From Subjects of an Empire to Citizens of a Democracy: Civilian Response to Defeat, Occupation, and Democratization in Postwar Japan

Military occupations are generally defined as the temporary control of a territory by a foreign military, often during or following an armed conflict. The Allied occupation of Japan, which lasted from September 2, 1945, until April 28, 1952, following Japan’s surrender in World War II, marked a major turning point in modern Japanese history. As the first foreign powers to occupy Japan, the victorious Allies sought to transform Japan's political and social order in line with liberal democratic practices and to abolish military nationalism. Although the occupation was formally carried out by the Allied powers, the U.S. engineered most reforms, with policies formulated in Washington, D.C., and implemented in Japan by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), General Douglas MacArthur. This thesis examines the impact of the Allied occupation of Japan through the lens of Japanese civilian perspectives, placing these voices in conversation with key works of occupation history. Much of the existing scholarship has focused on policymakers and institutional reforms, often overlooking the voices and experiences of those most directly affected by occupation policies. By centering on these narratives, this thesis explores how civilians accepted or resisted the occupation. Drawing on primary sources such as Reminiscences of Ai Kume, Those Days in Muramatsu, and letters from Dear General MacArthur, alongside established scholarship, this thesis evaluates how civilians grappled with defeat in a war-torn nation mobilized to fight to the end. Through a comparative historical methodology, it identifies key similarities and tensions between dominant historical narratives and the lived realities of civilians during a period of deep uncertainty and also hope.