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相對於其他因素，美國的扶助對於第二次世界大戰後日本經濟復甦一事上有何重要性？
立場及架構 美國於政治﹑經濟﹑軍事及外交等方面的扶助對於日本經濟得以迅速復甦意義重大，其重要性實遠較其他因素，包括戰後的國際形勢﹑日本政府的努力﹑日人的民族特質重要。以下將先述美國的扶助的重要性。
主旨句 政治方面，美國為日本提供有利的國內政治環境，大大促進日本的經濟發展。 // 主項重要性美國佔領日本期間為日本提供民主改革，如於1947年為日本頒布《昭和憲法》，禁止日本擁有軍隊，節省了軍費開支及確立了以經濟復甦為目標的國策。此外，美國為由的盟總政府亦剷除軍國主義於日本的勢力，如召開戰爭法庭，審判約6000名軍人及整肅超過20萬與日本擴張政策有關的人士，避免了軍國主義再度崛興以損害日本經濟的發展，最終有助日本於良好的政治環境下發展經濟。 // 小結可見，美國為日本打造了有利的國內政治環境，大大有助日本的經濟發展。
經濟方面，美國於佔領日本期間制訂了適宜的經濟政策，對日本經濟得以復甦極具重要性。美國為日本國內打造了有利經濟復甦的環境，如解散財閥，美國協助日本推行《禁止壟斷法》及《企業再建整備法》等，防止壟斷出現以阻礙經濟發展及有助推動中﹑小型企業的發展。另外，又於農業方面推行土地改革，如推行《土地改革法》以限制地主的土地，並且收購地主超過法定面積的農地並以接近零的價格售予佃農，使大約80%的耕地面積獲得解放，農民獲得土地後有助提昇生產力。可見，美國為日本制訂有效的經濟政策，對日本經濟得以復甦實意義重大。
軍事及外交方面，美國打造了有利的環境，使日本經濟得以迅速復甦。美國於1952年撤出日本前與日本簽訂《日美安全保障條約》(1951年)，美軍繼續駐守日本以保護日本國土安全，日本只需保留由少數軍人組成的自衛隊。因此，美國的軍事援助令日本的軍費開支大為減少，有助投入更多資源到經濟發展及更專注於推動經濟發展。同時，美國安排日本與多個同盟國(如緬甸﹑印尼等)簽訂《三藩市條約》(1952年)作為賠償條約，允許日本利用商品及勞工作為賠償，變相有利日本企業打入東南亞國家的市場，為日本貿易開拓生機，大大有助日本的經濟重建及發展。可見，美國於軍事及外交方面的努力為日本經濟打造了安穩的環境。
美國的扶助對日本經濟復甦實功不可沒，其重要性遠較其他因素大。
主旨句 戰後的國際形勢雖有利於日本的經濟復甦，但重要性不及美國的扶助。 // 他項重要性 戰後的國際形勢大大有利日本的經濟復甦，因共產主義與資本主義的抗爭使多場亞洲戰場出現，如韓戰(1950-53年)及越戰(1961-75年)等，為日本帶來「特需景氣」，藉出口軍火及補給品而獲利甚深，大大有助經濟的復甦。 // 駁論 然而，從因果關係而言，韓戰及越戰本來對日本並未有帶來直接的利益，但由於美國選擇日本作為物資供應的場所，使日本的出口量大增，為日本帶來了特需景氣。 // 小結 因此，美國的扶助較戰後國際形勢更為重要。
相對於日本經濟得以復甦，美國的扶助較日人的民族特質重要。日人的民族特質對於經濟復甦亦具重要性，因傳統的武士道精神及近代強調忠君愛國的服從思想使日人願意遵從政府決策，全國上下一心專注發展經濟。而且，日人具有儲蓄的習慣及勇於投資均有助快速經濟的發展，加上具東方特色的管理制度營造了穩定的就業率及和諧的工作環境，使日本經濟能於谷底迅速反彈。然而，就影響力而言，當時日本財閥壟斷日本經濟，即使日人擁有優良的民族特質，但礙於環境所限，亦難以發揮作用，刺激中﹑小企業的發展，但美國正正為日本經濟發展打造有利形勢，解散財閥，使中﹑小型企業能得以於戰後急促發展。可見，美國消除了限制經濟發展的因素，使日人能發揮其優越的民族特質，故美國扶助的重要性較大。
日本政府的貢獻對於經濟復甦亦具重要性，但也不及美國的扶助。日本政府於1952年盟總政府撤走後隨即專注發展經濟，不但提出以經濟發展掛帥的基本方針，於1952年成立經濟審議廳及通商產業省以統籌全國經濟發展策略。此外，為提高貿易出口量，日本政府也於1952年加入國際貨幣基金組織及世界銀行，並且推出「經濟自立五年計劃」以規劃經濟發展。最終，於日本政府的積極努力下，日本成功創造「經濟奇跡」。然而，美國的重要性較大，因美國為日本奠定了有利經濟復甦的基礎，使日本政府能於後盟總時期收割經濟成果，如美國於盟總時期為日本頒布《九項經濟穩定原則》(1948年)以協助其解決通貨膨脹及銀行財政困難等問題，及後，日本政府才能於此等基礎上繼續發展，如以「貿易立國」及「出口第一」作為發展策略。因此，美國的貢獻較日本政府為大。
總括而言，美國扶助的確是日本經濟得以迅速復甦的最主要因素，其他因素的重要性實不及之。
Examine the importance of American assistance relative to other factors in leading to Japan’s post-war economic recovery.
