Reply #51: The civilian leaders that took over after the war enthusiastically

[grantcart]

embraced the US path to a constitution.


Article 9 of the Japanese constitution did not come from the Americans but was an entirely Japanese proposition that caught the Americans by surprise.



According to the Allied Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur, the provision was suggested by Prime Minister Kijūrō Shidehara, who "wanted it to prohibit any military establishment for Japan—any military establishment whatsoever."<1> Shidehara's perspective was that retention of arms would be "meaningless" for the Japanese in the postwar era, because any substandard postwar military would no longer gain the respect of the people, and would actually cause people to obsess with the subject of rearming Japan.<2> Shidehara admitted to his authorship in his memoirs Gaikō Gojū-Nen (Fifty Years Diplomacy), published in 1951, where he described how the idea came to him on a train ride to Tokyo; MacArthur himself confirmed Shidehara's authorship on several occasions.




Before criticizing the historical accuracy of something you might actually want to know something about it.