US Initial Post-Surrender Policy For Japan
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The U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan is a legal document approved by U.S. President
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
on September 6, 1945, which governed U.S. policy in the occupation of Japan following surrender in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was released to the public on September 22, 1945.


Background

The document titled "U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan" was drafted by the
State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee The State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee (SWNCC, "swink") was a United States federal government committee created in December 1944 to address the political-military issues involved in the occupation of the Axis powers following the end of World ...
, and approved by that committee on August 29, 1945. Its official designation was SWNCC 150/4 and was approved by the president on September 6, while it was released to the media on September 22.


Provisions of the document

The document set two main objectives for the occupation. "The ultimate objectives of the United States in regard to Japan, to which policies in the initial period must conform, are: #(a) To insure that Japan will not again become a menace to the United States or to the peace and security of the world.  #(b) To bring about the eventual establishment of a peaceful and responsible government which will respect the rights of other states and will support the objectives of the United States as reflected in the ideals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The United States desires that this government should conform as closely as may be to principles of democratic self-government but it is not the responsibility of the Allied Powers to impose upon Japan any form of government not supported by the freely expressed will of the people." The document also set four main policies to be pursued: # Japanese sovereignty only to include the four main Japanese islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, while the fate of additional islands was to be determined later (this provision was taken from the
Potsdam Declaration The Potsdam Declaration, or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman, ...
of July 26, 1945). # Japan was to be disarmed, and the military was not to play any important role in Japanese society in the future. # The Japanese society was to be encouraged to develop personal liberties, such as freedoms of religion, assembly, speech, and the press, as well as to develop democratically elected institutions. # The
Japanese economy The economy of Japan is a highly developed mixed economy, often referred to as an East Asian model. According to the IMF forecast for 2025, it will be the fifth-largest economy in the world by nominal GDP as well as by purchasing power par ...
was to be developed for peaceful purposes. The document stipulated the occupation was to last until these objectives were to be met, without specifying time limit. Practical control was vested in the
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (), or SCAP, was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the United States-led Allied occupation of Japan following World War II. It issued SCAP Directives (alias SCAPIN, SCAP Index Number) ...
(SCAP), appointed by the United States, a post given to General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
. Other Allied governments were only given symbolic participation in policy making over Japan. The Japanese government was retained along with the
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
, but were subjected to SCAP. The document established freedom of speech and freedom of religion as basic principles, and also prohibited religious and racial discrimination. Two issues the document referred to were the issue of free elections and the demand for the dissolution of the
big businesses Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly k ...
then controlling the Japanese economy. The document did not require any policy on these issues, but called upon SCAP to encourage the Japanese government to take steps on these matters. This non-committal attitude on free elections and corporate control derived from the view of Japanese society as over conservative and not very susceptible to change.Juha Saunavaara, "Occupation Authorities, the Hatoyama Purge and the Making of Japan’s Postwar Political Order" ''The Asia-Pacific Journal'', Vol. 39-2-09, September 28, 200

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Aftermath

The U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan became an official legal document for the conduct of Japanese affairs during the occupation. Following the establishment of the
Allied Council for Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the ...
in December 1945, it was charged with drafting a joint Allied occupation statute for Japan, to be based on the same document. However, opposition among Allied governments to approve a statute that gave the U.S. government the dominant position led to delays, and the new statute was finally approved on June 19, 1947.


References

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External links

* Page with documents from The National Diet Library, Japa

Occupied Japan