Japan and the US Occupation - COLD WAR DOCUMENTARY

Our series on the history of the Cold War period continues with a documentary on the history of Japan after World War II, mostly through the prism of the American occupation of the country, its new system, and reconstruction.
Consider supporting us on Patreon: / thecoldwar

[@Princeduclare]

"The answer is not Godzilla", *closes video*

[@jeffgalus8454]

No Godzilla that hurts

[@willg4802]

It was Mothra

[@danschreffler1280]

Mothra is the answer!

[@Liquidsback]

I just can't wait until the episode about that American Boxer who came out of retirement to beat that Soviet Boxer who was actually a Swede.

[@gdbalck]

Ha! Then he gave a speech that started perestroika and the USSR fell as a consequence, the end.

[@28ebdh3udnav]

Rocky lol

[@johnbaugh2437]

That’s funny!

[@seanwalter9383]

Jokes aside... that movie WON the Cold War. I bet at some point he'll do a pop cultural influences video for media, etc. that helped change the feelings surrounding the Cold War

[@vgxr29]

Should have added to avenge the death of another American boxer who was his friend at the hand of that Soviet, I mean Swede boxer

[@Torus2112]

"The answer is not Godzilla." It kind of is though.

[@theartofwar551]

"The answer is not Godzilla." Me: YOU LIE.

[@tommy-er6hh]

Godzilla is a symbolic standing for the USA.

[@briancrane7634]

YES IT IS! Godzilla [go-Zi-ra in Japanese] was the artistic expression of Japan's view of what we did to them...the atomic bomb. And my guess is that other monsters of that genre that is the fire-monsters represent our fire-bombing of Tokyo that killed MORE civilians than the bomb.

[@goldman77700]

@@briancrane7634 Not even just Tokyo but many of Japan's cities were leveled by U.S. bombing.

[@whathell6t]

Brian Crane Actually! It’s more complicated. Aside from Godzilla symbolizing nuclear power and it’s aftermath. Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsburaya as stated the second meaning of Godzilla is being anti-war and punishment for Japan for it’s destruction and terror it created during World War II. A karma paid back twice. The third meaning is it’s geo-political standing in the Cold War.

[@ardalla535]

So many stories surround this time period. One can only imagine, considering how wary the Japanese were of foreigners even in best of times, how frightened the people were of the American soldiers. The government had prepared them for the invasion by telling the people that American soldiers would kill all Japanese on sight. The common people were petrified. There was a woman who many years later gave an interview about what happened after the war. She was 8 yrs old at the time. Her mother had told her to avoid the soldiers because they would kill her if they saw her on the street. One day she turned a corner and there was an American soldier a few feet away from her. He saw her and she had nowhere to run. So she froze in fear, bowed her head and prepared to be executed. Consider how that small girl must have experienced this. Eight years old and preparing to have your head cut off by an enraged American soldier looking for vengeance. She said what happened next changed the way she viewed Americans for the rest of her life. The soldier walked up to her. He smiled and offered her a piece of gum; then she said in the interview he walked away whistling. Certainly, all American soldiers did not behave like this. But one did. And it made a difference.

[@Mr.Nichan]

Giving people over-exaggerated fears tends to backfire. Even somewhat unpleasant people with any kind of basic politeness or humanity seem like saints if you've been taught that they're psychopathic monsters, and people tend to flip their opinions to the opposite side once they realize they've been lied to like this. You see this all the time, like with right-wing libertarian North Korean defectors and far left anti-American anti-imperialist communists from the USA, just to give a couple examples that you shouldn't read too much into.

[@frankdavidson9675]

read my comment

[@highgonejhin666]

@@Mr.Nichan very good counter-point - a quick smile and stick of gum doesn't shed light on what was *really* going on

[@hustler-music]

Michiko Kornhauser- the video was in my recommended as I read this comment :)

[@Brahmdagh]

I wonder how the elderly Japanese, still alive and above 10years old during ww2, see the emperor and US today.

[@shadymerchant1198]

Following the war many japanese turned to their employers to fill that niche the emperor and monarchy left behind and their employers more then happily complied to create a fanatically loyal workforce

[@deadby15]

They are the most pacifist, anti-militarist generation, and many detest the pre-war regime. That doesn't mean they are anti-emperor and anti-US,tho.

[@chucknorris202]

I imagine many hate us, many love us, and many see it for what it was; a massive World War where countless people died on all sides and suffered horribly, even starving in the homeland(s)....but thats ok cause its the same with our Elderly American veterans who fought in the Pacific theater. Some still to this day hate the Japanese and cant forget the combat and the campaigns they themselves went through and seeing their friends die all around them all the time for months, years on end. Other American veterans have grown wiser, and see it for what it is; nonetheless it cannot even be denied in the least bit that the Japanese committed straight up War Crimes. There was one officer Im thinking of who actually would CANNIBALIZE any American soldiers he happened to capture(he would have them shot in the head and then have his personal chef cook their liver for him to eat with onions and wine...quite disgusting and MONSTROUS) and theres many other instances of this kind of thing, WEIRD STRANGE ass stuff that makes it appear the Japanese were even more unhinged than many prob think. Their officers ESPECIALLY though. But the fact that the US and Japan have a good relationship today means that we did many things right. And I imagine that the military protection the US gives to Japan is something that saves them MASSIVE amounts of money; and they still have their own military in any case the JDF though not big or powerful it is equipped with some of the best equipment that our own military uses, since we give the JDF the Jets and Tanks and so forth that we use as well as small arms/rifles and so on.

[@philipp___1780]

I can't tell you what my great-grandfather thinks about the americans, since he has died. However, my grandfather was already alive. When the war ended he was about 16 years old. So he never had to go to war, but he got it from the many bombings and losses in the family.During the occupation, my grandfather always tells me that the americans were very kind to the japanese and sometimes they even played soldier with me even though they didn't understand a word they said. Nowadays the japanese are no longer angry with the americans, on the contrary they see the americans as their closest allies and friends. The emperor is still very much revered and respected. He is the symbol that unites the nation.

