A New Place in the World

Vibrant Tokyo

How did Japan rise with optimism and resilience from the ashes of World War II?  How did a demoralized, devastated nation transform itself into a stable democracy and an economic powerhouse within a mere three-decade span?  The answer is very complex, of course, so I will try to distill it into a few key factors.   

But first, some historical context...

After the arrival of U.S. Admiral Matthew Perry and his eight "black ships" in Edo Harbor in 1853, Japan reluctantly opened to the West.  Unequal trade agreements were signed with the U.S. and Britain, and rule by the Emperor was reborn when his supporters upended the 200-year-old  Tokugawa Shogunate dictatorship.  A massive industrialization, modernization effort quickly followed whereby Japan strove to catch up with the "enlightened" western world. 

In an effort to become an imperial power in the East, and fresh from victory in the Russo-Japanese war, the country's leaders set out to create an entirely "New East Asia" with Japan as the colonial power.   In 1910 it began with Japan's annexation of Korea.  The Japanese invaders outlawed the Korean language and history, destroyed documents and cultural treasures, and forced many farmers and business owners to turn over their property for use by the Imperial government and its military.   To become a colonial power in Asia, the Emperor and his advisers eventually instituted a policy of "total war." Japanese subjects were expected to follow this "New Military Order" with happy faces and unquestioning minds.  Overwhelmingly they did.   Dutifully they took up arms, filled new intellectual, industrial, and military posts, and honored their Emperor as a god.

In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria, followed by a full-scale invasion of China where atrocities were committed on an unspeakable scale.  (So unspeakable, in fact, that the Japanese government has yet to acknowledge them.)   Japanese papers at the time reported competitions amongst junior officers to kill the most Chinese.  Eye witnesses, including historians, missionaries and western charity workers, estimated that between 250,000 and 300,000 men, women and children were massacred.   Read "The Nanking Incident" to learn how the Yasukuni Shrine's war museum in Tokyo describes the Rape of Nanking today. (It doesn't.) 

Then Japan grossly underestimated the strength and determination of the U.S. to defend its interests in the Pacific when it attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, leading to full-scale war.  The U.S. demanded unconditional surrender.   By the end of World War II, with three million Japanese causalities and countless others injured and sick, most people still clung to faith in the rightness of their Emperor.

We shall die in the sea,

We shall die in the mountains.

In whatever way, we shall all die by the Emperor, 
Never turning back.

-Otomo yo Yakamochi

Many Japanese cities suffered terrible destruction from aerial firebombing, some as much as 97% destroyed.  To spare more U.S. lives and institute "psychological shock," President Truman approved the use of atomic bombs.  As they fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the awful power of nuclear weapons was felt for the first-- and hopefully final-- time in history.   In August 1945 the Japanese people also heard the voice of their Emperor for the first time in history when the radio broadcast his surrender speech to the nation.  No longer a god, he spoke as a sage, explaining that the war "did not turn in Japan's favor, and trends of the world were not advantageous to us."   

Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Asia "had been savaged", assured his subjects that despite suffering as victims of western aggression, they would  rise again to greatness with fresh determination.   People were admonished to "endure the unendurable and bear the unbearable."   Despite having his own "vital organs are torn asunder" in grief over Japan's losses, he promised to "always be with" his invincible "divine country." He assured the people that Japan had never intended to interfere with the sovereignty of other nations; they had merely wanted to liberate East Asia and protect themselves from aggressors.  Japan would graciously end the fighting in order to save humanity from annihilation by atomic weapons. He would personally "open the way for a great peace for thousands of generations to come." Listeners wept in utter disbelief that the glorious victory promised through the selfless sacrifices of a "hundred million" souls, had ended in unconditional surrender.  Many felt shame for having disappointed their Emperor.

General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito

As the stupefied subjects overcame their shock and grief, they awoke to a whole new reality: U.S. military occupation.   Despite fearing that the occupiers would ravage their land and rape their women, the people obediently submitted.  Consumed with the daily struggle for sustenance, most were simply too demoralized and exhausted to go beyond survival.  General Douglas MacArthur and the U.S. military moved in swiftly, determined to convert the people from subjects to citizens under a new constitution with a "rehabilitated emperor" playing a symbolic role in this new democracy.  With the cooperation of some long-established bureaucracies, and with MacArthur as a new "dictator",  massive reconstruction efforts began.

