How do historical antecedents help account for the "economic miracle" Japan experienced following the defeat visited on the nation by the Second World War?  

What factors inherited from times past helped Japan accomplish the results achieved between 1946 and the early 1980s?  
 
Discuss the relative mix of western, modern and traditional influences at work during the period since 1945 molding the current Japanese economic, political, social and cultural scene. 

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