[@howard6340]

Japanese elders don't hate the US. The military regime they lived with was hard for them, and the US gave a better regime to them.

[@476233]

It’s nice how despite all the suffering and loss on both sides, out of the war both nations healed, became stronger, and found a new friend in democracy. I love how the Japanese have continued on with their democratic society, yet still value their customs, traditions, and have their own unique take on democracy and both western/eastern ideals. What a beautiful success story.

[@mccunicano]

Education through middle school is required in Japan. High school is optional, but nearly everybody does it. My wife is a teacher in a town where many of the kids don't go to high school because they don't need it to be fishermen.

[@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music]

Would you say that both genders are equally educated?

[@jameswyre6480]

My grandfather had gone from building bridges under fire for Patton to both the Japanese and German occupations. Once in Japan, he issued a call for local engineers and got little response. When one guy meekly showed, he was afraid they were being called to be executed explaining why the others had not showed. He had to explain that he was tasked with rebuilding the devastated infrastructure and was genuinely needing help to rebuild. Of course, he got sucked into the Korean War not long after it flared up.

[@Epck]

That's a warrior

[@Mondo762]

I was born in occupied Japan (Tachikawa AFB). My dad was an Army Corps of Engineers officer. He was very busy helping to rebuild and had interesting stories from that time.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Cool

[@davidmcmanus4751]

You should write them down and publish a book. I'm sure lots of people would love to read and learn about it.

[@markuhler2664]

Stories from parents, grandparents, etc, definitely need to be recorded. Depression, WW2, Cold War, Korea ... personal histories could give such good insight in the future. Theoretically at least. Seems like nowadays the 1990s are ancient history to lots of Americans.

[@mikes7566]

Any cool story?

[@thewolfofswingthat2035]

of rape?

[@davidnemoseck9007]

My dad was stationed in Japan in the early 80's, along with me and the rest of the family. We were right outside Tokyo. Loved the time there. Wish to go back someday.

[@MrRenegadeshinobi]

I was Japan about 10 years ago and I agree, Japan was awesome!

[@davidnemoseck9007]

@Dark PePe No, he didn't. He wasn't like that at all. He was VERY loyal to my mom.

[@yakkityyak9336]

I was stationed at Kadena during that time period, I just loved it!

[@Smile4theKillCam456]

I was stationed there last year. Absolutely loved it! Such a shit show on libo

[@xmeda]

Not stationed in but occupied.

[@paul5475]

General MC Arthur are the only High ranking official of America who saw Asians as equally to Western. MC Arthur when he was in the Philippines didn't like how the Americans treated the indigenous Filipino. He is also being admire in the Philippines

[@hidof9598]

Based man

[@TheLocalLt]

Hirohito was a figurehead even before the war, he had a cult of personality but almost no real political power. The military’s army and navy factions controlled most of the legislature, and then in 1941 Japan became officially fascist with Hideki Tojo as dictator. He turned Japan into a one-party fascist state. However with the cult focused on the emperor before he rose to power, Tojo simply used this cult for his fascist state, instead of creating one for himself. The whole of Japan already believed in the emperor’s divinity anyway, so why not just use that?

[@TheWedabest]

Very interesting! I always wondered how much power the emperor had before and during the war. I still think he had more power than he used. The assassination attempt at the end of the war. When the recordings of the emperor surrendering was taken? If I remember right? I guess we will truly never know how much power he had and how much of his influence he used? Sadly!!!

[@Toggingdave]

In reality, the Japanese Emperors have seldom had any real political power for more than a millennium. Meiji had some, but he still answered to the cabinet ministers. Before him, there was the Tokugawa Shogunate. Before that, the Ashikaga Shogunate. Before that, the Hojo clan controlled the Kamakura Shogunate. And before that, going back to the 800s or sooner, there were the powerful Fujiwara regents who, through political marriages and forced abdications, ensured that the sitting emperor was a young grandchild needing the continued "guidance" of their maternal grandfathers. Fun fact, Emperor Hirohito (now just called the Showa Emperor in Japan) was the first Emperor in over a thousand years not born to a Fujiwara consort. Hirohito himself, to his credit, did try to stand up to the army on a few occasions and was not thrilled with the wars Japan was fighting. But his concerns were either ignored or he was effectively told to sit down and shut up. Even when he finally put his foot down and demanded that Japan surrender, a number of army officers stormed the palace intending to kidnap the emperor and force the war to continue. It was only the head of the army turning against them at the last moment that stopped the plot from succeeding.

[@TheLocalLt]

Dave Hansche the difference is that the “emperor” during pre-Meiji feudal times, was a ceremonial figure and was not even a figurehead or a puppet. During the Meiji restoration, the position of emperor became essentially a figurehead yet divine monarch to unite the nation. I think it’s a mistake to consider the two states, and the two emperor positions, to have been continuous or comparable. The tokagawa shogunate, with its feudal military dictatorship and ceremonial emperor, lost out to the empire of japan, with its god-emperor and parliamentary state. It was still a Classicalist state but quite a different form of regime

[@samsmith2635]

@SleekHairedChocolate They already do look at Tojo as the Villain, its why the US allowed the Emperor to retain his title and role

[@glennfarr2000]

@@samsmith2635 Not true. He had to approve Pearl Harbour or it never would have happenened The neutral figurehead myth was pushed to keep us from hanging him.

[@creatoruser736]

America: Let's do land reform in Japan. Guatemala: I'll do land reform too. America: *Coup intensifies.

[@greywolf7206]

it wasnt really the same thing but ok

[@dylanrodrigues]

Greywolf yeah, one was a puppet state and the other didn't want to be one.

[@ARKOVZ]

Oh, careful you might cut someone with the edginess.

