World War II and globalization

World War II ushered in the current era of economic globalization. Several elements have been ascribed to the time’s strong protectionist attitudes. Some of the factors that contributed to economic globalization include fundamental economic and military factors, as well as the usual coalitional and institutional factors. Changes in Japan’s trade policy terms and circumstances have also played a part in the current post-cold war globalization. The structural economic circumstances explain in detail the arguments for the observed significant protectionist trends. Furthermore, the same variables account for their presence in other countries, including the United States. The liberalizing trend initiated in Japan was also accelerated by the coalitional payments within the agricultural sector. The post-cold war military welfares seem to have been the most prevalent impetus associated with the unilateral form of liberalization. After the end of the cold war, globalization emerged as a common factor, a phenomenon that has deep roots in history and has become an essential circumstance in the foreign relations of Japan. The definition of the term referred to the enlargement of trade and investments. Moreover, globalization could also be determined as the expansion of the economy that is the transition from the territorial distribution during the nineteenth century to the growing internationalization of markets that took place in the twentieth century (Chung).

Japan lost more than a quarter of its total national wealth by September of 1945. It is from these facts that an important question arises of how the country managed to become one of the largest economies across the globe during the 1980s. The economic take off during the post-war by Japan was attributed to multiple factors such as the American policies, international market, government policies, and social mobilization (Schaller 108). The post-cold war, economic internationalism aspect, and the independence of nations including Japan appear to have captured the essence of post-cold war globalization. However, such usages are limited and do not provide an explicit illustration of the phenomenon that shaped Japan diplomacy and its key elements of economics and culture (Appadurai 18).

Post-War Japan

Post-war Japan is a term used to refer to the period in Japanese history just after the end of the World War II in 1945 to date. Before the start of the World War II as well as during the war Japan was commonly called an empire, however, at the current time it is merely known as Japan. The planning of the country did not have a significant impact on the economic development of the nation. Regional projects during the 1960s were not successfully implemented.

During the post-war period, the Japanese economy went through a transitioning period of economic growth as it tried to recover from the war while making efforts to rebuild the fallen economy as well as the cities. The post-war finacial growth led to significant structural changes. For instance, there was a sharp reduction in the total population employed within the primary industry and many citizens migrated from rural to urban settings. The structural alterations experienced during the post-war period had significant effect on Japan’s regions for many reasons. The first one was that there transpired some depopulation in many rural regions. Majority of these areas being comprised of more than a third of the country’s total nationalty were considered as insufficient to support the rest of the population which mostly consisted of the elderly and unemployed individuals. Second, most of Japan’s large cities were overcrowded causing various negative externalities such as pollution and congestion. Third, there existed a great income gap between the poor and the prosperous centers.

The government at some point had to address these perceived problems. In an attempt to solve the issues the authority of Japan formulated multiple regional plans that were executed during the post-war period. The second approach used in settling the identified problems involved the use of a tax system which facilitated the collection of revenues by the central government.

Sources of Economic Growth

Many scholars have extensively reviewed the various sources of long-term economic growth in Japan. One of the primary bases of material prosperity has been the technological change within the Japanese industry. Despite the fact that some of the technology appliances used have been imported from foreign countries, a greater part of them has been elaborated through research and development efforts by Japanese people. The government has played a significant role in the increase of the economy through fostering of growth-oriented policies. The liberal party that has governed the country since 1965 has always been receptive and approachable to the demands of the situation, financial backer, and the dedicated business community through the provision of policies. Some of the examples of active operations that helped in the financial rise include subsidies, protection of import and related issues aimed at stimulating private business development.

Other factors that have facilitated the economic growth of Japan include the liberation of foreign trade and the availability of greater economies of scale. The procurement from the American military installations particularly during the Korean War was also a source of economic prosperity. Another factor attributed to the expansion of the economy included the limited amount of non-productive defense disbursements.

The economy development process was also dependent on the systematic starvation of the public sector for the sake of private sector activity. Such matter could be manifested through the data collected on the public sector concerning the terms in comparison with different Japanese economic masses as well as the public sectors of other states. For that reason, the consumption growth rate of the government was 14.8 percent at an average annual rate between 1955 and 1974, a time when the activities within the private sector grew faster. The level of government consumption based on the GNP was reasonably constant between 1955 and 1974. It is at this period that the GDFCP increased from 20.1 percent of GNP in 1955 to 36.0 percent in 1970. Therefore, based on given projections it can be concluded that the private sector investment and the export growth were attained at the expense of the public sector.

