Posted: March 29th, 2022

The modernization of the Japanese society

At the end of World War II, Japan was a nation devastated by defeat, psychologically traumatized by the impact of two atomic bombs and bereft of resources. It would thus be a nation ripe for dramatic reinvention, which would occur in the image of its western occupiers. Steeped in the implications, tastes and peculiarities of Eastern life, Japan is also an example of Western integration at its most thorough, with U.S. led modernization battling Japanese tradition throughout the postwar era.

 

The first major blow to Japanese tradition would be the surrender of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, whose name itself translates to the claim that he was bestowed upon the people by heaven. Indeed, the Japanese royal legacy was directly correlated to the popular understanding of the Shinto faith which delivered the ruling family. As such, the emperor was generally believed by his subjects to be more than a man. He was a symbol of Japan. So his radio address to the people on August 14th, 1945, admitting defeat and asking all Japanese citizens to follow suit, was inescapably devastating to the psyche of an entire nation. Thousands of years of imperial rule effectively came to an end when Emperor Hirohito advised those loyal to him to accept the terms of the conquerors. Those terms were nothing short of complete submission to the United States. When the Japanese were forced to accept the radical circumstances of military occupation and realignment in a Western image, the emperor’s authority was subverted to little more than the jurisdiction over an honorary title. And in a famous photograph that depicts Supreme Allied Commander Douglas MacArthur towering over his recently deposed opponent, Hirohito, the Japanese were presented an image that shattered all illusions.

 

These illusions would continue to be subjected to dismantling as the forces of capitalism prompted the modernization of Japanese society. With this would come a transition in the role that women had long played as subordinate to male desires and ambitions. Accordingly, a woman born during this time would find the first glimpses at feminism in modern Japan.

 

It was at this juncture that “a group of women called themselves ‘Tatakau Onnatachi’ — ‘Women Who Fight’, or ‘Fighting Women’. They were part of a movement of women’s liberationists, disillusioned with the sexism of their male comrades in the ‘New Left’ and vigilant about threats to their bodily autonomy through proposals to tighten Japan’s relatively liberal postwar abortion laws.” (Mackie, 1) In Mackie’s views, these women had much in common with feminists in other nations coming to embrace the implications of democracy and capitalist modernization. Particularly, Mackie emphasizes the connection between the forces of modernization and the inherent departure from tradition. In this case, this meant departure from long-standing traditions of patriarchy. These, Mackie indicates, extended from the hierarchical prerogatives of the Shoguns who led Japan into war. Accordingly, Mackie defines the transition from feudalism into capitalism as modernization, and therefore connects it with a thrust toward more progressive gender orientation.

 

And yet, the experience for a young women born into postwar Japan would be one of mixed signals. Mackie reports that this was a period in which the patriarchal implications of Japanese society were essentially transformed into many of the same imbalances as these were formulated in an industrialized society. The projection of the female as wife, mother and home-maker would become a particular feature of the newly stabilizing but occupied nation. Accordingly, Japanese women would struggle to obtain the independence and personal advancement which were key features of the feminist movement throughout the world without sacrificing their roles within the context of family and community. In many ways, this dilemma strikes at the heart of the dilemma for the Japanese nation as a whole following the war. It would be forced to reexamine itself in search of a balance between the modernity demanded by its headlong vault into a capitalist rebuilding process and its desire to retain its identity by preserving core Japanese traditions.

 

And there was natural frustration for the Japanese people, who initially viewed MacArthur and the U.S. As a threat to the Japanese way of life. And it cannot be denied that there is evidence to support that concern in many respects. But for women, it would help to open certain pathways to personal advancement. According to Mackie, “the women’s liberation movement developed out of a critique of modern Japanese capitalism, a dissatisfaction with the sexism of the New Left, and the need of women in Japan to theorise their place in East Asia.” (p. 4)

 

Among the forces that would significantly aid in their ability to establish any such identity would be the new set of doors opened by the shift in Japan’s educational principles. The goals of modernization and capitalist advancement — which would ultimately call for more opportunities for women to make contributions — would demand an emphasis on education in the evolving state of Japan. So would this be demonstrated by the policies on this front which passed into law concurrent with the 1947 ratification of the Japan’s Constitution. Particularly, the Fundamental Law of Education would make education compulsory at all levels leading up to university schooling. It would be here that two important aspects of modern Japan would emerge.

 

Namely, this would create a new level of access to education and opportunity which were previously inaccessible to women. As Mackie reports, “the early liberals challenged Confucian prescriptions which prevented women from receiving an education in anything other than needle-work and household tasks. They argued for new forms of education which would train women to be mothers of the nation, capable of training their sons to be loyal subjects and disciplined soldiers.” (p. 25) The implication here is that while family roles were largely prescribed in ways that suggest the gendered nature of global politics, modernization would also gradually improve the opportunities available to women and would help to facilitate the feminist movement to emerge thereafter.

 

A second defining feature of Japan’s education following the renewal of its compulsory attendance policies would be the elevation of the Junior college as part of its academic strategy. Again though, here we can see the mixed prospects for women in the system which was to evolve. Through its Junior Colleges, Japanese women would be offered opportunity with one hand and further cast into gendered roles defined by a patriarchal order. Mackie reports that in the ensuring years since Japanese education had become accessible to women, the Junior Colleges had evolved into something of a gender-segregated educational system. Mackie indicates that “although the numbers of males and females going on to higher education are roughly equal, women are disproportionately represented in two-year colleges. In 1980, women made up 91 per cent of the student population in junior colleges, but only 31 per cent of students at four-year universities.” (p. 171)

 

Mackie further reports that the subject matter of study at Junior Colleges is largely gendered to reflect certain expectations relating to gender and social orientation, including home-economics, education and the humanities. This differs from the dominance of technical, industrial and social science disciplines in male education. (Mackie, p. 171) Here, we can see that the opportunities available to women are in many ways defined and channeled through the Junior College system.

 

As this fits into the broader context of our discussion, it is apparent that Japan’s modernization has been a mixed experience both for women and for the nation at large. In one respect, Japan continues to stand as the greatest triumph for American ideological expansion. By the late 1980s, Japan’s cache as an economic force made it a legitimate competitor to the world’s greatest powers. Championing everything from baseball, Disney and punk rock to the corporate structure, the raging stock market and the sixty-hour work week, Japan developed into a paragon of capitalism. What may be most important to acknowledge, though, when attempting to decipher the somewhat hazy picture of the Japanese identity, is that the fifty years that have passed since World War II have not been that long. Essentially, Japan still lives in the shadow of its relatively recent history, all of its evolution, alteration and internal examination are a product thereof.

 

Works Cited:

 

Mackie, V. (2003). Feminism in Modern Japan: Citizenship, Embodiment and Sexuality.

 

Wikipedia. (2010). Fundamental Law of Education. Wikimedia, Ltd. Inc.

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---