[@pedrosampaio7349]

@Stephen Jenkins Japan isn't a 'better country' whatever tf that means; it has a sort of bad smell to it, I wouldn't advice saying countries are better than one another. Japan has many flaws that Guatemala does not have and vice versa. Now tell me, in clear terms, what you consider an ally or a puppet state, specially within the context of the USA, I see little difference between the two terms.

[@micfail2]

@Stephen Jenkins damn, well said

[@StickPeopleAndPuff]

My grandpa was stationed in Tokyo (or Yokohama) during the occupation in 50's. He's told me many stories about how the Air Force would offer cultural trips to see shrines, temples, and castles around the area to the servicemen on their days off. He said he'd take as many as could because he knew once he came back to North Carolina, He'd never get to see them again. I'm in my 20's now learning Japanese and loving anime, games, and the interesting culture that the country has and I've always said that my goal was Tokyo. He is the one person in my life who has never told me that I was weird for having such interests and continues to tell me that "I hope you do get to achieve that goal one day"......

[@hidof9598]

Everyone has their own interests Pursue your own

[@randnorm]

"If you ever wondered where the deal with two koreas comes from well now you know" I don't think that someone who doesn't know where the separations of two koreans comes from would watch this channel.

[@anthonysimmons3281]

Haha my thoughts exactly. It would be weird if someone first heard the explanation here.

[@DaveSCameron]

Wasn't it an underhand move by America to buy itself a victory over Japan with so many other nations blood only to keep the prize for themselves... #Americana

[@larrybuzbee7344]

I was stationed in northern Italy in the 70's, pointing tactical nukes at the Russians to the east. As I understood it, our mission was to collapse the alpine passes onto oncoming Russian tank formations. This faceoff might make an interesting episode of this show.

[@jxslayz6663]

Japan is our greatest success of regime change.

[@Melnek1]

Unsurprisingly, they went to war over raw materials and foreign markets, the USA gave it to the Japanese, the USA even cost the defense of the country for decades, and Japan was already an industrial society before the conflict and managed to have it. legitimacy to implement the reforms. This situation is very different from Iraq, where the USA lacks legitimacy and a population with no intention of reform.

[@mikes7566]

CK Lim The Sunni problem is just one of many. Corruption is rife, and people doesn’t feel safe anymore. And this past two months, they’re having one of the biggest demonstrations ever. The country is VERY unstable.

[@fclp67]

mostly cause it was the old regime making the change (emperor)

[@sharkywillzy5616]

@CK Lim you came in Irak, a westernized developped country for oil, now Irak is destroyed, being nothing else than an irani puppet, great work america, great work.

[@DimiZ0ckt]

Melnek Though one has to mention that the absolute obedience of the japanese population to their emperor was crucial for the US, as it meant that aslong as the emperor is cooperating with the americans, the japanese public would be 100% obedient to them.

[@Squirrelmind66]

I read that one of the first actions of occupying allied troops in Japan- aside from rescuing their own POWs - was to meet the scientists behind the innovations of the Japanese military, to learn how they had managed to do so much with so little. Apparently the engineers and scientists, so used to being devalued by the Generals that ran their country to the ground, were proud to show off their accomplishments to an appreciative audience.

[@demilembias2527]

I'm 90% sure that in the universe of Chainsaw Man, Japan actually did get divided and part of it is a soviet block state. interesting alternate history to consider, maybe Japan would not be as nice today if that happened but then again it happened in Germany and they are doing very well so

[@kikufutaba1194]

Wonderful presentation. Thank you so much for telling our story.

[@pickledbushman]

I find your commentary of what happened in these time periods refreshingly fair.

[@lowellleber1722]

I think you underplay General Macarthur's role in all of this.

[@lookingforsomething]

Yeah, just by fending off the people who wanted to punish the Emperor directly and by pushing for the creation of labor unions he did a huge service. Too bad he introduced the FPtP voting system as well, but other than that he was probably one of the best possible care takers Japan could have gotten.

[@guppy719]

just from some parts of the video I think that whoever wrote the script really didn't like him lol.

[@stefanschindler422]

In 1947-48, the Truman Doctrine came to Japan, and MacArthur did as instructed, in what is called The Reverse Course. Liberalizing reforms were largely halted, union leaders, teachers, and socialist advocates were jailed, war criminals were released from prison, and the military-corporate elite who perpetrated Japanese imperialism and the war against the U.S. and its allies were placed back in power. The "Tokyo spring" of egalitarian liberal reform -- i.e., democracy -- came and went so fast that the Japanese later wondered if it happened at all. I know you can't do everything, but this was far too important to ignore, and by ignoring it, you offer a vastly misleading summary of Japan after WWII, even though you make a lot of good and important points. See JAPAN - A REINTERPRETATION, by Patrick Smith. I was in Japan from 1957 to 1960 (as a child) and wondered why Richard Nixon was stoned and Eisenhower canceled his planned trip. The Japanese people were rightly furious (I later learned) at America's "reversal" of Japan's post-war democratic aspirations and short-lived egalitarian progress.

[@skipperson4077]

1) Context - by 1946 the US was rightly more concerned about the USSR than Japan and the huge surge in Communist takeovers of occupied states. (so 1) please compare the lives of the Japanese to the lives of the Eastern Europeans, North Koreans etc. (I'm familiar with Lithuania, tiny nation that had hundreds of thousands sent to the Gulag..). Specifically the US modified some occupation practices from what they did in Germany to 1) lessen the chance of Communist infiltration 2) help speed up the rebuilding of the Japanese economy. The top war criminals got trials and executions similar to Nuremburg, with the exception of the Emperor who was exempted. Beyond that where do you draw the line?, almost every able-bodied male was involved in the war effort in some way, and women took up the slack in factories and farms. Democracy did not "came and went", it is still a democracy, you mention the right of Japanese to protest and I remember as an military brat that the local government of Tachikawa, the town that Tachikawa Air Force Base was named for , for example, had a Communist mayor and pushed for the shutdown of the base. Both the Communist and Socialists have parties, they just don't win at the national level and Japanese elections seem to be clean. Again please compare to what happened to the Eastern Europeans and how occupations went under the Soviets.

