9th or 10thGrade
Global StudiesModule
THE JAPANESE ECONOMY:
POST WWII TO THE FUTURE
Prepared by:
Lewis E. Huffman
Education Associate – Social Studies
South Carolina Department of Education
(KKC Class of 2009)
for
The KeizaiKohoCenter
THE JAPANESE ECONOMY:
POST WWII TO THE FUTURE
This module of five lessons focuses on the Japanese economy from the post World War II period to projections into the future. It was developed to be used in a course on Global Studies but it may be used as a component of World History, International Studies or Economics.
9th or 10thGrade
Global Studies
Module
GS-6
Lesson 1: The Japanese Economy after WWII
Introduction to the Lesson:
“Economic miracle” is the term given to describe the Japanese economy following WWII. This “miracle” occurred due to several factors including, but not limited to, investment from the United States and direct intervention by the Japanese government. Students will examine several documents to determine the causes and effects of the post WWII economic turnaround. This lesson will be followed by an examination of economic growth in Japan through the 1980s.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will introduce the lesson by distributing the article titledJapanese History: Postwar (since 1945) or have the students log on to japan-guide.com. Students will be divided into groups of 3-4 and asked to read the article and complete the chart below on post WWII Japan:
Post WWII Japan (1940s)Category / Status
Transportation / Severely damaged
Industry / Devastated
Food / Severe shortages
Government / Reorganized under a new constitution
Media / Subject to rigid censorship
Territory / Lost everything acquired after 1894
After the charts have been completed, the teacher will ask students “What effects do you think WWII had on the Japanese economy?” Possible responses might include: The economy was ruined. Japan was devastated.
The teacher will distribute the article titled Japanese Post-War Economic Miracle or have students log on to Wikipedia.org. Students will remain in their groups of 3-4 to read the article and complete the chart below:
Post WWII Japan (1950s)Contributors to the Economic Recovery / Economic Results
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers / Fostered economic development to democratize Japan and prevent militarism
Korean War / Boosted the Japanese economy from “special procurement” payments by the US government
Japanese Government / Stimulated private sector growth
Ministry of International Trade and Industry / Formalized cooperation between the Japanese government and private industry, controlled all Japanese imports and established the Japan Development Bank
Keiretsu / Efficiently allocated resources to help Japan compete internationally
Ikeda Administration / Pursued a policy of “heavy industrialization”
Assessing the Lesson:
After the charts have been completed, the teacher will ask students to answer the following question in a one page essay: “Why do you think the Japanese economy was able to rebound so quickly following the devastation of WWII?” Possible responses might include: The collaboration and cooperation between the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers and the Japanese government, the money that Japan received from the US as procurement payments during the Korean War, the actions taken by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the actions of the Keiretsu and the Ikeda Administration following the war.
Individual assignments will be graded by the teacher using established criteria.
Lesson 2: Economic Growth through the 1980’s
Introduction to the Lesson:
“Economic rollercoaster” is the term that might be given to the period encompassing 1960 to 1989 in Japan. Following the “economic miracle” after WWII, referenced in lesson one, the Japanese economy grew during the 1960s, shrank during the 1970s and expanded throughout most of the 1980s. Students will visit two web sites to gather information to determine the causes of the up and down economy of Japan during these three decades.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to complete a
K-W-L chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned) about the Japanese economy in the decades following WWII.
Possible Responses
What I KNOW / What I WANT to know / What I LEARNEDThe Japanese economy was devastated after WWII
/ How did the US occupation contribute to the rebuilding of the economy? / This section will be completed at the end of the lesson
Post-war economic development was fostered by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces / How did education contribute to the recovery? / This section will be completed at the end of the lesson
The Japanese government stimulated private sector growth
/ Did the oil crisis of the mid-1970s affect the economic recovery? / This section will be completed at the end of the lesson
The Ikeda Administration pursued a policy of “heavy industrialization”
/ What were “the factors of growth” in Japan during the period 1960-1989? / This section will be completed at the end of the lesson
The teacher will distribute the article titled, “Japan Postwar Development” or have students go to:
to find the article online. The students will read the article and summarize the key points verbally in class.
The teacher will then divide the class into small groups representing the questions identified in the K-W-L chart. Each group will be assigned a question to research and answer. Information can be found in the article listed above, “Japan Postwar Development”, and on the following web site:
. The groups will record their responses on chart paper, post them on the board or wall and select a reporter to share the information with the class. The responses will be summarized and added to the third column (What I Learned) on the K-W-L chart.
