目の前にあるのは二つの道。

2 Options (for building up key industries)

1. 軽工業:繊維、雑貨などの強化

1. Strengthening the light industry including textiles and daily goods

2. 重工業化:車・家電・鉄鋼などの強化

2. Strengthening the heavy industry including the automobile, the electronic, and the steel industries.

軽工業は軍需産業に指定されなかったため、戦後すぐに復興。安い人件費を武器に輸出は好調だった。

一方、重工業である自動車や家電など民間産業は戦争で大きく立ち遅れ、戦後も工場の操業が制限されたため全く進んでいなかった。

The light industry was not designated as a part of the munitions industry. Therefore, it revived soon after the end of the war. In addition, low personnel expenses allowed Japan to offer competitive prices.

On the other hand, the heavy industry (private enterprises) had fallen behind due to the devastation of the war. Moreover, their operations were strictly limited by MacArthur’s policy and had not gone forward at all.



Key Person 1

元通産省事務次官 佐橋滋

「恐ろしいスピードで織物は復活したわけですね。本当に売りまくりましたからね。ところがいかにもそれはね、世界中の国々は先進国というのは工業製品を作るのであって、繊維なんてものは開発途上国がようやく工業に手を差し伸べることのできた初頭段階くらいに思っとったから。

重化学工業というのは技術革新の余地が多いからこれを伸ばしていこうと話がまとまった。企業の国際競争力だ。それにはやはり重工業しかないんだ。」

官僚たちが選んだのは重工業への道だった。いばらの道であっても、付加価値の高い重工業の方が経済成長の伸び代が期待でき、大量の労働力を吸収することが出来る。

“The textile industry completed a dramatic rehabilitation, which even scared me. We really sold, sold, and sold textiles. But what was on other countries’ mind was the textile business was nothing more than a poor business which only under-developed countries usually undertook, and developed countries were producing more industrial goods.

Eventually, we agreed to boost the heavy and chemical industries inasmuch as there was plenty of room where technological innovation would happen. We thought international competitiveness of companies would be very important and the heavy industry should be prioritized.”

Shigeru Sahashi (the MITI)

Key Person 2

元通産省事務次官 両角良彦

「誰だって日本を一流国にしたいと。
戦に負けた、その負担を、恥を、元に戻したい、取り返したい。

そういう気持ちを無意識のうちにみんな持っていた。これが原動力になった(=hungry spirit)。

我々にとって一番くることは工業力でやれることはやろうじゃないかって。なぜかっていうとそれはやはり日本人にはそういう能力があるんですよ。」

“Everyone wanted Japan to be a leading country. We lost the war.

Therefore, we wanted to compensate for its burden and humiliation, and catch up with the world by industrializing our country.

Everyone had this sort of mentality in their heart and this became the moving force. “

Yoshihiko Morozumi (the MITI)

 

The Heavy Industry

官僚たちが選んだのは重工業への道だった。

いばらの道であっても、付加価値の高い重工業の方が経済成長の伸び代が期待でき、大量の労働力を吸収することが出来る。

The way the bureaucracy chose was industrialization.

Even if there was a rocky road, the heavy industry which was able to create valued goods would be expected to lead Japan to have higher economic growth and would be able to create a great deal of employment opportunities.

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