HIS 272H,
CULTURAL INTERACTIONS: JAPAN

OCCUPIED JAPAN (1945 - 1952)
(MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2006)

The panel will consider how the occupation of Japan between 1945 and 1952 by the Allied Powers following the nation's defeat in WWII reflects aspects of earlier eras of "cultural interaction" involving Japan.

In pursuit of that objective, panelists should be prepared to discuss the following topics.

• assessing blame for the conduct of the war through war crime trials
• policies encouraging economic recovery and political rehabilitation
• the proclamation of a new constitution (with its clauses granting sexual equality and prohibiting military rearmament)
• the impact of the Cold War on Occupation strategies and objectives
• long term consequences of Occupation policies on Japanese life and culture

In examining the above topics, the panel will consider particularly the following issues:

• How the nature of historical cultural interactions between Japan and the West plays into the Occupation era.
• Ways in which both gesellschaft and gemeinschaft cultural orientations are evidenced in Occupation policies and results.
• The multiple factors propelling the Occupation towards its conclusion.
• The lasting impact (up to the present day) of the Occupation era in both Japan and the United States.