Japan Under American Occupation

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Winona State University

HIST 397: Topics in History – America Foreign Relations

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Japan Under American Occupation

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a critical turning point in World War II. Hiroshima, a city of 250,000 residents was targeted following recommendations by the Manhattan Project director Brigadier General Leslie Groves as it housed the regional military headquarters. On August 6, 1945, the “Little Boy” blasted raising the temperatures, stripping trees, destroying buildings, and left devastating effects on inhabitants, leaving 130,000 dead. Three days later, on August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped at the commercial and industrial center of Nagasaki, claiming 73,884 lives (Paterson et al., p.240). The bombs may have ended the war, but the effects were profound in the Japanese society. The documentary film, “Japan Under American Occupation” focuses on the aftermath of Japan’s surrendering to the United States after the bombings. The main topics of the film are post-war reconstruction – how Japan managed to reinvent itself politically, economically, and socially; American influence – the degree and nature of the American influence on the Japanese society, governance, and culture; democratization and reforms – important reforms introduced by the American occupation forces, including political, economic, and educational changes; and cultural changes – the transformation of the Japanese culture under American occupation, including respect for women’s rights and changes in societal norms and lifestyles.

The documentary adopts various visual and audio resources to communicate the message. First, the documentary uses an archival footage of what was initially a classified documentary from the occupation period. The footage captures key events such as the dropping of the bombs, flying of the airplanes, devastation on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, starving children, victims suffering in hospitals, and burial rites. There are also public speeches, and everyday life in post-war Japan. Second, it used interviews from individuals who experienced the war, historians, and experts to convey personal experiences, insights, and expert analyses. For example, Daniel Vece, Jr. and Carl Hjerpe of the 5^th Marine Division explain the devastation at Iwo Jima island (02min 20s). Third, narration is important as there is a consistent voice that guides viewers through the events and provides context. The voice of Arthur Kent for the History Channel is used in achieving the purpose. Fourth, photographs and documents from the period have been used in providing visual evidence of changes and events to illustrate the points communicated in the documentary. All these work together in achieving the objectives of the film.

The filmmaker’s objective for making the film is to educate through a comprehensive overview of the American occupation of Japan. Additionally, they are examining the successes and failures of the occupation and its long-term implications on Japan and international relations. The role of General Douglas MacArthur and his team in transforming Japan after devastation is a topic many Americans would find insightful. The filmmaker may also be trying to engage the audience by providing a deeper understanding of the important event in the US history. Initially, the footage was supposed to be published but it was classified for fear of a public backlash. Lieutenant Daniel McGovern and his camera unit attached to the US Strategic Bombing Survey were supposed to do a story about the Japanese people – their way of life, farming, education, industry, transportation, and medical. General Anderson wanted McGovern to document Japan’s transformation (07 mins 25s).

What I liked about the film is that it has comprehensive coverage, uses primary resources, and gives a balanced perspective. There is a detailed exploration of the various aspects of the occupation, from political reforms to cultural changes, which providers a well-rounded understanding of what was happening. For instance, McGovern’s team shows and acknowledges being overwhelmed by the enormity of human suffering Hiroshima, where people are burying their loved ones (25 min 05s). The use of archival footage and interviews as primary sources of information makes the film authentic and creates a personal connection to the historical events. As an example, it shows burn victims who had developed a unique formation of rubber like scars on their skin (22 min 48s). The perspective is balanced because it captures both the positives and negatives of the occupation. McGovern claims that an encounter with the victims of the bomb, one could see them staring as if to say, “what have you done to me” (21 min 00s). That shows an acknowledgment of the wrongs. However, what I disliked about the film is that it underrepresents the role of the Japanese people in sharing their own post-war recovery and reforms. In discussing the conflict, there is a general perspective that the Japanese forces were on the wrong and the US forces were doing the right thing. It shows some level of bias. However, the documentary is important from both historical and intellectual perspectives because it takes us back in history through lived events, encouraging us to critically think and appreciate the complexities of the war and the aftermath. It was an important period in Japanese and world history, with a lot of lessons that we can learn. Dobbins et al. (2003) argue that the reconstruction efforts the US implemented in Japan were impressively successful – quicker, easier, and smoother compared to those in Germany. Lessons from the event include the fact democracy can be transferred to non-Western nations and idealistic reforms targeting long-term transformation of target nations occasionally must pave way for immediate, global concerns of the occupying power.

References

A&E Television. (2002). Japan under American occupation [Video]. Winona State University. https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/6541818/viewContent/66712336/View

Dobbins, J., McGinn, J. G., Crane, K., Jones, S. G., Lal, R., Rathmell, A., Swanger, R., & Timilsina, A. (2003). America's role in nation-building: From Germany to Iraq. Rand Corporation. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/mr1753rc.10

Paterson, T. G., Clifford, J. G., Brigham, R., Donoghue, M., Hagan, K. J., Kisatsky, D., & Maddock, S. J. (2015). American foreign relations: A history, Volume 2, Since 1895 (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.