kind that had been stipulated in the Potsdam Declaration. This was a choice which General MacArthur made; without these factories, as the basis for a peace-time economy, the Japanese economy would not have been able to expand and grow. These factories were critical for the economy to grow to the strength it has today. The Japanese were forced to develop new market strategies which depended on the export of manufactured goods these factories could produce. Passin, Herbert. (1990, Summer). The occupation--some reflections. Daedalus 119: pp. 107-126. sift through party debates to decide their best interests. Before the war, only 10 percent of young adults went through higher secondary school; almost all were male. About one percent of young adults, all males, continued to the university level. The United States imported its system of 6-3-3 schooling: 6 years of elementary, 3 years of lower secondary, and 3 years of higher secondary school. During the occupation the numbers of students continuing their education rose quickly: 95 percent through secondary high school and almost 40 percent continuing to college or university (Passin, 1990, p. 122). General MacArthur's occupation force had the necessary political leverage to force land reform on Japan. The government was forced to purchase most large landholdings. Then credit was extended to small farmers to purchase the land. Over several years over one third of all land changed hands. This affected 30 percent of all Japanese (Schaller, 1985, p. 43). These sales of land accomplished many of the economic goals of the program: created a class of small landholders who were loyal to the conservative parties, and avoided the rural uprisings that affected many of the other asian countries in the next decade. The building of a representational government was accomplished by establishing a new constitution. The new constitution strengthened the Diet, stripped the emperor of his political authority, expan |
