session 8 -- 20th century Japan, Yamashita (7/30)

From what I can tell Japan was in both a good and bad position when it came to becoming a power. For one, they had mechanism already in place which help them to become a super power at a seemingly fast pace. According to Dr. Yamashita, Japan had a national banking system and commercial commerce that allowed them to become a power. While on the contrary, Japan had various issues that made it hard to industrialize and become a noted power. Japan had to take care of the warriors that they displaced in their previous efforts to liquidate the warrior regime. Japan was also unable to regulate imports and had not as of yet created a system of taxation that would create a large enough revenue to offset their deficit. Lastly, Japan's struggles after the Satsuma Rebellion also made it difficult to become a power. However, Matsukata Masayoshi established a system of taxation which helped to create revenue needed to boost Japan's economy, helping them to take part in heavy industry in the 1890-1914. This in turn, catapults Japan into the arena of power.

I would like to use an excerpt the Diary of an Evacuated school girl in my class. It would be interesting to have students write point of view statements about the diary. As well, students could discuss the hunger experienced in Japan by civilians and nationalism displayed in the writings.
I really enjoyed Dr. Yamashita! It was a very interesting day of Japanese history.

I learned a lot about Japan during the last century today. It was amazing to me that the Japanese basically turned away from their past in order to survive. I think the example of Japan can be used when discussing other societies that have changed very rapidly. I think I would use this question with students and have them predict: "Now that you have learned about Bushido and Samurai, why is their that way of life not practiced is Japan OR can you find examples of Bushido in modern Japanese society?"
edited by jsheehan on 7/30/2012

First, let me say that I truly appreciated the professor's linear and detailed explanation of events. That really helped put a lot of things in place for me.
It seems to me that Japan was just kind of muddling along and then they started to gather resources and started to figure out how to get things they needed in order to be self-sufficient. It was kind of like a snowball effect, once it got rolling it just didn't stop! I think one result of the war was that Japan was very humbled. And other nations didn't really trust them. I think the US was a little schizophrenic in their dealings with Japan. Right after the war the US is dictating what they can and cannot do, but when the US realizes China will be lost to Communism, Japan becomes the best friend of the US.

I think that Japan having a national bank and having an efficient trading system certainly help Japan develop so quickly, but it was certainly a remarkable feat that the Japanese were able to implement reforms to modernize the nation. The world mission was definitely pivotal in helping to industrialize Japan. Also, the willingness to cooperate by the population of Japan played a role.
Although Japan was partially devastated by the Pacific War, and in some respects it benefited society because it fostered questioning by the people. I think the fact that a new generation of Japanese that are very different than their predecessors is a good thing, and the U.S. sensitive to the Japanese allowed Japan and the U.S. to become strong allies. However, Japanese are generally distrusted and not liked among its neighbors due to past history.
The U.S. played a major role in the reconstruction of Japan (ex. Constitution) and help to rebuild industry as well as forging alliances with Japan in light of the rise of Communism in the region.

Only sort of related... I found this photo of my uncle online. My family was interned at Gila River and my Uncle Bill went to a work program in Rockford, Il.
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft42900589/

There is a psychologist David K. Reynold (still an Angelino, I believe) who is the most thorough American Japanophile I've ever met and who wrote a series of books based on the psychotherapy techniques developed by a Japanese contemporary of Freud named Morita.

The Morita approach contrasts ever so sharply with the Western approach. No sitting on a couch and spilling out your guts. No wallowing in the mire of your parents mistakes. It is an action-based system with the slogan "Do what needs to be done." Maybe it's where Nike got its "Just Do It."

Reynolds books usually are half filled with Zen like parables. He founded what he calls Constructive Living (and was invited to teach it in China) http://boat.zero.ad.jp/~zbe85163/ and also inspired the ToDo Institute http://www.todoinstitute.com/.

I read it for years just out of an interest in that Freud vs. Morita contrast, then when a major health crisis came up in my family, instead of going bonkers, I focused on the lessons of those books and it made me a rock instead of a sponge of pandemonium. Now every year I tell my students that if there is an emergency (we probably live in the most seismically active area in the continental U.S.) they need to focus on "doing what needs to be done."