of thousands of Japanese citizens and ending World War II. But despite this devastating

attack, less than a century later, Japan and the United States have become close political

and social allies. In 2011, 85% of Japanese people polled viewed the US favorably. So,

why doesn’t Japan hate the US?

One of the big reasons is that at the time of the war, Japan was ruled by Emperor Shōwa.

His policies plunged the country into financial crisis and increased military power. During

the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II he authorized war crimes and ordered Japanese

civilians to commit suicide instead of being captured. This made him a feared and unlikeable

figure in Japanese history.

The end of the war also had a silver lining. Neither Japan nor the US stood any chance

of invading each other, meaning that the protracted sea battle was going to continue indefinitely.

On top of that, the USSR had also just joined the war against Japan. With the war over,

Japan’s communist neighbors threatened their existence. But from 1945 to Japan’s independence

in 1952, the United States occupied and rebuilt the country with a heavy emphasis on growth

and stability. They promoted New Deal policies to help the economy, pushed for labor rights

and unions, and dismantled existing monopolies, and overhauled the education system. They

also freely shared technologies, pushing Japan into eventually becoming a manufacturing giant.

And introduced democracy and a new constitution, letting the Japanese people hold elections

for the first time.

Essentially, American involvement in post-war Japan, along with their significant financial

support, launched the country into one of the biggest economic recoveries in recent

history. Today, Japan has the fifth largest economy and is the fifth largest exporter

in the world. The US is Japan’s strongest economic partner, and as a result of their

intervention, the US has enjoyed consuming Japan’s exports, particularly cars and electronics.

Additionally, the two countries share a Mutual Security Assistance Pact, which essentially

says that both countries will militarily defend each other from any foreign attacks.

These efforts, in addition to lessened tensions as subsequent generations have shifted their

priorities, has led to a close and complementary relationship between the two countries.

While the United States and Japan maintain a strong relationship today, China is another

story. To learn about the dark and violent past between the two asian nations, check

out our video here. Thanks for staying with us here on TestTube… we’ll be back tomorrow

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