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In August 1945, the United States dropped two atom bombs on Japan, killing hundreds
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of thousands of Japanese citizens and ending World War II. But despite this devastating
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attack, less than a century later, Japan and the United States have become close political
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and social allies. In 2011, 85% of Japanese people polled viewed the US favorably. So,
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why doesn’t Japan hate the US?
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One of the big reasons is that at the time of the war, Japan was ruled by Emperor Shōwa.
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His policies plunged the country into financial crisis and increased military power. During
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the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II he authorized war crimes and ordered Japanese
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civilians to commit suicide instead of being captured. This made him a feared and unlikeable
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figure in Japanese history.
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The end of the war also had a silver lining. Neither Japan nor the US stood any chance
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of invading each other, meaning that the protracted sea battle was going to continue indefinitely.
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On top of that, the USSR had also just joined the war against Japan. With the war over,
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Japan’s communist neighbors threatened their existence. But from 1945 to Japan’s independence
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in 1952, the United States occupied and rebuilt the country with a heavy emphasis on growth
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and stability. They promoted New Deal policies to help the economy, pushed for labor rights
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and unions, and dismantled existing monopolies, and overhauled the education system. They
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also freely shared technologies, pushing Japan into eventually becoming a manufacturing giant.
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And introduced democracy and a new constitution, letting the Japanese people hold elections
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for the first time.
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Essentially, American involvement in post-war Japan, along with their significant financial
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support, launched the country into one of the biggest economic recoveries in recent
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history. Today, Japan has the fifth largest economy and is the fifth largest exporter
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in the world. The US is Japan’s strongest economic partner, and as a result of their
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intervention, the US has enjoyed consuming Japan’s exports, particularly cars and electronics.
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Additionally, the two countries share a Mutual Security Assistance Pact, which essentially
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says that both countries will militarily defend each other from any foreign attacks.
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These efforts, in addition to lessened tensions as subsequent generations have shifted their
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priorities, has led to a close and complementary relationship between the two countries.
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While the United States and Japan maintain a strong relationship today, China is another
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story. To learn about the dark and violent past between the two asian nations, check
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out our video here. Thanks for staying with us here on TestTube… we’ll be back tomorrow
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so please subscribe!