Made In Japan
Many of us know Japan to be a nation comprised of around 3,000 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. Modern day Japan is a very powerful economical nation with one of the largest economies in the world and being one of the largest exporters and importers of goods as well as being a global technology development leader. But, things were not always like this for Japan.
World War II nearly wiped out Japan and its economy. Destroyed were top cities Hiroshima, Kobe, Nagasaki, Osaka, and Tokyo to name a few along with an estimated 80% of Japan’s production and manufacturing abilities. Japan is a nation without many natural resources, only coal and steel so it must import the majority of the nation’s raw materials, food and energy needs to survive.
It was during the Occupied Japan years of 1945-1952 directly after World War II when the United States and allied nations of Australia, British India, United Kingdom and New Zealand were involved in re-building Japan and were a main presence. Because Japan was in a period of great confusion and turmoil along with having so many of its people hungry and jobless, it vowed to become a super economic power as one of the world’s biggest exporters and importers.
The US Customs Bureau in the 1940s stated that items manufactured or produced in Japan should be properly marked to indicate their origin with one of the following tags: “Japan”, “Made In Japan”, “Occupied Japan”, or “Made In Occupied Japan”. In addition, many factories would also place a red or silver foil label baring one of these markings on their goods. Items made between 1945-1952 were made during Japan’s post-war years, also known as the Occupied Japan years.
In 1946 that the Japanese government introduced the PPS system (Priority Production System) to its citizens that would aid in rebuilding and revitalizing war torn Japan. Since coal and steel are the two main natural resources privy to Japan, for the next few years Japan was going to capitalize on this and turn all attention on these resources to develop and maximize their global needs. The Korean War 1950-1953 also aided Japanese economy via exports that by the 1940s-1950s Japan began to show economic recovery as a direct result of the PPS System with exports beginning to dramatically increase.
During the 1950s-1960s Japan manufactured and produced many exported goods with a low-end dime-store quality to them. Some of these classified items were ceramics, toys, souvenir and novelty items, and small electronics. Although today, there is quite a demand in the Antiques and Collectibles arena for goods made in Japan and marked Occupied Japan, but back in the 50s-60s these items were not highly coveted.
It was also during this time period that Japan introduced the “Income Doubling Plan”. Prime Minister Ikeda planned to double the nation’s income within a ten-year span. Under this new plan, exports would increase, the nation’s agriculture sector would be revitalized and the many small and mid-sized businesses would become modernized through a series of incentives. Government programs were created to encourage exporting by giving businesses and factories a deducted percentage off their export income. Japan was now well on it’s way to becoming a self-supporting independent nation again.
Also, an Import Tariff Refund was available for those producers and manufacturers of raw materials that would take and turn these into exportable goods; the refund was paid to the producer/manufacturer in advance of actually exporting their goods.
Additional incentives available for producers and manufacturers comprised of low interest rates on loans especially for companies doing business with foreign countries. Another major contributor to Japan’s export business was the desirable foreign exchange rates provided. Another key component to Japan’s export business expansion during the 1950s-1960s was the encouragement by the Government to participate in Export Contests where the winner would receive better credit availability, lower interest rates, and better foreign exchange rates.
The 1970s saw the development and manufacturing of cameras and camera lens’s with Japan heading up Germany’s lens production and manufacturing. It wasn’t so long ago in the 1960s that Japanese goods had a not so enviable reputation of being cheap and dime-store quality to becoming an innovative leader in the optical industry as a producer and manufacturer of cameras and lenses in the 70s.
The 1980s started an automobile manufacturing and exporting boom for Japan. The global economies of many nations appreciated the quality and craftsmanship of these goods. The 1990s-2000s Japan is a leader in technology developing electronic and computing devices, television, automobiles, etc…. A nation that was once war torn and almost abolished, a true economic phenomenon.
Many of us know Japan to be a nation comprised of around 3,000 islands located in the Pacific Ocean. Modern day Japan is a very powerful economical nation with one of the largest economies in the world and being one of the largest exporters and importers of goods as well as being a global technology development leader. But, things were not always like this for Japan.
World War II nearly wiped out Japan and its economy. Destroyed were top cities Hiroshima, Kobe, Nagasaki, Osaka, and Tokyo to name a few along with an estimated 80% of Japan’s production and manufacturing abilities. Japan is a nation without many natural resources, only coal and steel so it must import the majority of the nation’s raw materials, food and energy needs to survive.
It was during the Occupied Japan years of 1945-1952 directly after World War II when the United States and allied nations of Australia, British India, United Kingdom and New Zealand were involved in re-building Japan and were a main presence. Because Japan was in a period of great confusion and turmoil along with having so many of its people hungry and jobless, it vowed to become a super economic power as one of the world’s biggest exporters and importers.
The US Customs Bureau in the 1940s stated that items manufactured or produced in Japan should be properly marked to indicate their origin with one of the following tags: “Japan”, “Made In Japan”, “Occupied Japan”, or “Made In Occupied Japan”. In addition, many factories would also place a red or silver foil label baring one of these markings on their goods. Items made between 1945-1952 were made during Japan’s post-war years, also known as the Occupied Japan years.
In 1946 that the Japanese government introduced the PPS system (Priority Production System) to its citizens that would aid in rebuilding and revitalizing war torn Japan. Since coal and steel are the two main natural resources privy to Japan, for the next few years Japan was going to capitalize on this and turn all attention on these resources to develop and maximize their global needs. The Korean War 1950-1953 also aided Japanese economy via exports that by the 1940s-1950s Japan began to show economic recovery as a direct result of the PPS System with exports beginning to dramatically increase.
During the 1950s-1960s Japan manufactured and produced many exported goods with a low-end dime-store quality to them. Some of these classified items were ceramics, toys, souvenir and novelty items, and small electronics. Although today, there is quite a demand in the Antiques and Collectibles arena for goods made in Japan and marked Occupied Japan, but back in the 50s-60s these items were not highly coveted.
It was also during this time period that Japan introduced the “Income Doubling Plan”. Prime Minister Ikeda planned to double the nation’s income within a ten-year span. Under this new plan, exports would increase, the nation’s agriculture sector would be revitalized and the many small and mid-sized businesses would become modernized through a series of incentives. Government programs were created to encourage exporting by giving businesses and factories a deducted percentage off their export income. Japan was now well on it’s way to becoming a self-supporting independent nation again.
Also, an Import Tariff Refund was available for those producers and manufacturers of raw materials that would take and turn these into exportable goods; the refund was paid to the producer/manufacturer in advance of actually exporting their goods.
Additional incentives available for producers and manufacturers comprised of low interest rates on loans especially for companies doing business with foreign countries. Another major contributor to Japan’s export business was the desirable foreign exchange rates provided. Another key component to Japan’s export business expansion during the 1950s-1960s was the encouragement by the Government to participate in Export Contests where the winner would receive better credit availability, lower interest rates, and better foreign exchange rates.
The 1970s saw the development and manufacturing of cameras and camera lens’s with Japan heading up Germany’s lens production and manufacturing. It wasn’t so long ago in the 1960s that Japanese goods had a not so enviable reputation of being cheap and dime-store quality to becoming an innovative leader in the optical industry as a producer and manufacturer of cameras and lenses in the 70s.
The 1980s started an automobile manufacturing and exporting boom for Japan. The global economies of many nations appreciated the quality and craftsmanship of these goods. The 1990s-2000s Japan is a leader in technology developing electronic and computing devices, television, automobiles, etc…. A nation that was once war torn and almost abolished, a true economic phenomenon.
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