The Occupation of Japan: Seven Years That Rewrote the Country

From September 2, 1945, to April 28, 1952

The occupation of Japan officially lasted from September 2, 1945, to April 28, 1952 — six years and almost eight months. The first date is the signing of the instrument of surrender aboard the battleship Missouri; the second is the entry into force of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. The first American units landed even earlier, on August 28, 1945, at Atsugi Airfield; the treaty itself was signed on September 8, 1951, and until it came into force the country was still governed by the headquarters of the occupation authorities.

Why Okinawa had a different timeline

Under the terms of the San Francisco Treaty, Okinawa remained under U.S. administration and was returned to Japan only on May 15, 1972 — twenty years later than the rest of the country. Until that day, a passport was required to travel there from mainland Japan.

Who Actually Ran the Country During These Years

The formal governing body was the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers — GHQ/SCAP (連合国軍最高司令官総司令部). Douglas MacArthur held the post of Supreme Commander until 1951; the following year it was Matthew Ridgway.

Indirect Rule Through Japan's Own Government

Even before the landings, the Allied command considered various options — direct rule by its own administration or dividing the country into occupation zones, as in Germany — and chose indirect rule (間接統治). The headquarters' orders did not go directly to the population but through the Japanese government and parliament, which continued to operate with the same composition and procedures as before.

What Changed During These Years

In less than seven years, the country transformed its state structure, landownership, industry, and schools:

• Suffrage — on December 17, 1945, a revised House of Representatives Election Law gave women the right to vote in national elections.
• Constitution — the new constitution was promulgated on November 3, 1946, and came into force on May 3, 1947, replacing the 1889 document.
• Land — the second land reform, adopted in October 1946, by July 1950 had purchased and resold to tenants about 1.93 million chō of arable land from landowners.
• Industry — from September 1945, the dissolution of large industrial and financial conglomerates proceeded; to this end, a Holding Company Liquidation Commission was created in April 1946.
• Schools — the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law, both dated March 31, 1947, introduced a 6–3–3–4 system of education in place of the previous one.

How the 1947 Constitution Was Written

The draft of the future constitution was prepared by the headquarters of the occupation authorities: in early February 1946, they received a draft from the Japanese government, deemed it insufficient, and prepared their own version within a few days. On February 13, 1946, this version, known as the MacArthur Draft, was handed to the Japanese side as a basis for further work; after discussions in parliament, the document was promulgated on November 3 of the same year.

占領 — A Character That Means Both 'to Occupy' and 'to Divine'

占 — значение: to occupy, to seize, to divine — онъёми: セン — кунъёми: し.める、うらな.う — 5 штрих(ов). 占 — 'to occupy, to divine': 5 strokes. In 占領 (senryō) it means 'to occupy territory,' while in 占い (uranai) it means 'to divine': the meanings diverged from a single root.

Why the Same Character Appears in the Word for 'Divination'

According to one interpretation, the character 占 is composed of 卜 — the cracks on a turtle shell burned for divination — and 口, a vessel for speaking words addressed to a deity. Together the character meant the right to proclaim the will of the gods, and only the ruler could proclaim it: hence the figurative meaning 'to possess, to occupy exclusively.' This interpretation goes back to traditional character dictionaries rather than to a single confirmed etymology — the origin of characters this ancient remains a subject of debate among linguists.

Write 占 along the guides — the first character in 占領, 'occupation' in its Japanese name.

FAQ

When was the occupation of Japan and how long did it last?

Six years and almost eight months: from September 2, 1945, to April 28, 1952. The first date is the instrument of surrender; the second is the entry into force of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. The treaty itself was signed on September 8, 1951, but until it came into force the country was governed by the headquarters of the occupation authorities.

How many years was Korea under Japanese occupation?

This is a different event: not how the Allies governed Japan, but how Japan governed Korea. The Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty was signed on August 22, 1910, and came into force on August 29 of the same year; Japanese rule on the peninsula ended on August 15, 1945, formally on September 9 of the same year. In total — 35 years; in Japanese this period is called 日本統治時代, 'the era of Japanese rule.'

Who governed Japan in 1945–1952?

Formally, the country was governed by the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers — GHQ/SCAP; Douglas MacArthur held this post until 1951, then Matthew Ridgway. In practice, the headquarters chose indirect rule: orders did not go directly to the population but through the Japanese government and parliament, which continued to operate with the same composition as before.

What changed in the country during the occupation years?

The main change was the new constitution, which came into force on May 3, 1947. In December 1945, women gained the right to vote. The second land reform by 1950 transferred about 1.93 million chō of arable land from landowners to tenants, and from 1945 the dissolution of large industrial and financial conglomerates proceeded. Schools were switched to a 6–3–3–4 system by laws dated March 31, 1947.

How is 'occupation' written in Japanese?

'Occupation' in Japanese is 占領, read せんりょう (senryō). The first character, 占, means 'to occupy,' and the same character appears in the word 占い, 'divination': both meanings grew from a single ancient root connected with the right to proclaim the will of the gods. The second character, 領, means 'possession, territory.'

Did the occupation end for the whole country at once?

No. For the main territory of Japan it ended on April 28, 1952, when the San Francisco Peace Treaty came into force. Under the terms of that same treaty, Okinawa remained under U.S. administration and was returned to Japan only on May 15, 1972 — twenty years later; until that day, a passport was required to travel there from the mainland.

Sources

• National Diet Library of Japan: Chronology of the Birth of the Constitution
• Kotobank: dictionary entry for '占領' (senryō)
• Japanese Wikipedia: Japan under Allied Occupation