Assessing the Lesson:
Students will be assessed on this lesson via teacher observation of their participation, collaboration in group work and the completion of the final column of the K-W-L chart.
Lesson 3: The “Lost Decade” of the 1990’s
Introduction to the Lesson:
Throughout the 1980s, the Japanese economy expanded very rapidly fueled by successes in the export markets, a strong tariff policy, and a massive buildup of cash. In December, 1989 the Nikkei 225 Index closed at 38,915.87. In less than a year it lost almost half of its value and the decline continued throughout the 1990s. In this lesson students will review several data charts and graphs about the Japanese economy and draw conclusions.
Lesson Time:
Two class periods (45 – 55 minutes each)
Materials Needed:
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will divide the class into small groups (it could be the same groups used in the previous lessons or new groups could be created). The students will identify a web master, a recorder, and a reporter for each group. Using available technology, the teacher will direct students to the web site listed above, “Japan’s Bubble and Post-Bubble Economies”. Each group will analyze data from the sections titled Trade Data and Macroeconomic Data and draw conclusions about the causes and effects of the economic downturn during the 1990s (one class period). The groups will then develop a series of visual presentations, which should include both charts and graphs, to support their conclusions about the Japanese economy during this period and present them to the class (one class period).
Assessing the Lesson:
The group presentations will be assessed using pre-determined criteria which could include: clarity of presentation materials, accuracy of information, and logical conclusions based on the available data.
Lesson 4: Economic Recovery in the New Century - 2000
Introduction to the lesson:
The beginning of the new millennium brought renewed economic hope to Japan and an end to the “Lost Decade” of the 1990s. A brief review of the information from the previous lesson would be useful to remind students that most of the lines on the graphs and charts they examined were trending upward by the late 1990s and early 2000.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will distribute the two charts below or display them on an LCD projector or SMART Board and ask the question, “What do these charts tell you about the Japanese economy between 1990 and 2005?” Possible responses might include: Profit margins and consumer confidence in Japan declined dramatically in the early 1990s, rebounded slightly in the mid 1990s and began to increase in the early part of the new century. Profit margins in large manufacturing and non-manufacturing firms followed the same trends as business in general.
Source:
Source:
The teacher will distribute the full article from the OECD Observer by Randall Jones titled, “Japan’s Economy: Firming Up?” or have them access it online at:
and ask students, “Based on the article, do you think Japan’s economy was in a sustained recovery in the period 2000 – 2005?”
Possible responses might include: Economic growth up through 2004, powered by a double digit increase in exports andcorporate restructuring, had slowed by the end of the year and deflation was still a concern. Other indicators, such as decreasing unemployment, improved labor markets and external demand provided hope for continued growth.
Assessing the Lesson:
Students will be assessed on this lesson via teacher observation of their participation.
Lesson 5: The Future of the Japanese Economy
Introduction to the Lesson:
This is the culminating lesson in the study of the Japanese economy over a half century. It will require students to synthesize the information they have learned in the previous four lessons, analyze new information from other sources and make predictions about the economic future of Japan.
Lesson Time:
One class period (45 – 55 minutes)
Materials Needed:
Teaching the Lesson:
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to provide a brief description of each of the time periods in the Japanese economy identified in the previous four lessons. Possible responses might include: 1950s – rapid growth, 1960s through the1980s - rollercoaster or up and down, 1990s – decline, crash or “lost decade”, 2000 – slow growth or volatile.
The teacher will divide the class into three groups. One group will be assigned the online article “Outlook 2009: If Japan Bounces Back in the New Year, So Will Investors” by Martin Hutchinson. The second group will be asked to go online and find the Economic Overview section from the CIA World Factbook (see web address in Materials Needed above). The third group will be assigned to go online and find the article “Outlook for the Japanese Economy in 2009”from Shareswatch Blog (see web address in Materials Needed above).Each group will have twenty minutes to read, analyze and synthesize the information from their respective articles. The groups will list their findings on poster paper and report this information to the other members of the class.
Assessing the Lesson:
Copies of all the articles,except “Outlook 2009: If Japan Bounces Back in the New Year, So Will Investors” by Martin Hutchinson (this article will have to viewed online because reprinting without permission is prohibited)from this lesson will be distributed to each member of the class. The culminating activity will require students to take the information with them and write an essay of not more than 500 words on the topic, “The Future of the Japanese Economy – 2010-2020”. The assignment will be due the next day. Grading criteria could include: clarity of reasoning, logical conclusions based on factual information, and conceptual understanding.