Analysis of Japanese Society after the WW II

Abstract

The most striking and radical changes during the transformation period of Japanese society after the World War II concerned management and labor. They included not only changes brought about by emancipation from the absolute restrictions enforced before and during the war but fundamental changes which followed after the rapid post war social changes.It is impossible for the managerial organizations to ignore the existence of the labor union today. Therefore a new forming of labor administration has been introduced by the establishment of the so called joint committee in accordance with American practice ; however the strong traditional class system of the pre-modern labor administration is still firmly rooted in the small and middle size enterprises. The labor union in Japan has been developed to almost the highest world standards, but at the same time it retains someaspects of the traditional class system. This is entirely due to the peculiar characteristic of Japanese union organization which is based on the industrial union. It should be observed that during the decade after the war the laborers of the modern proletarians' movement have been opposing this paternalistic type of labor administration.Thus in Japan after the war, management has been greatly modernized on the one hand while on the other the labor union has achieved remarkable development. These developments owe much to American democratic policies which were introduced into Japan after the war. However, it should not be overlooked that the political and economic conditions of post war Japan also drove the laborers into activity in pursuit of their basic democratic rights. These facts will promote the democratization of Japan and will guide her overcoming the difficulties of achieving her special destiny.