Yoshida Doctrine

Despite learning about the significant role of Japan in World War II and its rise as an industrial power, we have learned little about its influence in the Cold War, compared to other east Asian countries such as China and Korea. During the Cold War, Japan largely followed the Yoshida Doctrine, as established by Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru immediately after World War II.

Yoshida Shigeru was born to Takeuchi Tsuna, who was arrested for political activity soon after Yoshida’s birth, and Yoshida was adopted by Yoshida Kenzo. Yoshida graduated from a law college of Tokyo and joined the ministry of foreign affairs in 1906, after which he started as a diplomat in China until 1928. He then served as ministers in Europe, ending his diplomatic service after an ambassadorship in the United Kingdom. Having been influenced by his time in Europe, Yoshida tried as hard as he could to prevent World War II with the Allies. However, due to the influence of the pro-war faction, he was arrested in April 1945 along with Prince Fumimaro Konoe, a former prime minister who was also against the war. Upon the end of the war, Yoshida joined the new Japanese right-wing Liberal Party. The leader of the party, Hatoyama Ichirou, became Prime Minister in 1946 but was replaced by Yoshida, educated in Western societies and ideals, by the Allied occupation.

Under Yoshida, Japan followed the Yoshida Doctrine. First, Japan would rely on the United States in two main ways. Japan’s agreement with the United States rendered Japan incapable of creating war. Therefore, Japan would rely on the US military for security; Yoshida himself would refuse increases in military in favor of pacifism. In addition, the US was Japan’s largest trading power during the Cold War, helping develop Japan’s international economy. Second, Yoshida wanted to focus all of Japan’s development towards economic recovery, which dictated both Japanese foreign policy and domestic production. Yoshida hoped that this recovery could re-establish Japan as a world power, and from there Japan could perhaps increase its military ability. Japan saw significant economic growth for a long time throughout the Cold War under the Yoshida Doctrine.

The Yoshida Doctrine, where Japan would engage in capitalism but not have any military involvement in the Cold War, helps explain Japan’s relative lack of presence in Cold War affairs. Having been restricted in arms in post-World War II terms with the Allies, Japan was not involved at all in the Cold War’s arms race. Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Japan was geographically distant from Europe, and was thus not particularly threatened by the mid-range missiles that both the US and Soviet Union were so focused on in the later half of the Cold War.

https://www.japanpitt.pitt.edu/glossary/yoshida-doctrine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshida_Doctrine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigeru_Yoshida
https://www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/datas/350.html