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This study examines the course of Japan's development from a defeated nation in 1945 to an economic superpower in the 1980s. Drawing on recent research, the author analyzes the significance and legacy of the American Occupation, as well as the political, social and economic factors that contributed to post-war recovery. Attention is also focused on the tensions within Japanese society and politics, which form a counterpoint to the usual image of Japan as a country of stability and consensus. Final chapters deal with the effect of corruption in the ruling Liberal Democratic party, the growing trade friction between Japan and the West, and the debate within Japan over its international role.