War Without Mercy by Dower was such an interesting piece about WWII, especially between the Japanese force and Allies. The goals during wartime and post-wartime are different. For the U.S. and Japan during wartime, winning the war is the goal. Intensify the heroism and ridicule the others helped the war effort. That includes intensifying racial animosity like American vs Japanese. However, that needed to be changed after the war when healing and unifying are needed. Because the result was clear and the Allies are the victor, it was no longer need to intensify that hatred toward the losing sides. Also, the allies especially the U.S. also wanted to preserve its nobility or benevolence of the winner by making Japan its allies.
By quickly making Japan its allies, the U.S. prevented Japan from falling into the Communist downfall and prevented Russian from taking over Japan. It was clear that the option was not at the hand of the Japanese government. Also, the Japanese government might want that process to be quicker in order to protect the dignity of the emperor. Politically, the U.S. could gain total control of Japanese politics and influences in Asia where the dirty Communist plague really spread.
I think the transaction is not quick for the ordinary Japanese. The Japanese people were still hated and fear the Americans, but they knew they have to get along with the Americans cause they are the lost ones. Losing its control, having the U.S. rewrite the constitution especially Article 9, and fear of the Emperor being trial, the Japanese people already expected this when they surrender. Therefore, I think even though the transition was quick to grasp, the ordinary Japanese predicted it. In addition, the Japanese people might find want to faster because as they were fearful that their emperor might be tried for the war crime. It is definitely not easy for the ordinary Japanese to see the Americans walking on their motherland (350 military officers committed suicide), but they could also see it as a way to liberate the Japanese by making it more democratic and forgiving its ugly past.
I know many of the Asians like Chinese and Korean hating on Japanese people for what they did in the past, but I think Japan is the only country on earth that fully took two atomic bombs. They have suffered a lot.
Hung Vu
