HIS 1111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Katana, Socialist Market Economy, Hirohito
6 Feb 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Cities were absolutely leveled and did not have a large industrial base. It was not a punitive program, trying to make things better for the japanese people: 1945 abolish secret police, 1945 trade union act, 1946 full gender equality, Focused on reconstructing family a life and putting the horror behind them. Social unrest in the 1950s: working class people were living humble lives and felt left behind by the economic growth. Labour unrest, strikes: samurai sword attack on a socialist politician, pivot point where japan had had enough of the turmoil and united together. Golden sixties: every family wanted the three treasures, television, refrigerator, washing machine, bright new life. Important idea: escapist, just like in the united states, consumer dream. Japan had put an awful past behind, and now were finally achieving their dream of full development, and reaching equality and parity with the west: godzilla.
