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Surrender of Japan
Japanese and Allied officials sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay -
MacArthur appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Japan
MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Japan, and held political control over Japan for the duration of the American occupation -
Period: to
American Occupation of Japan
The American occupation of Japan lasted from September 8, 1945 to April 28, 1952. The occupation transformed Japan from a military dictatorship to a constitutional democracy. -
Shinto Directive
Shinto was abolished as the state religion of Japan -
Humanity Declaration
Emperor Hirohito was forced to acknowledge that he was not of divine origin, which contradicted millennia of Japanese mythology. -
Tokyo Tribunals
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East was a trial wherein Japanese war criminals were prosecuted by Americans. -
First free election held in Japan
Japan, which had been a military dictatorship led by Hideki Tojo during World War II, held free elections under American supervision during the occupation. Women were allowed to vote for the first time. -
Labor Standards Act
The Labor Standards Act improved working conditions in Japan -
Constitution of Japan Enacted
The Constitution of Japan organized a democratic, pacifist government for Japan which has remained unamended to this day -
Dodge Line
Joseph Dodge vigorously reorganized the Japanese economy, privatized many businesses, and set the exchange rate to 360 yen per 1 dollar -
Period: to
Red Purge
Around 25,000 Japanese government employees were fired by SCAP on suspicion of communist sympathies, simultaneous with the Red Scare in the United States -
Treaty of San Francisco Ratified
The occupation of Japan ended, and Japan became independent.