[@JJJJ-gl2uf]

High quality material here. Thank you.

[@ericruiz4404]

Really enjoyed this information AND the presentation! Thanks!

[@D3D3D]

Thank you!!! I've always wanted to know how was US occupation of Japan, but everytime I do some research it's basically: "Japan's reconstruction was fast".

[@1joshjosh1]

I've always wondered this but been way too lazy to look it up. Very educational and entertaining video thank you thank you.

[@matiasd5216]

Your introduction was simply great. I never like videos until I saw the most part of them. But I liked this one and stopped it to write this comment after only 10 seconds.

[@et76039]

The video's focus was on the political aspects of the occupation. However, there were also demining operations of Japanese and Korean harbors as part of the occupation.

[@takecosa2]

Hi. love the video, but let me just point out that high school wasn't and still isn't mandatory in japan.

[@yakkityyak9336]

Thousand of hogs were shipped to Japan and Okinawa. It is said the Okinawans would have starved to death without them. The progeny of those pigs are still being farmed.

[@mishamalcevschi2142]

Hey cold war great video! I really enjoyed this video, can I ask where did you get your sources from as I want to do some further research? Again fantastic video cheers!

[@SabinStargem]

Considering how the US could have pursued a Versailles Treaty v2.0, I think things worked out relatively well. The economic boot that was placed on Germany's neck was a major source of World War II, doing the same to Japan may have yielded a third rendition. All in all, I think that Marshall-style plans is a better way to handle victory.

[@ilikedota5]

also major difference was the nukes.

[@noticedruid4985]

Well it was by far better than the Versailles treaty and gave encouragement to work for a better future. Unlike the Versailles treaty, also the US had the power to force its version of a good treaty unlike during the first world war.

[@nicolasg7601]

SabinStargem Most modern academic historians agree that Treaty of Versailles was not an “economic boot” that created an unmanageable financial burden on Germany. Instead, consensus has followed the contemporary French view, that Germany had the economic means to meet payments but politically sabotaged the efforts to do so. Germany had benefitted from the global economic boom in the 20’s and the economy was not facing major collapse. In part the Beer Hall Putsch had failed because of the at least relative success of the Weimar Government. The Allied countries had even continually reduced and refinanced payments, until they cancelled them entirely in the early 30’s, even though Germany had payed relatively little of its reparations. This is because the real death sentence to the Republic came; the Great Depression. And that was the wave Hitler rode to power on, blaming the depression on Versailles and the associated payments that really had little at all to do with the global downturn. The modern idea that the Treaty was the source of these events is just holdover from Nazi propaganda and Keynes analysis of the treaty.

[@noticedruid4985]

@@nicolasg7601 That's not true at all, the last payment for the treaty of Versailles ended in 2010. More historians agree with John Maynard Keynes view that the treaty of Versailles was a carthaginian peace to economically ruin Germany. Also Germany didn't enjoy much if any of the economic boom of the 20's because the Weimar Germany was suffering from hyperinflation. And is used as a case model for it.

[@nicolasg7601]

NoticeDruid The 20’s in Germany is literally known as “the Golden Twenties” (Goldene Zwanziger) or “Happy Twenties”. It was by no mean without its dark undersides (very much like the American Roaring Twenties) but it was a boomtime where “Weimar Culture” flourished and spending was at all-time highs (theorized in part because of earlier hyperinflation) after the government got the currency under control with the Rentenmark. Again, academic consensus is that the refinanced debt was payable. In fact after the refinancing the total debt Germany was expected to pay was actually smaller than their own government had offered in 1918. A Carthaginian Peace more lenient than your own enemy offered? Future German payments have nothing to do with anything, as they stopped in 1933 and didn’t start until after the war which is not the discussion at hand.

[@danitaminer6863]

I love the tv prop touch in your presentation.😁👍

[@lookingforsomething]

The right to create and join unions was enshrined. McArthur was a wise man. Oh how the mighty have fallen. In the US creating and joining unions is very hard these days, and it shows in the fall of the working class wage and welfare.

[@3ConservativeGimps]

My father was stationed in Kadena Okinawa and Atsugi near Tokyo after the end of the war and was home in the US by Christmas. Fifty years later I had the pleasure of entertaining our troops as a standup comic at Kadena and Atsugi.

[@rooneye]

I heard that when the Emperor spoke on the radio about the surrender, he spoke in such formal or legalise or obfuscated language or spun or something like that, I forget now, so much that a lot of the Japanese public didn't really understand that they were even surrendering.

[@hidof9598]

Wasn't that because the Royal family spoke in a different dialect than the public

[@gre3nishsinx0Rgold4]

This was just awesome, keep up the great work. Anyways all this talk about japan made me want an episode on southeast asia, east asia (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and others) and of course my favorite Oceania (Australia, new Zealand, Papua new Guinea).

[@hidof9598]

India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan etc are in South Asia

[@frankdavidson9675]

i was stationed in japan 53 55 war was over 7-8 yrs ago they were teaching English in all the schools there were no 18-30 year old men all you saw was teens and old men lots of girls they were very polite to us no yankee go home signs we gave them economy they welcomed us with open arms because we would spend money they loved any thing American --- levies were common they played American music in bars mps carried Japanese police in jeeps i dont recall ever seeing them arrest anyone 1 food I loved was curried chicken and rice they had a very good wine it came in qt bottles we came to to ft bragg nc in fall 55 glad to be home

[@closetglobe.IRGUN.NW0]

Woah that's awesome Would u mind sharing more?

