concrete apartment housing complexes built primarily by the Japan Housing Corporation from the mid-1950s onward, which became symbols of new, modern urban living for the middle-class.

New Life Movement

A 1950s social movement that encouraged households to "rationalize" daily life and consumption habits, promoting efficiency, savings, and the adoption of modern consumer appliances. Directed at housewives

Fiscal Investment and Loan Plan (FILP, 1953)

A massive government investment program established in 1953, funded largely by Postal Savings, which directed capital to key industrial and infrastructure projects; often called the "second budget."

“mass media emperor system”

A term from scholar Yoshimi Shunya describing how the imperial family, particularly through events like the 1959 imperial wedding, was transformed into a modern, media-friendly symbol of national unity during the postwar period.

Imperial Wedding (1959)

Marriage between crown prince Akihito and commoner Michiko, encourages purchase of color TVs

“three sacred regalia”

A popular term for the three electric appliances that became symbols of middle-class consumer aspiration and modern living in the 1950s: the television, washing machine, and refrigerator.

new three sacred regalia (1970s)

Car, color TV, air conditioner (“cooler”)

1955 System

The dominant political structure in Japan from 1955 to 1993, characterized by the stable, continuous rule of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a primary political rivalry with the socialist Japanese Socialist Party (JSP).

Iron triangle

The powerful, stable, and collusive relationship between Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the elite bureaucracy, and big business, which dominated policy-making during the high-growth era.

Kishi Nobusuke

A controversial politician who was a former official in Manchukuo, a Class A war crime suspect, and Prime Minister from 1957-1960. He forcefully rammed the revised US-Japan Security Treaty (ANPO) through the Diet, triggering massive protests.

ANPO 1960

The crisis and massive popular protests surrounding the revision and ratification of the US-Japan Security Treaty in 1960, which culminated in the cancellation of a planned visit by President Eisenhower and the resignation of Prime Minister Kishi.

LDP: renovate for parity

Center-Left: Breach of ‘47 Constitution

Left: Japan = stage for American imperialism

ANPO 1951

The original U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, signed in 1951 and coming into effect in 1952. It allowed the U.S. to maintain military bases in Japan and intervene in domestic unrest, but did not clearly obligate the U.S. to defend Japan.

Kanba Michiko

A 22-year-old University of Tokyo student who was killed during the peak of the ANPO protests on June 15, 1960. She became a potent symbol and martyr for the protest movement.

Income Doubling Plan

An ambitious and highly successful economic policy introduced by Prime Minister Ikeda Hayato in 1960, which set a goal of doubling the national income within a decade through targeted investment and growth, ushering in the peak of high-speed growth.

Politics of Accommodation

The conciliatory political approach of Prime Minister Ikeda Hayato, who shifted from his predecessor's confrontational style to one focused on economic growth and compromise with opposition parties, notably the right wing of the JSP.

Construction State

A term describing the Japanese political-economic system's heavy reliance on public works spending for economic stimulation and political patronage, a key feature of the LDP's "pork barrel politics."

Bullet Train (Shinkansen)

The high-speed railway line inaugurated in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics. The Tōkaidō line (Tokyo-Osaka) became a powerful symbol of Japan's technological prowess and economic modernization.

Tange Kenzō (1913-2005)

A renowned Japanese architect who designed the iconic National Gymnasium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His work was influential in the Metabolist movement.

metabolism

A post-war Japanese architectural movement that envisioned cities and buildings as organic, dynamic structures capable of growth and change over time, like living organisms.

Bank of Japan (“window guidance”)

An informal but powerful monetary policy tool used by the Bank of Japan during the high-growth period. It involved "guidance" given to private banks on the quarterly amount of lending they were permitted, allowing for direct control over credit expansion.

Japanese Communist Party (JCP)

A left-wing political party that saw significant electoral gains in 1949. It was criticized by Moscow in 1950 for not being militant enough but returned to a policy of peaceful, electoral politics in the mid-1950s.

Japanese Socialist Party (JSP)

The main opposition party to the LDP during the "1955 System." It was formed in 1945, briefly led a coalition government in 1947, and split in 1951 over the issue of the San Francisco Peace Treaty and the US-Japan Security Treaty into more moderate “right” and more marxist “left” factions.

Sōhyō

The General Council of Trade Unions of Japan, formed in 1950 by non-communist union leaders. It became the largest labor federation in postwar Japan and was closely aligned with the left wing of the Japanese Socialist Party (JSP).

Nikkyōso

A powerful and politically active teachers' union, formed in 1947. It was often in conflict with the conservative LDP government over issues like curriculum, teacher authority, and the post-war education system.

Liberal Democratic Party

The conservative political party formed in 1955 by the merger of Japan's Liberal Party and Democratic Party. It dominated Japanese politics almost uninterrupted from its formation until 1993, creating the "1955 System."

