Asia Pacific Rim
Japanese Influence
Ties Within Pacific Rim
Despite diversity, there are interconnections within
the Pacific Rim countries
Talks of unification between North & South Korea
Tremendous improvement in the economic
capacities of Pacific Rim countries
Gross National Product (GNP) per capita for most
Pacific Rim areas were high
Economic Factors
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the rate of
economic growth in the Pacific Rim ws very high
For example, GDP for United States in 1987 was
3.5 % and for Hong Kong in contrast was 13.5 %
This success is because of hard work and savings
ethics of Pacific Rim people their external, market-
oriented development strategies
Pacific Rim
Interconnections
Influence In the Past
1895-1942 Japanese were a dominant force in
Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria populated China, and
Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Pacific Islands etc
Many countries welcomed Japanese intrusion in
comparison to Western influence
They believed Asia should be for Asians
Japanese Influence Today
Today many Asians and Pacific Islanders are
concerned about Japanese financial and industrial
influences in their countries
But they welcome Japanese investment—cheapest
way to improve their economic infrastructure
However, now Taiwan, Hong Kong & South
Korea have also become strong competitors for
Japan’s position
Why Japan needs to influence
neighbouring economies
Japan does not have enough agricultural land
It is the size of California, but has 5 times its
population
Much of Japan is mountainous with active
volcanoes
Japan’s need for influencing Asia
Japan has 2,000 years of continuous habitation
Not much natural forests or natural resources
either
So Japan needs to extract resources from the rest
of Asia and Pacific
Japan needs food, minerals, lumber (wood), paper,
oil etc to feed its population
Japanese Money Flow
Japan’ssearch for resources makes it flood its
money in neighbouring countries and make it
continue its influential relations with Asia Pacific
Rim countries
Japan’s Asia Influence
Japan decides to get natural resources from its
neighbours in Asian continent
Many Asian neighbours are rich in almost all the
materials Japan needs
Example: a) For lumber (wood)---forests of
Malaysia b) For food, farms and ranches of New
Zealand & Australia c) For Oil, Indonesia, Brunei
Asia Pacific Rim
Japanese Influence
Influence In the Past
1895-1942 Japanese were a dominant force in
Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria populated China, and
Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Pacific Islands etc
Many countries welcomed Japanese intrusion in
comparison to Western influence
They believed Asia should be for Asians
Japanese Influence Today
Today many Asians and Pacific Islanders are
concerned about Japanese financial and industrial
influences in their countries
But they welcome Japanese investment—cheapest
way to improve their economic infrastructure
However, now Taiwan, Hong Kong & South
Korea have also become strong competitors for
Japan’s position
Why Japan needs to influence
neighbouring economies
Japan does not have enough agricultural land
It is the size of California, but has 5 times its
population
Much of Japan is mountainous with active
volcanoes
Japan’s need for influencing Asia
Japan has 2,000 years of continuous habitation
Not much natural forests or natural resources
either
So Japan needs to extract resources from the rest
of Asia and Pacific
Japan needs food, minerals, lumber (wood), paper,
oil etc to feed its population
Japanese Money Flow
Japan’ssearch for resources makes it flood its
money in neighbouring countries and make it
continue its influential relations with Asia Pacific
Rim countries
Japan’s Asia Influence
Japan decides to get natural resources from its
neighbours in Asian continent
Many Asian neighbours are rich in almost all the
materials Japan needs
Example: a) For lumber (wood)---forests of
Malaysia b) For food, farms and ranches of New
Zealand & Australia c) For Oil, Indonesia, Brunei
Japan’s History
Origin of Japan as a nation is believed to be 250
BC
Beginning of Shinto religion
Arrival of Asiatic migrants from China and Korea
on Japanese soil between 250 BC to 400 AD
AD 300-710 military aristocrats from powerful
Japanese clans establish their rule
New Clans
Yamato clans establishes its rule.