[@golden_smaug]

What an amazing episode. Hope you do more Japan on the future

[@user-df1ek5rc1h]

9:29 y'know jaoan counts their prime minister since the meiji restoration and thus the prime minister elected in 1946 is actually the 45th pm of Japan

[@alexporter7379]

Japan limiting itself during the Cold War was probably wise on their end. If Korean and Japanese troops fought together in Vietnam, that shit would have been a point of contention. And there was plenty of that in Vietnam. Also the rapes of the Japanese women by US GI's (Soldiers, Sailors and Marines) is one of the blackest marks on the US Marine Corps. To this day it's one of those things that shames my branch.

[@kidd32888]

Oh well MacArthur is legendary 😂😂😂. That is some shades you threw lol.

[@mariagoncalves5520]

Congratulations from Caracas Venezuela. Very good information

[@kanalevi]

i just found your channel and i love it 👀

[@pikachuthebananasplit9061]

"Maybe he could get himself a collection of Corgi's instead" That line made me snicker a little bit

[@highgonejhin666]

Everyone who had a grandfather occupying Japan post-war (myself included) talks about how neat their stories were. It's interesting then no one seems to have the grandpa that did all the raping XD

[@IdiotandOpinion]

Talk to the descendants of Japanese soldiers. They did plenty of that.

[@jayshen84]

The decision to keep the emperor was one of the best political decision in modern history.

[@holyfreak8]

"Goku" should be the answer to everything😅

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

Japanese History: ???? Samurai Warring States Tokugawa Russo-Japanese War Sino-Japanese War WW2 Nukes Godzilla Goku

[@whathell6t]

holyfreak86 Not really! Dragon Ball is the most popular anime/manga franchise on Earth, BUT! it’s the 4th most popular anime/manga franchise in Japan. JAPAN! The birthplace of Dragon Ball. Mobile Suit Gundam, Case Closed-Detective Conan, and Doraemon beats Dragon Ball in that home country. Dragon Ball has a hard time fending off One Piece and Evangelion in the said home.

[@holyfreak8]

@@whathell6t yeah, but i live in Latinoamérica, so... I prefer my stadistics🤣

[@whathell6t]

holyfreak86 Latinoamérica? Holy Shit! Knight of the Zodiac-Saint Seiya is the most popular anime/manga in Latin America (Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala, Brazil, Chile, etc). Saint Seiya beats Dragonball into second place for around 30 years.

[@holyfreak8]

@@whathell6t not actually, in Argentina at least. DBZ is more popular than Saint Seiya.

[@MadnessTW]

Best intro in channel history.

[@jeremydabal9000]

I believe the USA occupation of japan is still the most very essential and the most very important US occupation accomplishment for the USA

[@TacticalGAMINGzz]

And lots of tentacles, too many actually!

[@markuhler2664]

Y'all don't like that shit? Freaking weirdos.

[@whathell6t]

Mark Uhler Hang on! I’m calling their bluff on that cringey shit.

[@whathell6t]

TheRedBaron Speaking of tentacles, have you saw Toshio Maeda’s Urotsukidouji, the first tentacle hentai in existence according to the anime/manga gatekeepers and Tokyo police? Seriously! For all that disgusting tentacle rape, it actually has good battle duels for a 1970-1980 animation.

[@That_NJ_guy]

Ah hentai mostly a meme for me but sometimes quality material. Most is weird but some is good.👍

[@ZIZLISTO]

Hi David, I was hoping you could shed more light into the reindustrialisation of Japan post WW2. And the advent of Prof Edward Deming to influence Japan's outlook on Quality Assurance in their industrialization process of their manufactured products. .

[@doktorarbeitslos]

In your video you imply that Beate Sirota was elected as a member of the Japanese parliament. She was not. She did not have Japanese citizenship and worked in the SCAP. And, as far as I know, she also wasn't a "prominent advocate", her role in drafting the Japanese constitution became prominent only in the 1990s.

[@rupvictoria3017]

the 2013 movie Emperor is a great example and depiction of post WWII Japan which talks about Brigadier General Bonner Fellers who was searching info about the Emperor and the government for General Douglas MacArthur! about this topic we still have U.S. troops in many Air Force bases like Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Yokota Air Force Base, and Misawa Air Force Base! the U.S. occupation of Japan gave birth to Instant Ramen noodles invented by Momofuku Ando! 🇺🇸

[@DimensionsofChange]

🎶 P o s t 🎵w a r 🎶 e c o n o m i c 🎵 m i r a c l e 🎶

[@gilbertmcglurk2591]

Huzzah! A man of culture!

[@seircastillo2092]

AND JAPAN STARTED MAKING TV'S, VCR'S, AUTO MOBILES AND CAMCORDERS AS FAST AS THEY CAN AND ALSO BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE!

[@rosswebster7877]

Well done as always! I got to say, even though MacArthur was pretty much a scumbag, you really got to give him kudos for his role in creating postwar Japan. However, along with the less pleasant realities of occupation, it should also be noted that as in Germany quite a lot of high-ranking war criminals got off pretty lightly.

[@micfail2]

Even more so then Germany, especially when you consider the fact that the Japanese killed even more civilians than the Nazis did during the Holocaust. I realized that the decision was made for pragmatic reasons, but if Justice had been the primary motivation then the emperor and all high ranking military and government officials would have been hanged.

[@jonduong8331]

The biggest of all was Prince Yasuhiko Asaka, he was a General in the Imperial Army, also an Uncle to emperor Hirohito they let him lived comfortably until 1981@ the golden aged of 94. Prince Yasuhiko Asaka was the one committed the Nanjing Massacure, but he was never charged.