"Give me chocolate!"cried the schoolchildren, September, 1945

The U.S. rode mightily into Japan, brimming with self-confidence, pride, and the intent to institute a  re-education program to change Japanese hearts and minds.  Back in the U.S. attitudes needed adjustment too.   New media propaganda programs were under way to rehabilitate the image of the Japanese from "monkey-men" to individuals capable of intelligent self-governance.  Likewise, the elite in Japan needed to change their views of the common people.  Historically the lower classes were viewed as incapable of more than playing "follow-the-leader."   Now they were to become actual participates in a new democratic system.  The Occupation forces set out to demonstrate that the material wealth the West possessed--and that the Japanese so envied--went hand-in-hand with democracy.  To do this, they introduced a whole new curriculum in the schools, censored the media, and ordered GIs to deliver food, sweets, chewing gum, cigarettes and smiles from their jeeps. 

Mitsubishi 500, 1960

Under the Meiji restoration that began in 1868, "opening to the West" had involved gaining wealth through state power.  The people did not possess freedom of speech or the press, or other fundamental human liberties.  Ruling elites enjoyed power and prosperity built upon the backs of the poor.    The U.S. Occupation had to liberate the poor from oppression by the old zaibatsu--the massive financial and industrial oligopolies that dominated Japan throughout the Meiji restoration:  Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, and Yasuda.  In reality, with their wealth and power, the zaibatsu weathered defeat and reconstruction with great resilience.  However, the Occupation forced the conservative, ruling zaibatsu to institute progressive reforms that they otherwise would not have undertaken.  

Unlike the wealthy, the masses survived by their wits without factories for jobs, tools or seed for fields, and rapidly-spiraling inflation.   Many succumbed to a psychic despair called kyodatsu but others immediately experienced great feelings of joy and liberation.   Critics accused the masses of continuing to act as an "obedient herd," blindly switching allegiance from Hirohito to MacArthur.  To foster a smooth, comforting transition from militarism to democracy, wartime rhetoric and key words were revamped with new meanings, e.g. brightness, light, happiness, and newness.   And images were given new meanings as well.  For example, the symbolic red sun remained but the rising red sun was outlawed.  To the extent that old folkways and values did not hinder reforms, they too were promoted:  diligence, industriousness, filial piety, respect for elders, harmonious living, and so forth.  Phrases "Construct a Nation of Peace" and "Construct a Nation of Culture" utilized wartime slogans but with a focus on building a new democracy.  Anti-militaristic, democratic, and human-rights principles were promoted via the new media, new schools, new labor organizations, new literature, new government, new science, new fashion, new everything.  The whirlwind movement toward progress fed upon itself as Japan sought an entirely new place in the world. 

Pure-Silver 10,000 Yen Coin to Celebrate the 60th Year of Hirohito's Reign.

Due to the Cold War, the U.S. changed its attitude toward Japan's old establishment.  Individuals once closely associated with the lost war were welcomed  to take leading roles in the economy.  And with the growing threat of communism, re-militarization of Japan gained appeal amongst the Occupiers.  But to most war-weary Japanese, re-militarization looked like a very dangerous plan!  However, with the economy in chaos, not much energy existed for resistance.  It was actually the Koren War that quickened the pace of economic reconstruction in Japan.  As industries cranked out war materials and supplied United Nations forces with necessary goods, the economy swung into recovery-mode.   Due to incredible innovation and hard work, within thirty years, the nation moved from producing little tin and porcelain nick-knacks to making the best-engineered automobilies and technological devices in the world.  At long last, workers achieved the goal of "living the American dream"--in Japanese style.

"Dance-Child"

A Maiko, photo by Doug Wiens, April 2014

We traveled to Kyoto, once Japan's Imperial capital for 1,000 years.  Located in the central basin of the main island, it's current population reaches 1.5 million and its economic prosperity relies upon tech and tourism industries, not the least of which is the infamous Geisha quarters in Gion. 

The city's nickname is "City with Ten Thousand Shrines," and that seems very plausible!  After tiring of shrine visits, we went to the Gion District in the evening, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Geiko (pronounced Gay-ko, the preferred name for a Geisha in Kyoto),  or a Maiko (rhymes with 'psycho', an apprentice-Geiko).  We were lucky enough to see one emerging from her lodge just as we passed!  Doug scurried along snapping  photos, careful to keep a respectable distance, of course.  (I am in the distance...she ran really fast!)

