Japan (1955-1956) -A.K.A “The Land of the Rising Export”
The Straws in the Wind
1. Boom in shipbuilding: e.g. “down the road a piece –at Kure” and at Nagasaki!
Joe at ACC; REJ (Gaijin) at Nagasaki 10/55
2. “Iron and Steel industries riding crest of boom…First of “People’s cars –‘Tokyo-pet –off Toyota’s assembly line.” (Mainichi Shimbun, January 13, 1956).
3. Sakuma Dam nearing completion –more hydro-electric power coming Japan’s way. Chugoki region sensei, et al. at ACC Econ Conference Fall 1955
4. Noticeable shift from light consumer goods to industrial; e.g. sewing machines. ACC staff and gaijin, et al. at ’55 Econ Conference
5. Big strides in quality control; e.g. in Nikon and Canon cameras/lens/binoculars. America’s Deming; Japan’s Sony Hierarchy; 1000s more: Journalists Covering Korean War and Japan
6. “Made in Japan” touted as hallmark of high quality products nationwide. December ’55 MITI White Paper; Chugoku participants, et al. Econ Conference Fall ‘55
7. Phenomenal rice yield in 1955. Gohan Farmers of the world! Throughout Japan
8. Zaibatsu combines ascendant. Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, et al. –and The House of Mitsui
9. 1953 Small Business Finance Corp estate to provide loans to buy equipment and modernize businesses. Japan Economy Emboldened By Korean War/ Major Support
10. 1952 GATT General Agreement on Tarifts and trade to reduce broke barriers.
11. Entrance into GATT. PM’s Hatoyama, Yoshida and all those MITI Folks, et al.
12. Japan Productivity Center established in 1955. Chugoku sensei/participants at Econ Conference TAF Support of Modern Labor Management Relations
13. Announcement of ’55 balance of payments $500 million in the black. Chugoku sensei/participants and MITI, KEIDANREN. Econ Conference TAFT Support to Hoku Econ Department Center late 50’s into 60’s
14. Beer-shipbuilding-crafts are expanding Hiroshima’s economy. Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce, Chugoku participants. Econ Conference at ACC
15. New device promises telephone revolution. Tokyo Telephone Personnel
16. First faint beginnings of automation in Japan in 1955. Japan Economy Emboldened By Korean War/ Major Support
17. Sony introduces world’s first commercial transistor radio. The legendary Morita Akio Chugoku folks & gakusei 1956
18. “Seven Samurai” voted best foreign film in ’55 –Japan led world in output of movies (total: 423; ’56 likely -625!) Kurosawa Akita & gaijin in Japan, Japanese in the U.S.
19. “Business Boom without Inflation!” Asashi Newspaper editorial. Dec. ‘55.
20. “Japan’s Economy Sees Best Year Since War” Nippon Times editorial. Jan ‘56.
21. U.S. sponsored Japan’s Membership in 50’s. U.S. Government didn’t object to Japan’s restrictions on certain imports. E.g. automobiles
Conclusions/convictions…continued 1955-1956
-The Hiroshima Maidens returned to the city with convincing tales of success of the project, genuine appreciation of the project; Norman Cousins (Saturday Review) and New York doctors lauded…
-Re: the Tenth Anniversary of the Bomb… “Prevented Communist takeover effort to turn ceremony and sessions into propaganda fete.”
-Hirodai, with Morito Tatsuo leadership, Reputation on the rise…
-Establishment of the “1955 System”/Two Party System (LDP vs. merged Left & Right Socialists), in power close to 40 years.
-Progress of Atoms-for-Peace Program and in, addition, Prospect of an Atoms-for-Peace Exhibit being welcomed in Hiroshima Spring ’56. A lecture series on the peaceful uses of the atom being planned at the ACC later in the year.
-Re: the Banding Conference of ’55. The nations of Asia and Africa (including Japan) brought enhanced recognition in the world of people of color…
-Japanese overwhelmingly in favor of United Nations. UN membership for Japan weighed (but rejected by Russians) and postponed until late ’56… Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold is “Mr. UN” –he welcomes Japan into the organization, and states “Hiroshima is strongly the First City of the Atomic Age” … [and the] “City of Peace.” Ike (President Eisenhower) declares “UN still represents man’s best organized hope to substitute the conference table for the battlefield.”
-A December ’55 piece on Japan’s economy (another “straw in the wind!”)… concluded that “Japan was beginning to act like a solvent citizen of the community of nations…” (NY Times Editorial)
Dick Jorgensen 