JAPAN’S ECONOMIC NATIONALISM

MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) (1949): the government ministry of economic planning formed in the postwar period. This governmental body was instrumental in bring about the Japanese "Economic Miracle."

Yoshida Shigeru (1878-1967): Japanese statesman. Arrested in Japan for advocating peaceful international trade relations during Japan's prewar "Swing to the Right", Yoshia returned to power with US support as head of the Liberal Party in 1945. During the US Occupation he served as a leading figure in Japan’s postwar political recovery.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (ca. 1955): Japan's largest political party, associated closely with Big Business and a pro-American foreign policy. The LDP has held power in Japan since its formation in November 1955, although the party has been weakened by scandal in recent years and therefore has been forced on occasion into political coalitions with other parties.

Social Democratic Party (SDP): Japan's third largest party after the LDP and the coalition New Frontier Party (NFP). In 1959 the party split into the left-leaning Japan Socialist Party and the more centrist Democratic Socialist Party. In 1993 the socialists, now the Social Democratic Party, joined the coalition government with the LDP.

JAPAN AS AN ECONOMIC WORLD POWER (early 1980’s-1998)

Nakasone Yasuhiro (b. 1918): Prime Minister (1982-87) who launched a reconsideration of the Yoshida Doctrine model of rule (high economic growth, low international profile), arguing that Japan no longer needed to adhere to the narrow trade-linked policies of the past, because other countries would soon emulate Japan’s way. Nakasone in May 1989 was forced to resign from the LDP after his successor Prime Minister Takeshita Noboru and others in the party were implicated in the "Recruit" influence-peddling scandal. Nakasone rejoined the LDP in April 1991.

The "American Disease": the accusation Japanese social critics in the 1980's made that the civil reforms of the US Occupation Era have led to areas social decline in Japan.

Maekawa Report (1985): announced a removal of barriers to foreign competition in certain industries, changes in preferential tax treatment for personal savings, reduction of workweek to five days, and a reform to product distribution system that had kept consumer prices high for the Japanese public.

Kokusaika (國際化): "internationalization," specifically in government policy matters, but also pertaining to expanding global interests of ordinary Japanese.