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Japan's Economic Development - 1955 and 1973

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According to Lucien Ellington (2004), the so-called the post-war Japanese "economic miracle  was attributed to some important factors which were generally accepted by economists and economic historians. These factors, which were state-assisted capitalism, the occupation, the Korean War, the world free trade boom, shift from dependent to less dependent industries, a surplus of well-educated workers, surplus funds for investment, trade union structure/ industrial relations, competition and entrepreneurship, a stable political situation and low military expenses, are enumerated as follows (Ellington, 2004). Firstly, the state-assisted capitalism related to a series of policies and the role of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). At the beginning of the post-war era, Japan suffered from a grievous loss of factories, infrastructures and housing accommodation. Moreover, Japan had to resolve the problems of the prevailing starvation and high unemployment (Takada, 1999, p. 4). Fortunately, under the help from America, especially the defence expenses which were mostly afforded by them until 1952, Japan successfully achieved the aim of the policy of economic reconstruction and development in 1956 by investing the savings of military expenses in the reconstruction (Hayashi, 1990, p. 15). After that, Japan adopted some policies to promote and protect particular domestic industries through tariffs, informal trade barriers, such as environmental or consumer production regulations (Ellington, 2004). These policies also encouraged Japanese firms in entering new markets by offering subsidies and other supports (Schaede and Grimes, 2003, p. 11). On the other hand, MITI, which was the most powerful government organisation in Japan, had two roles in Japan's economic development. One of them was to provide financial aid and support to the industries that were assessed by government as high potential ones, such as the industries of steel, shipbuilding, chemicals and machinery. The other role was to allocate new technologies to the companies that would definitely contribute to Japan's industrialisation and economic growth (Takada, 1999, p. 15-16). All these political factors helped the development of some Japan's industries which, in turn, contributed to the economic growth and paved the path for Japan's Income-Doubling Plan in 1960s that aimed to achieve full employment and a high living standard by doubling the gross national product (De Bary, 2008, p. 844). Secondly, during the Occupation era (from 1945 to 1952), the most significant contribution was the three reforms (land reform, dissolution of zaibatsu and labour legislation) and the Dodge Plan. At the beginning of this period, all the income of tenants of agricultural lands was exploited by the landlords, and large quantity of agricultural lands were idle when Japan had to increase agricultural output; Japan's market was controlled by 10 zaibatsu which promoted a semi-feudal relationship between labour and management, also received preferential treat from government with lower taxes; no effe

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