One page response #1 (8th option) PDF

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Dr. Elizabeth Lublin HIS 1710 11/07/16 Reading Response Option #8: Democracy in Japan The Allied Occupation of Japan also known as the American Occupation had impacted Japan in many ways. When we think about how Japan achieved democracy, we think about how the American Occupation and General Douglas MacArthur imposed it. In the scholarly article, Democracy in Japan: Why should Americans care?, George Packard argues that the reason behind Japan willingness to convert to democracy was Japan’s postwar economic misery and General Arthur insisting that the Japanese government to accept a constitution written by American Occupiers (Packard, 37). He also believes that we, Americans, view Japan through events such as World War II, group culture, conformity, homogeneity, and natural disasters (36). Little do people know that Japan is a thriving nation that even without the help of the occupation and General MacArthur, they were heading towards a democracy (Reischauer, 339). Packard’s main argument is should Americans care about Japan’s democracy. As stated by Packard, “General MacArthur’s most dramatic act was to insist that the Japanese government accept a constitution written in one week in 1946 by American occupiers who were largely unacquainted with Japanese culture, politics, and history” (Packard, 37). This shows that the Americans were deeply involved with Japan’s change to democracy. The constitution “declared that declared that sovereignty resides with the people; renounced war and arms; and emphasized fundamental human rights, including the equality of women”, which basically covered General MacArthur’s five reforms: enfranchisement of women, encouragement of labor unions, introduction of liberal principles into education, reform of judicial system, and democratization of economic institutions (37). Due the postwar economic misery that Japan was left in, the Japanese believed that democracy could work (37). Years later

Kumar 2 in 1960, revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty brought the nearest approach to crisis to Japan’s postwar democracy (38). Many criticism developed about Japan’s democracy such as “votes of rural citizens carry far more weight than those in the urban area” and “how it failed to produce strong leaders who can lead a reform movement” (38). Packard was successful in explaining why Americans should care about Japanese. Since the Americans were deeply involved in Japan becoming a democracy, we have a reason to care. First, we wrote a constitution for them. Second, we signed the US-Japan Security Treaty and it is still in effect. In order to maintain a stable relationship, it is necessary for Americans to care and understand Japan as a nation. Doing this would prevent history from repeating itself.

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