Chronology of Main Events
Taken from Richard B. Finn, Winners in Peace: MacArthur, Yoshida,
and Postwar Japan (UC Press, 1992) , pp. 317-21.
1945
July 26 Potsdam Declaration issued by the United States, the
United Kingdom, and China
Aug. 6 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Aug. 8 Soviet Union declares war on Japan
Aug. 9 Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Aug. 15 Emperor's speech (aka, the Gyokuon broadcast) accepting Potsdam terms
Aug. 17 Higashikuni cabinet formed
Aug. 19 Japanese delegation receives surrender plans at Manila
Aug. 26 Japanese Central Liaison Office created to enhance coordination with Allied Occupation
Sept. 2 Surrender ceremony takes place aboard the Missouri
Sept. 3 Shigemitsu meets MacArthur regarding "direct occupation"
Sept. 10 SCAP orders free speech, press, and communications
Sept. 17 Yoshida named foreign minister
Sept. 22 U.S. initial policy for Japan made public
Oct. 5 Higashikuni cabinet resigns
Oct. 9 Shidehara cabinet formed
Oct. 10 MacArthur asks Shidehara to make five major reforms
Oct. 16 SCAP announces Japanese demobilization completed
Nov. 6 Four biggest zaibatsu companies dissolved
Nov. 8 SCAP "restricts" 354 zaibatsu companies
Dec. 9 SCAP ordered a liberal land reform program
Dec. 12 Pauley initial reparations report made public
Universal adult suffrage law enacted
Dec. 17 Trials of Class B and C war criminals begin
Dec. 21 New Labor Union Law enacted, Union membership grows from 5,000 to 5 million
Dec. 26 Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council of Japan set up
1946
Jan. 11 SWNCC 228 on political reform received by SCAP
Jan. 19 SCAP announces charter of IMTFE
Jan. 20 SCAP designates 389 factories for reparations
Jan. 25 MacArthur cables opinion discouraging trial of emperor
Feb. 13 Japanese government given draft
Feb. 19 Emperor begins series of visits around the country
Feb. 26 First meeting of the Far East Commission (FEC)
Mar. 6 Emperor publicly supports new constitution
Mar. 30 First shipment of food from the United States arrives
Mar. 30 Stoddard education report presented (6-3-3-4 system)
Apr. 1 Final report of Pauley reparations commission filed
Apr. 5 MacArthur addresses first meeting of Allied Council for Japan (ACJ)
Apr. 10 Election of new lower house held; no majority winner
Apr. 20 Holding Company Liquidation Commission (HCLC) to set up to dismantle Zaibatsu
May 3 Trial of major war criminals begins
3 Soviet forces evacuate Manchuria
May 4 Hatoyama, head of Liberal Party, purged
May 5 Hoover commission studying food shortages arrives
May 19 "Food" May Day riots occur over food shortages
May 22 Yoshida forms first cabinet
June 25 Revised constitution submitted to Diet
Aug. 12 Economic Stabilization Board set up to help control inflation
Sept. 20 Labor relations adjustment law approved
Oct.7 Revised constitution passes Diet
Nov. 3 Revised constitution officially promulgated
Dec. 27 Cabinet approves priority production plan
1947
Jan. 1 Yoshida calls labor leaders "lawless"
Jan. 4 Under SCAP pressure Japan orders purge of local officials,
economic end media leaders
Jan. 18 Labor unions announce Gencral Strike for Feb. 1
Jan. 31 MacArthur press statement prohibits General Strike
Feb. 6 MacArthur orders general election
Mar. 19 MacArthur publicly calls for early peace treaty
Apr. 4 United States orders interim reparations program
Apr. 14 Antimonopoly law goes into effect
Apr. 25 Socialists win majoriry in lower house election
May 1 Emperor Hirohito holds his first press conference
May 3 Revised constitution goes into effect
May 12 United States sends FEC-230 deconcentration policy to Far Eastern Commission
June 1 Katayama (Socialist) forms three-party cabinet
July 3 SCAP orders breakup of Mitsui and Mitsubishi trading
companies
Aug. 15 Limited foreign trade opened
Aug. 26 Diet begins investigation of wartime hoarded goods
Sept. 13 Ashida memo on defense policy given to Eichelberger
Nov. 12 Strike committee report for reduced reparations
filed
Dec. 9 Law to bar excessive industrial concentrations passed
Dec. 17 Police reform law enacted, barring centralized force
Dec. 31 Home Ministry abolished, its functions dispersed
1948
Jan. 6 Secretary of Army Royall calls for self-supporting
Japan
Jan. 16 First shipment of interinm reparations sent to China
Jan. 21 United States notifies FEC of new U.S. focus on economic
recovery
Feb. 10 Katayama cabinet resigns
Mar. 8 Police law goes into effect
Mar. 10 Ashida coalition cabinet forned without election
June 23 Arrests begin in Shôwa Denkô bribery
scandal
July 22 MacArthur orders Ashida to revise public service law
July 30 Exclusion of banks from deconcentration law announced
July 31 Ashida cabinet issues ordinance 201 revising National Public Service Law
Oct. 7 Ashida cabinet resigns because of Shoden scandal
Oct. 9 Truman approves NSC 13/2
Oct. 15 Yoshida forms second cabinet after Party dissension
Nov. 12 Twenty-five major war criminals found guilty
Dec. 7 Ashida arrested in bribery scandal
Dec. 9 United States withdraws FEC-230 deconcentration plan
Dec. 19 Japan given nine-point directive calling for economic
stabilization
Dec. 23 Tôjô and six other war criminals hanged
Dec. 23 Yoshida voted out of office by prearranged deal
1949
Jan. 1 MacArthur permits flying of Japanese flag
Jan. 23 Yoshida's Liberal Party wins overwhelming victory
Feb. 1 Dodge arrives to enforce economic austerity
Feb. 16 Third Yoshida cabinet formed
Apr. 23 Yen/dollar rate set at 360:1
May 12 United States announces end of Japan reparations
program
May 30 Start of campaign of violence by railway workers
June 18 Antimonopoly law amended
July 6 Shimoyama, president of National Railways, killed
Sept. 2 MacArthur states communism not a threat to Japan
Dec. 1 Foreign exchange and foreign trade control law passed
1950
Jan. 8 Cominform criticizes peace policy of Communist Party
leader Nosaka
Feb. 9 Japanese govemment authorized to set up overseas
offices
Apr. 24 Dulles advocates early peace for Japan
June 6 SCAP purges twenry-four members of Communist Party Ccentral Committee
June 21 Dulles arrives to explore peace treaty prospects
June 25 War starts in Korea
July 8 MacArthur orders creation of 75,000-man police
reserve
1951
Jan. 29 Dulles begins peace treaty talks with Yoshida
Feb. 9 Dulles and Yoshida approve five treaty documents
Apr. 14 Ridgway arrives in Tokyo to succeed MacArthur
Apr. 16 Dulles arrives in Tokyo for third visit
Sept. 8 Peace and security treaties signed in San Francisco
Dec. 10 Dulles arrives in Tokyo to clarify China policy
1952
Jan. 16 Yoshida letter to Dulles on China policy made public
Feb. 28 U.S.-Japan administrative agreement signed
Apr. 28 Peace and security treaties come into force