[@bobmcbob49]

I always appreciated how awkward the photo at 4:35 is

[@rascallyrabbit717]

"Hey, we're flexible. Pearl Harbor didn't work out, so we got you with tape decks." Joe Takagi

[@Barricade379]

Some people forget that before the Emperor's voice recording went to the people, a group of Japanese die-hard soldiers tried to stop it from being broadcast. They murdered several other soldiers, a few politicians and they would even try to murder the Emperor himself. But that little coup fell short and the broadcast was transmitted anyway

[@justsomeguy3931]

"Legendary, certainly in his own mind anyway, General Douglass MacArthur" roflmao! Very good characterization. I don't approve of how he handled Korea. He never spent even a single night on the peninsula for the entire war, and only occasionally visited the front. Patton virtually lived at the front, and made his subordinates always visit junior commands daily. Patton also got lost deep behind enemy lines several times in his jeep and aircraft, and actually used the information gained from his high risk scouting to attack successfully. He'd have seen the Chinese trap, and many other problems. Patton would cry over his own wounded soldiers regularly, or brave the worst of blizzards to stand alone and watch them on the march. Even though he attacked a lot, he reasoned (correctly, IMHO) that losses were ultimately less with his relentless aggression. I don't recall MacArthur ever showing such sympathy, or being so committed to daily vising the front and making junior commanders follow the example. That's why I affectionately call Patton "Old blood and guts" and say MacArthur is "Old Megadeath." Both did a good job reconstructing their country (Germany or Japan) after WW2, were just a liiitle bit crazy, but I wish that if one had to go in a car crash right after WW2, it had been the other general. I think history might have turned out better. Just my humble opinion.

[@user-xe6gx1bh1m]

Wow , I never knew most of these stuff

[@totalwartimelapses6359]

A fellow Arab, what did you think of all of it?

[@MsAkbar14]

too much anime i guess? lol

[@user-xe6gx1bh1m]

@@MsAkbar14 lol

[@saud892]

Total War Timelapses عجيب !

[@tomaszskowronski1406]

Man, if only Poland was ever occupied in a way that Japan was. But nooooo, only the regular occupations.

[@duruarute5445]

worse than regular ocupation , the poles unfortunatly got occupied by the soviets

[@Amitdas-gk2it]

TY 😊

[@barrettolsen1622]

Embracing Defeat by John Dower is one of the best books written on post war Japan

[@the4seasons4ever]

I Love Godzilla! and history.I subscribed.!

[@joannasarcamedes8191]

i love the vintage office.

[@salgarcia8021]

I know you mentioned Godzilla joking..but our English Version had hollywood editing. In Japan him being the result of nukes played a huge role in the film. Which correlates with their history and at the time cold war fears.

[@derrickbonsell]

I'm curious why the Soviets never even tried to take advantage of the Japanese surrender to launch their own invasion. The US had given them ships in hopes that if it was necessary the Soviets would invade Hokkaido, but it never panned out.

[@jayshen84]

Because the Soviets were not interested in the Pacific Ocean. It was too far from Moscow and other economic centres to have a major trading port or naval base. What the soviets want in East Asia was natural resources and industry. This is why they held lands in Manchuria to Mongolia which basically supplied the cold war fight in Europe.

[@YoGI-ic4ow]

The Soviet Union didn't have the experience to a large scale beach lading operations nor have enough ships to do so. Yes, US did provided them some amphibious ships and also trained them for beach invasion, but that's it, Soviet didn't have enough amount of large ships to support a massive invasion, like the US, and remember Japan still had million of troops stationed in Japan across from north to south

[@Longlius]

The Soviets weren't a naval power. They could move large armies into East Asia but their power projection into the Pacific was not very robust. At most you'd see them joining the US in bombing Japanese cities.

[@Ducky27_]

They had a hard enough time taking the Kuril Islands lmao

[@urosuros100]

Was hoping there would be more economic measures taken, in this video, then the general 'how it all went down'. What were the new factories producing (before car production), taxes policy and stuff like that

[@timothyeustacechan3853]

What books on post-war Japan would you recommend? Including books about post-war economic recovery and politics?

[@planetarysolidarity]

"Remaking Japan:The Occupation as New Deal." by Theodore Cohen. The Free Press. New York.

[@barrettolsen1622]

Embracing Defeat by John dower is a great place to start

[@noobtubephails]

His name is Kakarot, human!

[@hanzup4117]

Thank you for mentioning the sexual assaults by US troops. I had no idea..

[@FabGames22]

the brits did too, just like the soviets did in eastern europe , so they did it as payback for all the atrocities the axis did themselves , i know its not right , but its just how it is

[@paulhage4059]

to be fair. The Japanese were expecting worse

[@jake3736]

@@paulhage4059 all things considered the US, specifically MacArthur did a very good job in Japan. The rapes are a stain on that process but most japanese are extremely grateful for the kindness they were shown post war

[@ahmadhafis4]

Nothing compared to mass gang rape done by Japanese soldiers in China, Malaya, Phillipines. And they never apologized.

[@videonofan]

In every war, there are rapes

[@reactionarymike4331]

Worth it

[@jamesschardt]

Obviously you need to cover Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers for these young whippersnappers.

[@royholt9685]

Finally, somebody else that remembers "Ready the wave motion gun."

[@ianshaver8954]

MacArthur had a spotty military record. But for this achievement alone, the transformation of Japan into a stable, liberal democracy, MacArthur deserves to be considered legendary.

[@ShindlerReal]

US rebuilt Germany, Japan and South Korea, but people only compain about Iraq.

[@noticedruid4985]

That's the weird thing about the US they go to war and instead of taking your stuff they just want to rebuild your country and make it a better place. So terrible of them right.

[@jascrandom9855]

They were entirely different circumstances.

[@ShindlerReal]

@@hamdankhan7341 Petrodollar is a silly myth perpetuated by US enemies. Dead American soldiers and military equipment are way too expensive to be recouped by "petrodollar". Whatever the intention of USA intervention is it's never the pure profit.