This English-speaking tour guide was the best ever!

As a Geiko-in-training, in Kyoto the young woman is between the ages of 15 and 20.  (Historically Geishas began training as young as age 3!)  Distinct from Geiko, she is only allowed red lipstick on the lower lip and her hair has many flouncy kinzache or hair accessories to make her appear more child-like.  She is considered a professional artist and performs at one of Gion's tea houses.  She attends "Geisha school" from 8 a.m. until early afternoon to learn traditional Japanese culture including flower arranging, tea ceremony, poetry and conversation, games, dance and music.  She must learn to play the shamisen, the three-stringed Japanese instrument.  (Do you suppose that is what she is carrying?)  The afternoon is spent with personal matters such as eating quick meals, dressing, running errands, and so forth.)  She must prepare for the long evening spent in a tea house entertaining some of Japan's most wealthy and prominent men.  Interestingly, joining a tea house requires a personal invitation from an existing member, plus assurances of "good" character and adequate financial resources needed to pay the tens of thousands of yen owed annually for the cost of entertainment.  (A fun fact:  Mikhail Gorbachev tried to join a tea house but was rejected.)

Tea Houses and Boarding Houses line the narrow Gion Streets

Each Maiko lives in a boarding house, typically with three to five other Maikos and an owner whom I will refer to here as "Mama".  (Geiko can live in private quarters on their own once they have firmly established a reliable clientele.)  The boarding house owner invests tens of millions of yen per girl.  All lodging, food, clothing, make-up, instruments, and accessories are supplied by the boarding house, and the girl's contact with her family  is strictly limited.   Therefore, it is absolutely essential that the girl deeply desires to become a Geisha.  In fact, the number of recruits is declining rapidly.  Most girls in Japan consider the work to be old-fashioned, too difficult, and even a little 'psyco' because Maikos essentially give up their freedom for a life governed by rules and structure.  Even a brief walk to a nearby shop requires "Mama's" permission.  This year only 60 new girls enrolled, most coming from rural areas.  After a one-year trial period, over half drop out.  Life inside Gion's Geisha quarters is highly regimented and exhausting.  I have read that the roles for some Maiko are finally expanding to include visits to hospitals, nursing facilities, and even travels abroad.  Maybe that will entice more young woman to keep the business alive?

Wooden Plaques for Maiko

This house has five Maiko as indicated by the five wooden plaques hanging by the front door of the lodge. (see right)    Inside, a strict pecking-order exists.   For example, the most senior member enters the bathtub first with the newest member bathing last -- in cold water.  Each kimono costs about $30,000 U.S. and is so heavy that a strong male professional "dresser" is needed to help her get into the gown, with the newest recruits receiving help last.  The Meiko's colorful, wide, heavy sash used to hold the kimono in place is called a darari obi and measures 20 feet long.  Her make-up colors are restricted to white, red, and black.  Her hair is elaborately styled once a week and she sleeps on a hard neck cushion to keep it in place.  She is expected to learn these practices from her elder Maiko-sisters.

Once ready for the evening, she walks gingerly to her appointments in high, wooden platform shoes, with the younger Maiko often under the critical eye of "Mama."  This Meiko stopped momentarily to speak with her "Mama", a severe-looking woman dressed in a plain brown kimono.   The most experienced Meiko and Geiko often ride in taxis from place to place so visitors hoping to spot one in Gion should keep a look-out inside the taxis as they pass through the narrow streets.  If you aren't lucky enough to see a Geisha, you might spot a famous politician, business man or public figure on his way to the tea house instead!!  Who belongs to each tea house is a great secret in Gion, the most prestigious Geisha district of the remaining five in Japan.   Either way, a good sighting is well-worth your patience!  

Note:  For more information, Wikipedia has a decent article on "Geishas".  It can answer many of the questions that I deliberated left unanswered here. 

Disaster-Relief Assurance and Insurance

Retrofitting at Tokyo University, 2014

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. To dampen the earth's shaking, strict building codes require extra steel bracing, giant rubber pads and hydraulic shock absorbers.  Older and more vulnerable structures have retrofitting as seen in this photo taken at Tokyo University (right).  Japan has spent billions of yen developing the most advanced technology as protection against earthquakes and tsunamis.    

Evacuation routes were clearly marked all along this coastal trail in case of an earthquake and tsunami.  But NO place looked safe!

