Rapid Economic Growth and the End of the Showa Era

Within less than ten years after the war, Japan achieved miraculous economic growth and was called the “Miracle of the East.” However, difficult problems such as pollution, the oil shock, and the bubble economy also emerged.

Basic Knowledge

On September 8, 1951, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty with 48 countries in San Francisco under Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida. It came into force the following year, and Japan regained its independence. On the same day, Japan also concluded the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, allowing U.S. forces to remain in Japan. In 1956, Japan restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union through the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration and joined the United Nations that same year. The period from 1955 to 1973 was the period of rapid economic growth, during which Japan achieved average annual economic growth of more than 10%. In 1964, the Tokyo Olympics were held and the Tokaido Shinkansen opened. In 1968, Japan ranked second in the world in GNP (second only to the United States among capitalist countries). The 1970 Osaka Expo (EXPO'70) became a symbol of rapid growth.

Further Study (Background and Effects)

The Three Sacred Treasures (black-and-white television, washing machine, and refrigerator) spread through homes in the late 1950s, while the 3 Cs (color television, cooler, and car) became common in the late 1960s. Meanwhile, the four major pollution-related diseases grew serious: Minamata disease (Kumamoto, organic mercury), Niigata Minamata disease (Agano River, organic mercury), Itai-itai disease (Toyama, cadmium), and Yokkaichi asthma (Mie, sulfur dioxide). The Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control was enacted in 1967, and the Environment Agency (now the Ministry of the Environment) was established in 1971. The First Oil Crisis (oil shock), triggered by the Fourth Arab-Israeli War in 1973, ended rapid economic growth and caused panic buying of toilet paper. The Plaza Accord of 1985 led to a stronger yen, and the bubble economy began in 1986.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① The San Francisco Peace Treaty (1951, peace treaty with the Allies) and the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty (1951, continued stationing of U.S. forces) were signed on the same day but had different contents. ② Minamata disease (Kumamoto) and Niigata Minamata disease (Niigata) were separate incidents, although both were caused by organic mercury. ③ The reversion of Okinawa (1972, Eisaku Sato) and the Japan-China Joint Communique (1972, Kakuei Tanaka) occurred in the same year but involved different prime ministers and contents. ④ The Three Non-Nuclear Principles (not possessing, not producing, and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons) were associated with Eisaku Sato, who received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Practice

1. State the name of the peace treaty Japan concluded with 48 countries in 1951 and the name of the prime minister at the time.
2. List all four major pollution-related diseases.
3. Who was the prime minister who achieved the reversion of Okinawa in 1972?