Japan In The 1980's

The cold war is over – and Japan won. ‘ (US presidential candidate campaign slogan, 1992)’. Why was the ‘Japanese model’ of economic growth so respected/feared in the 1980’s and why did this respect fade in the course of the 1990’s?

In the 1980’s ‘the Japanese model’ of economic growth had two particular aspects that were unique and had not been cultivate by the western world. Firstly the Japanese had an incredible work ethic and secondly they were able to blend the free market with state direction. The following essay will examine why ‘the Japanese model’ of modernization was so respected and yet feared by the west including Australia during the 1980’s. But it will also put forward the case that in the course of the 1990’s respect and fear
So how can the phenomenon be explained? Well in order to understand why the West respected so much and yet feared the ‘Japanese model’ one must look back at the period immediately after the pacific war. In the year of 1945 Nagasaki was hit by an atomic bomb and Japan surrendered unconditionally to North America. Through initiative North America decided to reshape the whole of Japanese society in an effort to be more American. This involved amending laws and forming a democratic state. The implementation of free market opened Japan up to participate in the global economy.

Fast forward a few decades to 1980’s and what can be observed is progress in the form of political, social and economic reform. One example seems to have been the Japanese work culture and the ability they had in maintain social balance. This was in direct contrast to the West where unfair work conditions and equal rights were constantly being challenged. So therefore Japan was able to spend more money on infrastructure, building up the community and things of that nature rather than wasting it on individuals in order to fulfill their
What did you believe its causes were?

What caused the Cold War is difficult to pinpoint. The ending of it has helped historians to better understand it’s origins but controversy still exists. It has been suggested that one cause may have been America’s fear of a communist attack and also Russia’s action in the Soviet Zone in Germany. On the other hand the Soviet Union also had an intense dislike toward capitalism and the free world and also feared an atomic attack. If we look further at historical evidence from the past after World War II ended there was also a power vacuum left by the destruction of the British Empire that needed to be filled. So it will be argued that although the cold war has now ended it is still difficult to pinpoint it’s exact causes as there seems to have been