Under Yamato rule, Japanese accept ideas,
technology, religion ( Buddhism) from China
They adopt Chinese method of writing, its
bureaucratic structures and architecture
The Decline
Chinese influence declined over Japan from 794 –
1185 AD
Japanese “ Shogun” warriors held power between
1185-1333 AD
Buddhism and Shintoism became of the religion of
the masses
Feudal Power
A rigid feudal system developed in Japanese
society
In 1543, the Portugese came to Japan
There was active trade with Portugal
Feudal lords were converted to Christianity
Portugese introduced firearms to the Japanese
society
The Tokugawa Era ( 1600-1868)
The social, political and economic foundations of
modern Japan was established at this time
The Capital was moved to Tokyo from Kyoto
There were 4 social classes ( Samurai, farmer,
craftsman, merchant)
There was strict rules of dress and behaviour for
each class
Tokugawa Era
Christianitywas banned
Foreigners were expelled,foreign trade was banned
Japan went into extreme isolation for 250 years
Cultural Renaissance
In Tokugawa era, Japanese culture expanded rapidly---
Kabuki drama, haiku-poetry, bushido—Samurai code
Concept of Gini, that is obligation to one’s superiors
Japan grew culturally strong but militarily weak
In 1853, a US naval squadron appeared in Tokyo and
pressurized Japan to open up to the outside world.
Modernization Era
The Meiji Restoration
MEIJI RESTORATION
As part of the opening up, Japan signed treated
with the USA & other Western nations
This brought discredit to the ruling class
In 1868, the Power Centre of Japan ( capital city)
was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo
This was the beginning of the MEIJI
RESTORATION
MEIJI RESTORATION Details
Beginning 1868, Japanese leaders launched an extensive
plan to modernize Japan
Feudal system was abolished
The Government in Tokyo directly controlled all states
A legal system was established
Social classes were abolished
Western style of dress, music and education was adopted.
The MEIJI results
Factoriesand railway networks were constructed
Public education expanded
By 1900, Japan’s literacy rate was 90 %
This was the highest literacy rate in Asia
Parliamentary rule was established
EMPIRE BUILDING
WithJapan’s rapid modernization, its ambitions
grew and it wanted to build an EMPIRE
Results of Japan’s EMPIRE
Japan went to war with China
Acquired Taiwan in 1895
In 1904, Japan attacked Russia and also
successfully acquired Korea and Manchuria
Western nations were not able to stop Japan
World War II
During the battles of World War II in Europe, Japan in
1941 captured Indo-China ( Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia)
Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in Hawaii
Japan captured oil-rich Indonesia
It captured Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, New
Guinea and islands in the South Pacific
Japan soon dominated a vast EMPIRE—covering most of
what we call “ Pacific Rim” today
Retaliation by USA
In 1941, the US launched a counter offensive
against Japan
By 1944, the US and its supporters had succeeded
in driving out the Japanese from its conquered
lands
Thousands of lives were lost on both sides
Nuclear War
2 Atomic bombs, for the first time in the world, were
dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 14, 1945 Emperor Hirohito announced on
Radio that Japan has been defeated and 2 million Japanese
were killed
However, Emperor Hirohito encouraged his people to
keep peace and look towards the future and rebuild what
they had lost
Rebuilding Japan-1
There was American occupation of Japan led by
General Douglas MacArthur
The Japanese Constitution was rewritten on the
lines of the Constitution of the US
Industry was restructured
Labor unions were encouraged
Rebuilding Japan-2
Land reforms were initiated by the Colonial
administration
American aid and inherent prosperity of Japan
helped the nation recover quickly
In 1951, US returned the government to Japan
By late 1960s, Japan was prosperous once again &
the economy had fully revived.
Rebuilding Japan-3
The United States became Japan’s prime trading
partner
Japanese exports were purchased by Americans
Japan imported food items from America
However, Japan’s relations with Pacific Rim
countries was not friendly
Rebuilding Japan-4
Between 1960s & 1990s, Japan became extremely
prosperous
In the mid-1980s the private industry in Japan
began to diversify its markets and resources
One of the major reasons for this was because the
US and Europe started protecting their own vested
interests and used protectionist policies
Rebuilding Japan-5
Within Japan there were a lot changes due ot
changing internal social and economic conditions
Japan started showing a resurgence of interest in
its neighbouring countries once again ( that is,
Pacific Rim countries)
Domestic Changes-1
Question:What internal conditions caused Japan’s
renewed interest in Asia and Pacific?