The US did make a great contribution to Japan’s post-war economic recovery in political, economic, military and diplomatic aspects. Its importance was relatively greater than other factors including the post-war international circumstances, the contribution of the Japanese government and the national characters of Japanese. The importance of the US assistance will first be discussed.
Politically, the US provided a favorable political environment in Japan to promote economic development. During the occupation period, the US provided Japan with democratization reforms such as the 1947 Showa constitution昭和憲法, which disbanded the army, reduced military expenditure and adopted a national policy to recover the economy. Besides, the US-led SCAP tried to eradicate the influence of militarism by convening the Military Tribunal戰爭法庭 in which about 6000 soldiers were sentenced and over 200 thousand people supporting Japan’s expansionist policy were purged. These prevented the revival of militarism from harming the Japanese economy, thus helped Japan develop its economy in a favourable political environment. Therefore, the US created a favorable political environment in Japan, promoting Japan’s economic recovery.
Economically, the US created an environment favorable to economic recovery in Japan. For example, the US helped Japan implement the Anti-Monopoly Act禁止壟斷法 and Fair Trade Commission企業再建整備法 of Japan to dissolve zaibatsu, which prevented monopolisation from hindering economic development and helped promote development of small and medium enterprises. Besides, the US implemented agricultural reform such as the Land Reform Act土地改革法, to limit the area of land owned by landlords and buy those exceeding the statutory provision and sold to tenants at a very low price. About 80% of land was released to peasants and productivity increased. Thus, the US implementation of economic policies in Japan was significant for its economic recovery.
Militarily and diplomatically, the US created a favorable environment which prompted the economic recovery of Japan. The US signed the Mutual Security Pact日美安全保障條約(1951) with Japan before it ended its occupation in 1952. Thus, the US troops continued to station in Japan for its defense while Japan retained its self-defense force with small number of soldiers. Due to the US military assistance, the military expenses of Japan greatly decreased. In the meantime, The US arranged the signing of Treaty of San Francisco三藩市條約(1952) between Japan and various allied nations (e.g. Myanmar緬甸 and Indonesia印尼). It allowed the reparations of Japan to be paid in kind and labor services; in other words, helped Japanese enterprises to get into the Southeast Asian markets and gave new hopes to trading. This encouraged economic reconstruction and development in Japan. Therefore, the efforts made by the US in military and diplomatic aspect helped Japan create a steady environment, helping Japan’s economic recovery.
The American assistance was very important and its importance outweighed other factors.
Though the post-war international circumstances did favor Japan’s economic recovery, it was less important than the US assistance. The post-war international situation was largely favourable to Japan’s economic recovery because the confrontation between capitalism and communism led to several battles in Asia, including the Korean War (1950-53) and Vietnam War (1961-75), which created the special procurement boom特需景氣for Japan that allowed the country to make great profits out of munitions and other military supplies and promoted its economic recovery. However, in terms of causality, the Korean War and Vietnam War did not bring direct benefits to Japan originally and it was the US that chose Japan as its supplier, boosted the country’s exports and created the special procurement boom. In this regard, the American assistance was more important than the post-war international circumstances.
In addition, in bringing about Japan’s economic recovery, American assistance was more important than the national characters of Japanese. It is true that the national characters of Japanese contributed to the economic recovery of Japan as Japanese are highly obedient to their superiors because both the traditional Bushido spirit and modern Japanese education emphasized the idea of absolute obedience. When the government called on the people to promote economic development, they were devoted and followed its lead so that the economy developed rapidly. Furthermore, Japanese are willing to save and invest, which allowed the economy to recover rapidly. These, together with a management system with Japanese style unemployment rate had been low in Japan and the working environment was harmonious. This allowed the economic recovery of Japan. Nonetheless, concerning the degree of influence, because zaibatsu monopolised the Japanese economy, the good national characters of Japanese could not be effective in stimulating the development of small and medium enterprises as limited by the circumstances. But the US created favourable environment for the economic development in Japan by dissolving zaibatsu, thus small and medium enterprises could develop rapidly after the war. Hence, American assistance was more important as it allowed the Japanese to unleash their unique national characters.
The contribution of the Japanese government was also important in helping the economic recovery of Japan but it was less important than the American assistance. After the SCAP ended occupation, the Japanese government endeavored to develop the economy. It also set up Economic Counsel Board經濟審議廳 and MITI通商產業省 in 1952 to work out strategies of economic development and provide companies with technological support. Moreover, in order to boost the amount of exports, the Japanese government joined the International Monetary Fund國際貨幣基金組織and World Bank世界銀行 in 1952 and carried out macro-economic plans such as Five-Year Plan of Economic Independence (1955). Eventually, with government’s efforts, an economic miracle was created successfully. However, the American assistance was more important. The US laid a foundation favorable to economic recovery in Japan so that the Japanese government reaped the economic benefits in the post-SCAP period. For example, the US issued the Nine Principles of Economic Stabilization九項經濟穩定原則(1948) in the SCAP period to help solve inflation and financial crises of banks in Japan. Afterwards, the Japanese government thus develop its economy on this foundation with the strategies of focusing on trade and export. As a result, American assistance was more important than the contribution of Japanese government.
All in all, the US assistance was the primary factor that gave rise to the economic recovery in Japan. Other factors were of less importance.
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