The 80-year period after the end of World War II is a time in which Japan walked together with the United States.

Japan is vastly different from the United States in terms of how the nations were created and the value sets of the two peoples. However, Japan learned from the United States, first in a forcible manner as a loser obeys the winner, and later in a more aggressive way.

That extended to almost all areas and has now made the United States Japan’s sole ally.

Could anyone have imagined that the winner and loser in war would maintain a cordial relationship for such a long period?

And could anyone also have considered the possibility that in this milestone year, the United States, which served as mentor, would display a side totally different from what Japan has grown accustomed to over the postwar era?

PURSUING SURPRISE, ADORATION

The United States brought Japan to its knees by firebombing various areas, including Tokyo, turning Okinawa into a scorched land and dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

While those moves were relentless, because a militarist Japan continued with barbaric acts in Asia, the United States trumpeted Japan’s unconditional surrender as a shining victory for freedom and democracy.

The occupation began when Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at Atsugi Airfield.

Japanese textbooks were censored and the Meiji Constitution was reborn into the Constitution of Japan, in which sovereign power resided with the people.

That heralded the arrival of democracy, which can also be considered a vast experiment with Japan as the subject by the United States, which considered itself an experimental nation.

Reform by the United States was successful, in part, because there was a foundation for such change, such as the suffocating nature of life in prewar Japan felt by many people and the undercurrents of the freedom and people’s rights movement as well as Taisho democracy.

Playing an even greater role than the systemic changes in Japan’s acceptance of the United States was American pop culture.

Various elements of American culture, such as movies, music and cartoons, which were banned during the war, flooded Japan.

American TV shows also entered Japanese households along with the spread of those owning TV sets.

The bountiful life of Americans shown on such shows was a shock and flashy and large cars became the envy of many people.

That was the beginning of the race to catch up with and overtake the United States.

One popular TV show of that time began with Walt Disney talking to the audience.

Eventually, the first Disneyland outside of the United States would be built in Japan. The level of perfection and overwhelming popularity exceeded that of Disney parks in the United States.

The United States also vastly changed Japanese diet through Coca-Cola and hamburgers.

There were likely many people whose memories were stirred by the recent reports of the passing of Connie Francis and Brian Wilson. Even young people likely can recognize their songs if they hear them.

Trends in Japanese popular music would not have been possible without the rock and jazz music from the United States that enthralled many young people.

Be it movies or music, while it was entertainment, it also personified such American principles as freedom, democracy, the individual and respect for diversity.

Such entertainment had an educational effect because it was both appealing as well as an object of adoration.

SYMPATHIZING WITH FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY

Of course, there has been much friction in politics and economics between Japan and the United States over the past 80 years.

In national security, Japan faced difficulties responding to the whims of the United States as it engaged in the Cold War and anti-terrorist battles.

There was and continues to be strong resistance from the Japanese people regarding military ties with the United States.

There has been no end to incidents and accidents related to U.S. bases in Japan.

Despite such factors, the overall high level of familiarity with the United States felt by many Japanese in the postwar era was likely because they sympathized with the principles of freedom and democracy espoused by the United States.

That nation always contained both the appeal of an open society and pop culture along with a high-handedness shown in the Vietnam War, which sparked anti-war protests in Japan, and the war against Iraq.

But recently the United States has begun throwing away such key principles.

There are already too many dictatorial deeds and words from U.S. President Donald Trump to name them all.

That has led to questions as to whether the U.S. Constitution is being abandoned and laments about allowing for rule by people rather than rule by law.

How can the United States, a nation of immigrants, view immigrants with hostility as well as apply undue pressure on its universities?

It is still unclear whether there is no going back or if this is only a temporary development for the experimental nation. In history, a time span of decades might be considered temporary.

UNCHANGING STARTING POINT, VALUES

Japan is seeking to abolish nuclear weapons.

At the same time, it is protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella so the government has been unable to directly ask Washington to abandon nuclear weapons.

Maintaining two aspects that on first glance appear incompatible clearly reflects Japan in the postwar era, which has depended on the United States even as it was the only nation to have atomic bombs dropped on it during war by that very nation.

Although nuclear weapons should be eliminated, there are concerns about the moves by China and North Korea.

By including such voices and considering the power relationship with the United States, Japanese politics likely had to take into consideration various factors as it conducted a balancing act vis a vis the United States.

That is even more so now with such an uncertain future in the global situation.

While not abandoning the pledge to never engage in war or the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons, we must be prepared that to persist with and realize such objectives will require many difficulties and a great deal of time.

In a speech by Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, he quoted the atomic bomb survivor Setsuko Thurlow and said the banner should not be let go but crawling forward had to be continued.

That is likely the determination fostered over the past 80 years and which Japan should continue to hold in troubled times such as these.

That is something learned from the United States through its civil rights movement and other activities.

Eighty years ago, the United States set an ideal with the goal of changing Japan.

Even should the United States itself change, that starting point and values will never change.

–The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 27