Tsunami warning signs, giant seawalls and clearly-marked escape routes are found in applicable places.  Along with practice drills, preparedness training, disaster kits, and instruction manuals, Japan is more prepared for a disaster than any other nation in the world.  But sometimes I wonder if citizens put too much faith in this training and technology, becoming lulled into a false sense of security.  A Japanese friend who moved to Tokyo 16 years ago said, "I am no longer concerned about earthquakes because our buildings have such good construction."  Many residents take comfort in their emergency supplies, building's engineering and government's ready response units.  On the other hand, a friend told us that his children will not attend a university in Tokyo due to the inevitable death and destruction following a massive quake.  "It is a risk we will not take," he said.  People respond quite differently to the always-present seismic threat.   

No Electricity. Start Climbing!

Naturally, newly-constructed buildings that boast the most-advanced technology rent and sell more easily than older structures.  Despite flaunting the most-advanced construction, there is still a down-side to living in a new high rise.   A Japanese friend said, "We moved from the 16th floor of a 33-story high-rise so that we won't have to climb stairs when the power is shut off and the elevator stops working after an earthquake." (Notice the anticipation in her words.)  She doesn't mind swaying in the sky, only climbing to great heights.   On the other hand, following the Tohoku earthquake, my friend's boss, a 63-year old woman, made the climb to her 30th floor apartment without complaint.  She saw it as "an opportunity to stay fit" and a small sacrifice when so many others were suffering.  

Post-earthquake, Christchurch, 2011

Like this store after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake (right), our home city of St. Louis has many historic buildings constructed of brick and masonry.  Unlike Japanese structures, collapse is nearly inevitable after a large earthquake.  Interestingly, Japanese people express more concern over the degree of damage their buildings will suffer, not whether the structure will entirely collapse.  Large urban areas like Tokyo and Kobe have spent enormous resources to retrofit old buildings and deploy the latest technology in new construction.  I wonder whether buildings in rural communities have the same level of earthquake protection.  I suspect not.  

Kobe Earthquake, Collapsed Highway, 1995

Destruction in a Kobe Home

Back in the 1960s the government and private insurance companies struck a deal permitting property owners to add earthquake riders to their fire insurance policies with any claims being paid out of the "Japanese Earthquake Reinsurance", a giant fund maintained jointly by the government and insurance companies.   Despite government urgings to purchase earthquake insurance, many people do not add the rider because it is expensive compared with perceived potential payouts, which take into account the depreciating value of the home or building at the time of the disaster. They also fear that in the event of a very large earthquake, the government and insurers will be incapable of meeting payment obligations.   I am told that businesses and institutions maintain a separate disaster fund so they will have the resources to rebuild.   (Note:  Fires are a great threat as a result of an earthquake.  Fire insurance will not pay for fire resulting from an earthquake unless the owner has both fire and earthquake insurance.) 

Professor Shima-San (left) explains the ground's movement at Kobe's Earthquake Memorial Museum, a site that both commemorates and educates the public about earthquakes and disaster prevention.  The museum also has an earthquake simulator that demonstrates an intensity level-7 earthquake for 40 seconds.  The shaking is severe.  The strongest I have felt is intensity 5 and hope that is the maximum EVER.  

Love of Patchwork Quilts and Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mami, a friend in Japan holding one of the Little House books.

It was a privilege to spend the afternoon with friends in their home in Tachikawa, a community in Tokyo's western metro region.    What a surprise to learn that Mami has loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books since her childhood growing up on a rice farm in rural Japan!  She was equally surprised that Doug and I grew up near places where Laura's family settled for a time.   My childhood farm is only 39 miles from Burr Oak, Iowa where Laura's little sister, Grace, was born and her family helped run a hotel.   Doug's hometown is 49 miles from Walnut Grove, Minnesota where the Ingalls lived on the banks of Plum Creek.  And now we live in Missouri where Laura spent time both in childhood and again in married life. 

Mami has recently learned to sew patchwork quilts and crochet.   Since childhood I have also wanted to sew, knit and crochet.   Hopefully I will learn those skills in my retirement years and also write my memoirs.  (The first book will be titled,  Life in the Other White House.)    Mami and her husband served a delicious meal in their lovely yard filled with fragrant roses.  There is nothing quite as gracious as the hospitality of a Japanese family.