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Purge (occupied Japan)

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Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the Allied Occupation of Japan ordered the purge of tens of thousands of designated persons from public service positions. Individuals targeted in the purge included accused war criminals, military officers, leaders of ultranationalist societies, leaders in the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, business leaders involved in Japanese overseas economic expansion, governors of former Japanese colonies, and national leaders involved in the decisions leading Japan into war.^[1] Ultimately, SCAP screened a total of 717,415 possible purgees, and wound up excluding 201,815 of them from holding public office.^[2] However, as part of the "Reverse Course" in Occupation policy, most of the purgees would be de-purged and allowed to return to public life by 1951.

This purge of conservative elements during the Occupation is sometimes retroactively referred to as the "White Purge" to distinguish it from a similar "Red Purge" of communists and leftists.

Edict No. 109 was issued in the name of the Japanese emperor prohibiting POWs, cooperators of World War II, those belonging to Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, Taisei Yokusankai and Gokokudoshikai from engaging in public service in 1946. In 1947, the range of prohibited positions widened, including private enterprises. More than 20,000 people were purged.^[3] A purge qualification committee was established to address objections between March 1947 and March 1948 and restarting in February 1949. The law was abolished by law No.94 in 1952 after the Allied occupation came to an end. In 1948, 148 people including politician Wataru Narahashi and Shigeru Hori were denied their purge and four people including Takeru Inukai obtained release from the purge.

Leading political figures disappeared and the next generation gained power. Especially in education and mass communications, leftists and communist sympathizers gained power, which was against the desire of occupation authorities. Nevertheless, the purge of government officials, including judges and those belonging to Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu, was less strict; the latter went to other posts. Eighty percent of the members of the House of Representatives were purged, but members of their families ran for election, preserving their seats.

The policies of the Occupation authorities began to change with the cancellation of an intended February 1, 1947 general strike, which marked the start of the "Reverse Course" in Occupation policy, as goals shifted from demilitarizing and democratizing Japan to remilitarizing and strengthening Japan's economy. Fears of communist elements in Japan began to grow with the heightening of global Cold War tensions, and reached a peak in 1950 after the outbreak of the Korean War. The Occupation began to shift its attention from purging conservative elements to purging communists and leftists, not only from public service but also from the private and education sectors, in a new purge known as the "Red Purge."

In 1950, individuals purged earlier in the occupation began to be depurged, including some former military officers and conservative politicians. In May 1951, General Matthew Ridgway stated that the purge would be generally softened and authority would be transferred to the Japanese government. In 1951, nearly 200,000 people were depurged. At the end, Nobusuke Kishi and another 5,500 people remained purged.

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• Takemae, Eiji (2002). Inside GHQ: The Allied Occupation of Japan and its Legacy. Translated by Ricketts, Robert; Swann, Sebastian. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0826462472.

• GHQ Japan Occupation History, Vol. 6. Purge, Explanation by Hiroshi Masuda, translated by Hiroshi Masuda and Reiko Yamamoto, Japan Book Center, 1996. ISBN 978-4-8205-6275-7
• Purge from Public Service; Studies on Three Political Purges. Hiroshi Masuda, University of Tokyo Press, 1996 ISBN 978-4-13-030104-6
• A Study on Purge from Public Service, Hiroshi Masuda, Iwanamo Shoten 1998 ISBN 978-4-00-002914-8
• Sakamoto Mamoru, Shishifunjin - the Story of Shigeyoshi Matsumae Nishinippon Shimbun, 1983, ISBN 4-8167-0049-8.