Midterm Japanese Politics

Part 1: each question with an essay about five to six hundred words in length, Please provide in-text citations for the information you cite.

1.   During the U.S. occupation of Japan (1945–52), a concerted effort was made to “reinvent Japan.” What were the objectives of the U.S. occupation forces? In your view, did the U.S. achieve its objectives? If so, in what areas was it successful? Be specific in your answer and take into consideration the “policy reversal” that occurred due to the onset of the Cold War in Europe and Asia.

2. The Japanese economic bubble burst in 1991, ending the economic miracle that Japan had enjoyed for so long. In your view, how was the bubble created and what caused it to burst? Additionally, what have been the consequences of the resulting long-term economic recession for Japanese society? Be specific in your answer.

Part 2: Short-questions, write the ideas of each topic (Can be just a paragraph )

1. Iwakura Mission (1871–73): why the mission, what did the members of the mission learn from the Europeans and the Americans

2. Yoshida doctrine: define the doctrine and its impact on Japan

3. Article 9: define it and why it has been difficult to revise it

4. Tanaka Kakuei: who was Tanaka Kakuei and what he was known for

5. Plaza Accord of 1985: define it and its impact on Japan's economy

6. Yasukuni Shrine: describe the function of this shrine and why it has been controversial

Citations sources : 

Book : Ian Neary, The State and Politics in Japan, (2nd Edition), 2019.

Chapters 1-2, The Meiji Restoration, Taishō Democracy, and the U.S. Occupation

Ch 3-4, Japanese Political Parties

Ch 5-7, Parliament, Bureaucracy, Local Government, and the Imperial Household

Ch 10, The Political Economy of Japan

Articles can use for citations :

Kenji Ishizaka, “’Okinawa: The Afterburn’—Victor’s Images, Words That Do Not Form Words,” The Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 38, No. 4, September 21, 2015 (web).

Juha Saunavaara, “Occupation Authorities, the Hatoyama Purge, and the Making of Japan’s Postwar Political Order,” The Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 7, Issue 39, No. 2, Sept. 28, 2009 (web article).

Klaus Schlichtmann, “Article Nine in Context—Limitations of National Sovereignty and the Abolition of War in Constitutional Law,” The Asian Pacific Journal, Volume 7, Issue 23, No. 6, June 6, 2009 (web article).

Gavan McCormack, “Abe Shinzo and Japan’s One-Strong (Ikkyō) State,” The Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 7, No. 4, April 1, 2020 (web article).

Ellis S. Krauss and Robert J. Pekkanen, “The Rise and Fall of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party,” The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Feb.) 2010: 5-15

Yoichi Funabashi, “Tokyo’s Trials: Can the DPJ Change Japan?” ForeignAffairs, Nov./Dec. 2009, pp. 106-11

John Breen,“The Quality of Emperorship in 21st Century Japan: Reflections on the ReiwaAccession,” The Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 12, No. 1, June 5, 2020 (web article).

R. Taggart Murphy, “Japan As Number One in the Global Economic Crisis: Lessons for the World?” The Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 8, Issue 44, No. 5, Nov. 1, 2010 (web article).Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno, “Why Japan’s Jobless Rate is Just 2.6%, Even in a Crisis,” New York Times, June 21, 2020