This final regular episode of the podcast features the politics, economics, and cultural developments of 1980s Japan as the Shōwa Period came to a close in 1989. Thank you so much for listening, I hope you enjoyed this journey through Japanese history with me.
The social extremes of the Oil Shock Period ranged from radical terrorism, ahistorical revision of the Pacific War, the emergence of several new genres of anime, and the birth of the video games industry.
To help mitigate the damage to Japan’s economy during the Oil Shock period, its government would engage in global economic forums, encourage conservation among consumers, and expand into new energy sources.
The 1973 Oil Crisis had a devastating effect on Japan’s economy and led to a period of rapid political turmoil as the ruling LDP, for the first time in the party’s history, failed to obtain a simple majority of seats in the diet.
The Korean Peninsula was divided after the second world war as the Soviet Union occupied the north and the US occupying the south. Though this division was initially meant to be temporary, the subsequent Korean War and its aftermath cemented the divisions for both North and South as the Cold War brought troops from both the United States and the People’s Republic of China into direct conflict.
After the Japanese Imperial Army evacuated China, any hopes of peaceful reunification were dashed as the Nationalists and Communists continued fighting the Chinese Civil War, the result of which would see the birth of the People’s Republic of China.
As incomes soared and standards of living likewise rising, the demand for entertainment in Japan also rose and the industries of film, television, and animation would produce some of the most innovative and influential works ever made.
The Economic Miracle period witnessed, as its name suggests, tremendous economic growth throughout Japan. However, that growth came at a cost to Japan’s organized working class as well as white collar workers whose pursuit of productivity often compromised their health.
Ikeda Hayato managed to garner the necessary support to become the President of the LDP and the Prime Minister of Japan after Kishi Nobusuke’s resignation in 1960. He would prove to be almost the polar opposite of his arch-conservative predecessor, creating much of the social safety net which Japan continues to enjoy today. His successor, Sato Eisaku, lobbied for the return of Okinawa Prefecture and was forced to wrangle with complicated geopolitical challenges and domestic disturbances.
Conservatives and Leftists both experienced party mergers after the 1955 general election. However, it was the Liberal Democratic Party who would emerge as the big winner for the foreseeable future.
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