Answer: 1) Wage Structure: For several
decades Japanese workers were paid very low
wages. This was revised and now the average
wage of a Japanese worker was higher than those
given by the US industry to its workers
Domestic Changes-2
2) Restricted Families:
a) Japan had adapted the Nuclear Family system in a
big way
b) So the population growth reduced. This resulted in
reduced supply of cheap labor. So higher wages
c) Companies were forced to hire labor at higher
wages. For example, McDonalds in Japan hires
employees at $ 7/hr compared to $ 5.15 in the US
Domestic Changes-3
Cost of living in Japan became higher ---land, food
and homes came at higher cost
Therefore, employees also demanded higher wages
Domestic Changes-4
Shifting of Japanese Businesses to Other
Markets
a) If the Japanese needed to do business in world
markets, they needed to keep their prices down
b) The could not do this staying in Japan. So many
Japanese businesses shifted to Pacific Rim
countries like Philippines and Singapore
Domestic Changes-5
c) In Pacific Rim countries, there was also
abundance of labor and wages were lower by 75 to
95 % than in Japan
d) Japanese companies also shifted their businesses
to the American mid-West and South ( Latin
America)
Domestic Changes-6
Public Concern Over Environmental
Destruction
a) Japanese courts came down hard on Japanese
companies dumping industrial wastes
b) So many of the polluting industries were moved
out of Japan into the Rim countries
Myth & Reality of the Japanese Miracle
For many decades Japan’s own economic
prosperity created prosperity for the economies of
all the countries of the Asia-Pacific Rim
These areas were called the “YEN BLOCK””
because of the dominance of Japanese currency in
the 1980s
The sluggishness in Japanese economy had a
direct effect on the decline of these economies
Myth & Reality of the Japanese Economic
Miracle
Japanese economic success was a result of hard
work, advance planning, persistence etc
However, even with all this sometimes Japanese
workers are less efficient than workers in other
countries , eg. Japan’s national railway system
had 2,77,000 more employees than it needed
The 10 Commandements of Japan’s
Economic Success
Roads, factories were destroyed during World War
II. It helped in introduction of newer equipment
and technologies in Japan
The US provided substantial financial aid to
rebuild Japan. This was done to offset the spread
of communist ideology in China, by making Japan
a strong rival
The 10 Commandements of Japan’s
Economic Success
Japanese industry took the help of the government in the
form of economic advice and political and financial
assistance from government planners
Japanese businesses selected an export oriented strategy
that stressed building market share over immediate profit
In Japan trade unions were not as powerful as in Europe
and there were only moderate demands for improved
wages and benefits
The 10 Commandements of Japan’s
Economic Success
Company managers contributed to group morale—
by stressing teamwork, group spirit, policies like
“lifetime employment” and quality control circles
Japanese worked on the ethics of working hard and
saving everything
The government invested all its tax revenues in
public funds instead of military defense or welfare
programmes
The 10 Commandments of Japan’s
Economic Success
Japan had a stable family structure. Parents
supported the youth in every manner producing
reliable and psychologically stable workers
The government and people gave highest priority
to education
CULTURAL CHARACETERISTICS
The economic success of Japan lies in its people
possessing certain social and psychological
characteristics. It is based on the various
religions/philosophies like Buddhism,
Confucianism, Christianity etc. Japanese people
are imitative, preventive, pragmatic, obligative and
inquisitive
Imitative
For the Japanese copying other success was a
norm. But this was based on the understanding that
it is respectful to copy the superior qualities of
some one and once they have mastered those
qualities they are free to produce a style of their
own
Preventive
TheJapanese individuals, families and companies
and the government prefer long range planning.
They to go great lengths to prevent any mistakes,
accidents or defects from happening
Pragmatic
TheJapanese try to be pragmatic (practical) in
most aspects of daily life. They have a tendency to
work for the common good rather than individucal
good
Obligative
The Japanese have a great “sense of duty” toward
those around them. For e.g., Good deeds done in
one generation are remembered and repaid by the
next, and lifelong friendships are maintained by
exchanging appropriate gifts and letters
Duty to the group is closely linked to respect for
superior authority
Inquisitive ( Curious)
The Japanese are intensely curious people. They
love foreign styles of dress, foreign cooking,
foreign languages. Many students study Chinese,
Greek, Latin, Russian, Arabic etc., French and
English are most popular
Thus the Japanese are very forward looking people
and love new modes of thinking showing their
national personality characteristics: inquisitiveness
or curiosity.