Demographic Transition

After the World War II, the general population of Japan experienced a steady growth recording an annual rate of about 3.5 percent within two years. However, the demographic patterns decreased and stabilized at 1.5 percent by 1957. Shortly after 1973, the populace recorded a 1.5 percent decrease in 1979. Some policies instructed the Japanese public to use birth control and abortion during the 1950’s. The primary reason why the people were instructed on adopting some of these strategies was due to the poor economic conditions at the time within the country. However, during the 1960’s, there was a change in the material state in Japan. For instance, the living standards of the majority of citizens were improved as well as the education levels were optimized. The population control strategies and approaches adopted by the government played a significant role in restraining the population growth rate (Sugiura 12). The post-war led to a changing population age structure having a greater percentage of people composed of the elderly. The newly acquired national composition place a heavy burden on the Japanese government. The abnormal population distributions witnessed at the time were attributed to rapid urban development resulting in more than half of the inhabitants occupying only 1.7 percent of the available land, while 7.5 percent occupied 44 percent of the land. Eventually, the Japanese realized the effects of having a polarized population on the economy and the need of corrective measures. Another economic challenge facing the country during the post-war phase was the over-dependence on the imports of natural resources and grains. The explanation to such dependency nature of the economy is credited to the lack of enough farmland and natural resources across the country. Japan has however made substantial improvements in protecting its environment over a recent couple of years. The next step revolves around the necessity to continuously keep watch of the country’s population and emphasizing the need to have an improved national quality (Sugiura 12).

Assets

One of the major post-cold war effects or outcomes on assets was the peaceful development that is the restoration of an economic state. Japan set an excellent record in the manner through which it recovered and left the war behind pursuing a path of financial rise characterized by high levels of success. During the Korean War, Japan was under pressure by the United States to refit promptly. On the contrary, the governmental administration of Shigeru Yoshida did not assume the enforcement. The people also aided to support their government by spreading the wish for peaceful life. Eventually, the ruling elite selected peace over the need to establish economic reconstruction. For the following years, the choice was eventually embraced by the general public and the administration representatives. It was up to the 1960s when Japan admitted a rapid growth in its economics, becoming one of the most prominent ones in the world.

The free international financial order is one the founding reasons that facilitated and supported the post-cold war development of Japan as an economic country. The light industry in Japan was developing during the pre-war time. The postwar age also gave rise to the free trading sphere established under the leadership of the United States making Japan soar. The post-cold war state is associated with the advancement of democracy in Japan.

Security during postwar era was guaranteed by the existence of an effective cooperation with the U.S. Previously there was the alliance between Japan and Britain which was quite fruitful, however, the Japan-U.S association allowed for pluralism and freedom maintaining the international order that existed till the World War II. However, during the postwar period, the Japan-U.S union intensified and became a comprehensive one encompassing culture, economic affairs, and policy. The alliance further underpinned the security of Japan during the cold war. Moreover, through the integration, Japan was able to create international economic links leading to the insight of world cooperation.

The existence of the Japan-U.S union has discouraged both states from engaging in extreme activities and see the two countries developing integrative and reliable behavioral patterns. For instance, during the Koran Peninsula crisis in the 1990s the alliance assisted in strengthening the trilateral arrangement. Through the depression, the significance and influence of the alliance manifested itself as a key to the preservation of regional stability but not an expansionist force. There is a probability that through the cooperation the Asia-Pacific region could be stabilized in due course irrespective of the many upheavals that could be associated with fast changes in the future.

Liabilities

The post-war period of Japan was characterized by a reduced meaning of international accountability and authoritativeness. The time has also had some negative attributes concerning the basic development of the country in general. For instance, during the age, primary emphasis was on how the economy would improve yielded great outcomes, however, the reliance on the United States in order to maintain Japan’s security ended up turning out into the rooted customs during the war. It is due to such interdependence on the United States that Japan lost its sense of liability on its international affairs and capability to make uninfluenced decisions. This matter eventually became a significant weakness in the manner Japan tolerated precedent to guide policy rather than forming its own vision of the nation’s direction that was unveiled during the 1990s crisis. Due to the economic success of a country during the postwar, it resulted in the growth of vested interests and later was entrenched.

