Politics

Demilitarization and democratization defined the political reform agenda of the Allied Occupation of Japan. This agenda was implemented through:

The Civil Liberties Directive called for the release of political prisoners and ordered the Japanese government to rescind all laws restricting basic human rights.

The new constitution (though based in large part on a model draft provided by Americans in the Government Section when the Japanese failed to produce a liberal one of their own) strengthened the already existing parliamentary process in Japan by elevating the Lower House of Representatives, replacing the appointed Upper House with an elective body, shifting from appointed to elected governors of prefectures, and guaranteeing civil liberties, including the legal equality of men and women. It replaced imperial sovereignty with popular sovereignty; and banned resort to aggressive war. Its most American feature was the new Supreme Court and judicial review.

The Civil Code greatly affected the hold of Japanese society by ending the patriarchal fam�ly unit and granting rights of inheritance to women and younger sons. The Criminal Code placed the emperor on the same level as Japanese citizens, gave greater protection to those accused of crimes, and decriminalized adultery.

Through war crimes tribunals and control of the mass media, SCAP and the Allies attempted to punish Japan's wartime leaders and induce a sense of war responsibility and guilt in all Japanese who were complicit with Japan's militarism and aggression.