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Japan: Powers
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Japan recovered within two decades; becoming a staunch ally of the US, and completely revised their postwar consitution. They went so far as to limit the power of their emperor, making it, as it is today, a ceremonial position.
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The occupation force controlled Japan through the existing machinery of Japanese government. A new constitution was adopted in 1946 and went into effect in 1947; the emperor publicly disclaimed his divinity. The general conservative trend in politics was tempered by the elections of 1947, which made the Social Democratic party headed by Tetsu Katayama the dominant force in a two-party coalition government. In 1948 the Social Democrats slipped to a secondary position in the coalition, and in 1949 they lost power completely when the conservatives took full charge under Shigeru Yoshida.
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At 38, the new governor-elect of powerhouse Osaka prefecture will become the youngest of Japan's 47 governors and is one of a few celebrities to rise to political power. The thumping victory for Toru Hashimoto, a lawyer and host of a television show, serves as a political barometer for national-level politics. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will be pleased. - Purnendra Jain(Jan 30, '08)
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