[@jascrandom9855]

@@hamdankhan7341 That's just BS myth. There are many reasons why the US succeeded in Japan and Germany, but failed in Iraq and Afghanistan: - Germany and Japan were already highly developed and industrious nations. While Iraq and Afghanistan were always poor. - Germany and Japan were homogeneous. While Iraq and Afghanistan had many ethnicities that hated each other. - During the 40's the US was big on Keynesian economics, which it applied on Germany and Japan. But the Bush administration believed in trickle down economics. - The Bush administration was naïve, not understanding the ethnic conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, believing that the "oppressed" groups would be Democrats after living under dictatorship. - In Japan and Germany, the US stayed, occupying and administering directly for many years, while in Iraq and Afghanistan Bush wanted to hand over administration as soon as possible.

[@meganh9460]

@@ShindlerReal Its individualism vs collectivism.

[@thordgensec]

4:28 Kraut explains how the Emperor was technically out of politics since the 1890s

[@arutka2000]

David: Godzilla NO! Us: Godzilla YES! Godzilla: Skreeonk!!!!!!

[@stanglemeirwb]

36 seconds ago, comments from 10 hours 🤔

[@andreiz112dn5]

But how

[@bespit6654]

Patreon

[@user-xe6gx1bh1m]

@@bespit6654 maybe yes??

[@TheColdWarTV]

Early access for supporters.

[@VladislavDrac]

*The X-Files theme plays

[@koreywhite9437]

Possible the best intro ever lol

[@jeo228]

Its sad how much vitriol there was for Hirohito. He was honestly an amazing leader, and sacrificed a lot for the future of his country after the war. His calls for peace almost lead to his assassination by the military dictatorship days before the end of the war. squads of death troopers swarmed his palace to kill him and destroy his speech before it could be aired, but luckily they failed. There were many men who were criminals, but the emperor was not one. He was as much a pawn in the game as the Japanese people themselves.

[@jona.scholt4362]

I'm so glad you (sort of) called out MacArthur @1:33 for the extremely vain and narcissistic man he was. Nimitz should have been named commander of the entire Pacific as it was above all a naval war. MacArthur didn't do much except sit 1,000s of miles from his troops in cozy Australia. He called Peliulu necessary for the Philippines op when it wasn't. And his whole need to "return" to the Philippines was not going but a face saving operation. It could have been isolated and hopped over entirely.

[@markwinters6265]

Naah, it was either take the Philippines or take mainland Japan itself. So in a sense, it was logical to take the Philippines for the US Navy to be able to cut off the resources that were coming in from south Asia.

[@jona.scholt4362]

@@markwinters6265 Perhaps, but you could just as easily cut off mainland Japan from Okinawa, and further, and by that time the silent service was doing a pretty damn good job of isolating Japan themselves.

[@awags5547]

Thank you for helping me pass my final. Lol!

[@johanneduardschnorr3733]

I want a collection of Corgis!!!

[@Clipgatherer]

Just get rid of that phony TV screen and your videos are superb. Keep it up!

[@user-zo8hs4yh2h]

The US was very good to Japan after defeating them, the Japanese wouldn't be as kind if it was the other way around.

[@szbszig]

Yeah, Japanese people are hard-working and talented and all, but most of the current success of the country comes from ending up in the American occupation zone at the end of the war.

[@sharkywillzy5616]

@Samuel Brown Isn't even close ? Cambodge fall apart because of U.S involvment in Vietnam , because Kissinger supported Sihanouk then Lon Nol to go in war against communist, bombing TONS of napalm, 20 times than in Vietnam, financed the republican army who was corrupt AS FUCK. The khmers rouges were disastrous, but as Isis or talibans, they're a consequences of U.S. foolish foreign policy.

[@jayshen84]

I think the credit was more to Macarthur than US as a whole. His actions in the japan occupation are still the model studied for post-war restoration. If you look at other US post-war actions, Japan was an exceptional success

[@profriday]

Hope China can be defeated by US too, so that Chinese can also enjoy the same blessing as Japanese did.

[@hidof9598]

@@profriday , or maybe someone else, like India

[@endritmorina4515]

USA: “Do as I say. Not as I do”

[@tinanag0]

great contents as always. here are some corrections 3:54 the government was still functioning even after the defeat. Unlike Germany, SCAP ruled Japan and enforced its policy via Japanese government, as it was cheaper and more effective using the emperor's authority. Besides, the very heart of Tokyo was not bombed and remained undestroyed as the US needed their hotel in Tokyo during the occupation (DN Tower 21) 9:17 the first election after the war was held under the former constitution, and Yoshida was appointed as 45th prime minister at that time. the new constitution came into force on May 3, 1947 after two elections under the occupation

[@tyqwanpettty6843]

Wow imagine if the US did that for the occupation for Afghanistan and Iraq.

[@FatGouf]

Japan is disciplined and undivided. Most Afghans are lazy stoners who prerty much only look out for themselves.

[@justcallmeSheriff]

Can we do a bit of that "enshrining unions" stuff here in the U.S.?

[@micfail2]

Why? Unions these days are just one more branch of the corrupt establishment. They serve only themselves, at the expense of those they claim to represent.

[@xmeda]

Nuclear bombs killed less people than Tokyo napalm raids before and they had basically zero impact on Japan's ability to continue with war. But when soviet forces erradicated whole Quantung army and removed whole supply chain to Japan islands, that was the last nail to coffin as island were suddenly without food supplies and they also lost over 2 million troops. They lost any realistic hope for survival then.

[@deadby15]

There was no Quantung army by then tho. It had been totally hollowed out so it was a mere paper tiger.

[@johnmiller9681]

calling the current situation and occupation is wrong, we have a mutual defense agreement with japan with the exception of a few bases that are considered American soil has per the surrender also japan is covered by US nuclear weapons any attack on Japan is a attack on the united states most of the bases are joint facilities used by the Japanese and Americans.

[@taufiqutomo]

Can't wait until you stir a controversy in my country for talking about Indonesia in 1965.

[@LiquidSnake1988]

what controversy?

