Figure 1.--This primary school, we think in the late-1950s, has begun to reintroduce the pre-War cadet uniforms for the boys. The girls' sailor suit uniforms were unchanged by the War. These were standard at secondary schools, but many of the primary schools decided on new styles, selecting in the 60s more modern European styles.

Japan after the Pacific War (1941-45) experienced one of the most phenomenal ecionomic recoveries in the gistory of warfare. The country when it surrenderd to the Americans (August 1945) was nearing starvation. Japan was an island nation vulnerable to a commerce war. Few countries went to war so vunerable as Japan. After the War, many Japanese pondered why their military took them to war against more powerful ciountris like America, Britain, and the Soviet Union. The American naval blockade cut off needed food imports for the population and raw materials for industry. And the American strategic bombing campaign demolished the ciuntry's densely packed cities, largely built of wood and paper. The Jaoanese were facing mass starvation when finally forced to surrender. Japan's cities at the end of the war were vast wastelands of burnt cinders. Within only a decade, the country had begun a phononenal recovery and by the next decade, Japan had again become the most prosperous, modern country in Asia. This all was reflected in the schools which were already the best in Asia. The schools also underwent a metamorhis. At the end of the War the boys were wearing the military uniforms introduced by the military. This gradually changed and we see the primary children either stop wearing uniforms or be gan wearing the casdetb uniforms that were worn before the military gained control of the Govermnent. A factor here was the econiomic recovery which permitted parents to spen more on their children, not only school clothes, but alsom school items like satchels. Mos primary schools let the children wear their own clothes, but in the 1960s we see quite a number of the primary schools adopting European-styled uniforms. Although fascinated by the American occupiers, the Japanese again turned to the Europeans for uniform styles. The seciondary system vwas significantky expanded. The secondaryb boys reverted to cadet uniforms. The girls continued wearing sailor outfits. We not only see these changes in school wear, but the counstruction of mnany modern new school, all made possible by the ecomomic revovery.

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Created: 9:15 PM 2/2/2014
Last updated: 9:16 PM 2/2/2014