The Making of Postwar Japan: A Speculative Essay

Once primarily a field for the other social sciences, postwar Japan is attracting increasing historical analysis. As it matures as a field of research, historians face the challenge of constructing a coherent narrative that integrates the many themes of postwar Japan. From the perspective of international history, it was the victors' controversial and unprecedented goal of unconditional surrender and the resulting subordination of Japan in the U.S. world order that framed this period and shaped its political and social movements. To make its point, the essay speculates on how history might have been different.