[@abdulazis400]

@@LiquidSnake1988 30S/PKI movement, basically a coup by Indonesian Communist Party

[@Jamie-ek6ct]

​@@LiquidSnake1988 The controversy extends to the fact that some (and by some I don't mean fringe groups, I mean mainstream academics who study south east Asian politics: google "cornell paper" as a place to start) don't believe that the coup was orchestrated by the Indonesian community party. Instead the coup was used as an excuse to wipe out the communist party and a lot of other people deemed as leftist. The official position is that the coup was orchestrated by the communists and this is why they were purged. What you choose to believe is of course up to you, this is the controversy.

[@noco7243]

@@Jamie-ek6ct So the Communist aren't in power there?

[@zeroyuki92]

@@noco7243 They are one among the biggest parties there, but Indonesia back then was an attempt to balance several different entities (religionists, nationalist, communists -- and army) altogether, basically an impossible desire. The balance was swiftly destroyed with one swoop, and many people were shocked that the third biggest communist party in the world could be gone with almost no meaningful resistance in just a matter of months or even weeks

[@HelicopterHatHacker]

You should remove the framed photo of Stalin from the set. Take away the frame and post it the wall with a knife. You don't frame photos of murderers like that.

[@lennoxshaw3536]

the guy who smashed fascism all the way back to berlin?

[@deprogramm]

@@lennoxshaw3536 no, that was the soviet troop. Not stalin.

[@thematthew761]

They always depict Cold War leaders at the time of the era they’re discussing.

[@thepaintingbanjo8894]

The US made sure Japan would never be communist because they knew ahead of time the potent power anime has to the world.

[@brokenbridge6316]

I thought the occupation of Japan ended in the mid-50's. But it's still going on. That's news to me. And I forgot that it's got a very large military today. And I had no idea that the American operational forces did those terrible things. It's awful. My compliments to those who made this video a reality.

[@trizvanov]

Just like with Taiwan, American occupation of Japan had never ended.

[@jonduong8331]

As of September 2021, the US still have 55000 US troops occupied across Japan!

[@WatcherMovie008]

@@jonduong8331 Because the United States swore an oath, ratified by the San Fransisco Treaty of 1952, to be Japan's protectorate as Japan's Constitution of Article 9 clearly states that Japan is prohibited to have an army, wage war, or engage in conflict through force. Japan may have the JSDF, but the JSDF is not a military by normal means. The JSDF primary role is to be humanitarian purpose to natural events (earthquakes, tsunamis for example) and defending Japanese sovereignty second. The JSDF can not under any means engage in military action and is primarily instructed to the core that they are a reactionary force strictly meant to defend Japan should it ever be attacked. This is where the United States comes in, as we have the military power to protect Japan's interest and ensure to China that any violations to Japanese's territorial rights will be responded with force. The US Navy always have three nuclear powered carriers in the Pacific (one on patrol, one stationed in Japan, and one station in Hawaii) always ready to respond asap should China go off on another of it "this territory belongs to us because in Ancient China times" nonsense.

[@jonduong8331]

@@WatcherMovie008 But Taiwan is a part of China. If title IX is the only thing that Stop Japan from a Independent country THEN CHANGE IT! Oh wait does Japan needs Washington DC Permissions for that ? I'm in Okinawa & I'm fully aware of how the Okinawan feels about the US Occupation of their lands. Did the US gave Okinawa back to Japan in 1972? If Yes then why are +30000 US troops still occupied the islands ? All these talks about JSDF .... without the USFJ, the JSDF just a bunch of toy soldiers. Japan is a Vassal state of the US.

[@WatcherMovie008]

@@jonduong8331 The Okinawa situation doesn't stem from the US alone, it also stems from a long history within Japan itself. For a long time, even during the era of Shogunates, Okinawa has never really saw itself as part of mainland Japan and mainland Japan always saw the Okinawan as that weird cousin they usually don't want to speak about at parties. Also you clearly don't understand what protectorate means. Protectorate is someone who has obligated a word/promise that should someone be attack or threaten, they would come to their aid without delay. Protectorate only provides a mutual defensive mean, and does not interfere with the daily lives or politics. Japan is a free country, run by the Japanese people, and is hardly a "puppet state" to the US, regardless of your political views. Also I wouldn't shit talk on the JSDF, they train hard and US soldiers stationed in Japan can confirm that the JSDF are just as good as they are. Give no doubt, the JSDF will die trying if Japan should ever be invaded. Also Japan has tried to change Article 9 for decades, to no avail. The Japanese people have made it clear that they do not want a legitimate standing army and are fine with the JSDF as it exists now. The Okinawa situation isn't perfect, and I too don't like that Okinawa always gets the short end of the stick whenever it comes to talks between the US and Japan about the Okinawa situation, but Okinawa strategically has large areas of land for US bombers to be stationed, something that mainland Japan can not offer. Also consider the fact that the US bases in Japan are due to the results of occupation when Japan surrendered, it really hard to let them go, especially when the US promises to defend Japan at all cost. I wish a better solution to Okinawa can come soon but for now all Okinawa can do is just try to tolerate the US bases for a bit longer until something better comes. Taiwan being a part of mainland China is what the PRC claims, which still isn't recognize my some countries. Most Western nations recognize both the PRC and Taiwan to be nations of China but that for another debate which I won't be getting to.

[@frankdavidson9675]

this is funny while i was in japan53-55 we go bars i town they would have 5-6 piece band they crack you up singing American song s one of their favorites a white sport coat and a pink carnation. they love American products levies with bullet holes were priceless they also had touring clubs with harleys the well off people bought the them

[@tombranch2261]

To be fair, the emperor was a figurehead long before the occupation, he merely went from being a figurehead under imperialist Japanese generals to a figurehead under American ones.

[@SHAHIDKC]

General douglass : buys land from the rich and redistributes it to the poor. Eisenhower : CIA TIME TO OVERTHROW A DEMOCRACY IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY.