The remolding of the state from anautocratic to a democratic one in postwar Japan is sometimesregarded as a successful case of external intervention forstate-building. When Americans landed in Japan two weeksafter Japan's acceptance of unconditional surrender,they expected to meet a fanatic and intransigent people.Instead they were surprised by the orderly and peacefulbehavior of Japanese soldiers and citizens (Tamaki 2005,13-20). Disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, andreintegration (into their home towns/villages) of millionsof soldiers proceeded surprisingly smooth between 1945 and1948. The authoritarian state gave way to a democratic onewithin two years of the beginning of the American occupationand democracy has persisted since1. And finally, theJapanese economy had already begun to experience high growthwhen the occupation ended in April 1952. In every respect,American occupation policies seem to have been successful.Against this image of the American occupation in Japan, thispaper will argue that American policies were only partiallyhelpful in the democratic remolding and economic developmentof postwar Japan. The prewar political and economicexperiences of the Japanese themselves, and thepsychological impact of the defeat, played equally importantroles in the democratic rebirth of the Japanese state. Thosein search of solutions to the development challenges facingfragile countries today should understand that Japan's'success' did not begin in 1945 and was not theresult of a peace settlement quickly followed by newinstitutions. The ground work for Japanese success was 80-90years in the making. Analysis of state-building, economicdevelopment and democracy in Japan must start from the Meijirestoration of 1868.
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