1. American Influences
in East Asia
A Discussion on the influences of the United States
of America in Japan and South Korea
Larroza, Rellama, Zajec

2. Where is which?

3. Overview: Japan
• Capital: Tokyo
• Population: Approximately 128 000 000
• Land area: 378 000 km2
• Bounded by:
o East – Pacific Ocean
o West – Sea of Japan, China, North Korea,
South Korea, Russia
o North – Sea of Othotsk
o South – East China Sea, Taiwan

4. America and Japan
• 1791, John Kendrick (first arrival in Japan)
• 1848, James Glynn (first agreement)
• 1852: Matthew Perry and the “Black Ships”
• American occupation after WWII: 1946 - 1952
• Japan is the “pilot plant” of America’s Far Eastern
policies.

5. Japan after America
Economic
Military Forces Democratization
Liberalization
Labor Standards Education
Trade Union Act
Act Reform

6. Military Forces
American 6th largest
Post-WWII
World War II pressure to military
Constitution
rebuild army budget
Japan was not allowed to Threats of COMMUNISM
wage war or maintain
military forces. America wanted to use
Japan as a bulwark against
DEMILITARIZATION Communism in Asia.

7. Democratization
• The US Bill of Rights was one of those documents
that inspired the 1946 constitution of Japan.
• Involved the:
o “De-politicization” of the Japanese royalty;
o Enfranchisement of women;
o Strengthening of the parliament’s power; and
o Decentralization of the police and local government.
• Current form of government: Unitary Parliamentary
Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy

8. Economic Liberalization
• When the demilitarization and democratization
slowed down a bit, US authorities encouraged
business practices.
• Monopolizing financial coalitions were abolished.
• Land reform:
o Distribution of lands to peasants from wealthy landlords through the
Japanese government

9. Trade Union Act
• “To elevate the status of workers by promoting their
being on equal standing with the employer.”
Labor Standards Act
• “Working conditions shall be those which should
meet the needs of workers who live lives worthy of
human beings.”

10. Educational Reform
Before WWII: German System
Gymnasiums and universities after primary school
After WWII: American System
3-year junior high school (compulsory) Senior high schools (optional)
Imperial University System

11. Overview: South Korea
• Capital: Seoul
• Population: Approximately 48 875 000
• Land area: 100 210 km2
• Bounded by:
o East – East Sea, Japan
o West – Yellow Sea
o North – North Korea
o South – Jeju Strait

12. Korea
• Japanese colony (1919-1945)
• Confucian heritage
• World War II
• Korean War

13. First encounters with USA
• American government: reason why there is a North
and South Korea
• USA as a reliable hero!
o Liberator, philanthropist and protector
• Korea received $800 million between 1965 and 1975
• normalized their relations with its former colonial
enemy, Japan  buffer

14. Military
• Aided by American financial support and training
• Allies in Korean War
o 20,000 troops fighting in Vietnam for the Vietnam War
o Received monetary rewards
• USA: anticommunism movements  democracy
• Protected SK from being taken over by North
Korean Communists

15. Military
• Aided by American financial support and training
• Allies in Korean War
o 20,000 troops fighting in Vietnam for the Vietnam War
o Received monetary rewards
• USA: anticommunism movements  democracy
• Protected SK from being taken over by North
Korean Communists

16. Government & Laws
• Democracy
• Family planning practices
• Higher education: Fulbright Program
• Nationalism

17. “Westernization”
• 1960s: modernization and industrialization
• Led to urbanizations and consumerism
o Fueled by influence of American popular culture
• Acquisition of anything reflecting American culture
o Improvement of social standing in Korean society
• Led to a more socially mobile society
o Appealing to many Koreans
• Infatuation with the West
• Turned to US for insights about S&T – keys to
industrialization

18. Conclusions/Recommend
ations
• Identifying what is truly Japanese or Korean is not
going to be easy as the US will most likely be always
in the picture, therefore more careful research must
be done to ensure greater sensitivity and clarity.
• Messing with South Korea and/or Japan would
mean messing with the United States and its allies.
• The success/failure of South Korea and/or Japan
can serve as a determinant to the success/failure of
the United States, not just as a colonizer, but also as
a nation (power).

19. Sources
• Asahi Shimbun Staff, The Pacific rivals; a Japanese view
of Japanese-American relations, New York: Weatherhill,
1972.
• Dower, John W. Japan in War and Peace. New York: The
New Press, 1993. ISBN 1-56584-067-4 or ISBN 1-56584-279-0
• Kawai, Kazuo. "American influence on Japanese
thinking" Annals of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science. Vol. 278, 1951.
• Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Trading (Trade Union
Law, Labor Standards Act)
• Kuppuswamy, C.S. “South East Asia: US Interests,
Influence and Involvement.” South Asia Analysis Group.
Retrieved from
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers22%5Cpap
er2188.html

20. • http://www.eastwestcenter.org/news-center/east-west-
wire/60-years-after-korean-war-peninsula-still-divided-
and-tense
• http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=7678
• http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2011010
8190247AAdapMf
• http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/GS_PIPA_EU.
html
• https://litigation-
essentials.lexisnexis.com/webcd/app?action=Document
Display&crawlid=1&srctype=smi&srcid=3B15&doctype=ci
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