The post-cold war period brought about problems in the relations between Japan and other states of Asia. Toward the late 1970s, Japan had become a significant contributor to the East Asia’s financial rise through participation in trade and direct investment. The development patterns for Japan and other Asian countries were praiseworthy. Conversely, more than half a century from the time when the World War II came to an end, exchange with countries such as China among other neighboring states cannot be considered to have had any adequate institutionalized district integration arrangements (Kantei).

United States Policies Affecting Japan after 1947

The United States had strategic interests during the cold war that led to Japan being granted a permit to export to the USA, despite the fact the country set up all the necessary measures to protect its domestic market. The permission enabled the emergence of cartels and non-market initiated factors within the Japanese economy. Moreover, the state developed asymmetrical trade association with the United States. The Japanese economy eventually became export-driven benefiting from the international market characterized by low tariffs, standard oil prices, and other raw materials necessary for industrial development. Given that the Japanese constitution Article 9 outlaws Japan from rearmament, the country has managed to survive under the United States military protection. The defense has seen the country spend only 1 percent of its GNP to support the military maintenance abilities, a trend that has helped save much money unlike if it was its army.

Civilian Power

The term ’civil’ is associated with multiple meanings. The expression ’civilian’ is used under the Japanese constitution to imply normality. From this perspective, the utterance ’civilian power’ could be assumed to mean a state where civilians are under control. Realistically, such a condition would be impossible for existence since there would be no military elements. A country that does not give precedence to its army undertakings but instead conducts itself through civilian activities is founded on the norm and value of civilian power. The post-world war II period of Japan has been characterized by high levels of civilian power inclined towards the feature of being a nonmilitary country dedicated towards improving economic affairs. Japan maintained its status of a civilian power state during the post-war period.

Cold War Experience

The Japanese economy has undergone a rapid development during the World War II period that is from 1937 to 1945. According to the production statistics, there was an increased rate of manufacturing to more than 20 percent. A greater part of the progressively materialized economy was diverse and complex in various ways that aided in the conversion to peacetime activity. Once the war came to an end, the majority of the wartime companies and the technology used during the warfare were later utilised for peaceful financial development. The private firms within the Japanese economy expanded quickly. Their massive growth took place because they could borrow large amounts from banks and take debts. For that reason, the majority of the private organizations developed quickly unlike the public government-owned companies that had to merge to compete more effectively.

The need to rebuild the Japanese economy was due to the great devastation that was experienced during the war. The rebuilding of the declined economy from scratch led to the introduction of modern technology and new management strategies. The innovative technical advance and approaches adopted gave the existing corporations an opportunity through which they could upgrade and update their operations. The changes of the companies were accompanied with effective international environment that allowed for free trade and cheap technology.

Conclusion

The challenges for Japan in the twenty-first century are to support to some extent its current assets including democracy, alliance with the United States, and freedom. At the same time, the country should consider expanding still-inadequate cooperation with Asia and improve its sense of obligation towards the international community. Finally, Japan may also benefit from rediscovering its ability to make personal decisions and taking part in the establishment of international systems. Concluding from the period of war and revolution, the twenty-first century could be assumed as a time when Japan may enjoy cultural peaceful development. However, it would be inappropriate to be optimistic about the prospects. The decline in birthrate and the aging society will continue to be a significant problem in Japan. On the other hand, the issue of population explosion is considered to be a universal problem. The increased populace growth across the globe is anticipated to continue outstripping the capacity of different countries such as Japan food stocks, resources, and environment. Once a critical point is reached, there are high chances of international politics plunging into structural crisis. Linking such a condition with the globally skewed circulation of wealth is making many nations ruined as the malignant result of globalization. Hence, the post-cold war globalization period might end up being like the twentieth century.

Works Cited

Appadurai, Arjun. “Grassroots globalization and the research imagination.” Public culture, no. 12.1, 2000, pp. 1-19.

Chung, Chien-peng. Contentious Integration: Post-Cold War Japan-China Relations In The Asia-Pacific. Routledge, 2016.

“Chapter 6.” Kantei, 2017, http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/21century/report/htmls/7chap6.html. Accessed 15 Nov 2017

Schaller, Michael. “Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II.” The Origins of the Cold War in Asia, 2000, pp: 108-109.

Sugiura, Yasuo, et al. “Rapid Increase in Japanese Life Expectancy after World War II.” Biosci Trends, no. 4.1, 2010, pp: 9-16.