Hatoyama Ichirō (1883-1959)

A political rival of Yoshida Shigeru who left the Liberal Party to form the Democratic Party in 1954. He became Prime Minister (1954-1956) and was instrumental in the 1955 merger that created the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), thus establishing the "1955 System."

Hagerty Incident (June 10th, 1960)

A prelude to the 1960 ANPO crisis that occurred on June 10, 1960. President Eisenhower's press secretary, James Hagerty, was mobbed by protesting students at Haneda Airport upon his arrival to prepare for the president's visit. The incident signaled the intense popular opposition to the security treaty and contributed to the eventual cancellation of Eisenhower's trip.

Sunagawa Struggle (1955-57)

A series of protests from 1955 to 1957 against the expansion of the U.S. Tachikawa Airbase in the town of Sunagawa, Tokyo. It was a significant early protest against the U.S. military presence in Japan.

Girard Incident

An international incident on January 30, 1957, where a U.S. Army specialist, William S. Girard, shot and killed a Japanese woman collecting shell casings on a firing range. The dispute over which country had jurisdiction to try him caused major friction in U.S.-Japan relations.

Miike Struggle

A major and violent labor dispute from 1959-1960 at the Mitsui Company's Milke Coal Mine. It symbolized the painful process of industrial "rationalization" as Japan shifted its energy base from coal to oil.

Ikeda Hayato (1899-1965)

The Prime Minister of Japan (1960-1964) who succeeded Kishi Nobusuke. He introduced the "Income Doubling Plan" and shifted the political tone to a "politics of accommodation," focusing on economic growth and social reconciliation after the ANPO crisis.

National Land and Development Plan (first 1950)

A series of comprehensive national plans (the first was in 1950) for infrastructure development across Japan. These plans guided the "construction state" in building dams, roads, and new towns to support economic growth.

Agricultural Basic Law (1961)

A law designed to modernize Japanese agriculture by raising productivity and farm incomes to parity with urban industrial workers, while also protecting farmers from market fluctuations.

Department Store Law (1956)

A law that required large retailers to obtain a national permit for expansion or new locations. It was designed to protect small, traditional shopkeepers from competition from large department store chains.

Tokyo Olympics (1964)

The Summer Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964. They were a seminal international event for Japan, symbolizing its full recovery from World War II and its re-emergence as a modern, peaceful, and technologically advanced nation. The Olympics showcased new infrastructure like the Shinkansen and Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Tokyo Monorail

The monorail line connecting central Tokyo to Haneda Airport, built and opened for the 1964 Olympics. It was a symbol of Japan's modern and futuristic transportation infrastructure.

Tokaido-line

The specific route of the first Shinkansen (bullet train) line, connecting Tokyo and Osaka. Its inauguration in 1964, just before the Olympics, made it the world's first high-speed railway and a powerful symbol of Japan's economic and technological prowess.

Yoyogi Park/Washington Heights

The site of the Athlete's Village for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The area was previously known as Washington Heights, a U.S. military housing complex. Its return and transformation for the Olympics was a potent national symbol.

witches of the orient

The nickname given to Japan's gold medal-winning women's volleyball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Their victory was a major source of national pride and was watched by a huge television audience.

Asanuma Incident

The assassination of Asanuma Inejirō, the chairman of the Japanese Socialist Party, by a right-wing ultranationalist youth on October 12, 1960, during a live TV broadcast. The event shocked the nation.

Zengakuren

An abbreviation for the Zenkoku Gakusei Jichikai Sōrengō (All-Japan Federation of Student Self-Government Associations). It was the militant, nationwide organization of Japanese university students that formed the core of the New Left and served as the vanguard of the mass protests against the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty (ANPO) in 1960. Known for their organized and highly confrontational tactics, Zengakuren students were the ones who directly clashed with police in front of the National Diet.

Asanuma Inejirō

A prominent Japanese politician who served as the chairman of the Japanese Socialist Party (JSP). He was a charismatic and forceful leader of the opposition, famously known for his strong criticism of the United States and his declaration that "American imperialism is the common enemy of Japan and China." His assassination in 1960, known as the Asanuma Incident, was a pivotal and shocking moment in postwar Japanese history.

1951 Public Housing Law

A law enacted in 1951 that mandated local municipalities to build and manage rental housing units for low-income households. Unlike the Housing Loan Corporation which supported homeownership, this law was a social welfare measure aimed at providing a safety net and improving living standards for those in need.

1950 Housing Loan Corporation 

A government-backed financial institution established in 1950 to provide long-term, low-interest loans to individuals for the purchase or construction of their own homes. It was a key policy to promote homeownership among the growing middle class and to stimulate the private housing market during Japan's postwar recovery and high-growth era.