Why didnt US take over Japan?

Question

Since they attacked us first anyway

Answer 1

the U.S. did occupy Japan for many years after they surrendered, Japan was not allowed to have a military, the occupation ended in 1951.

Answer 2

The Allies were fighting imperialistic pwoers who were taking over other countries. Had the US taken over Japan rather than occupied it, it would have flown in the face of the very struggle against Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Facist Italy. Stalin wasn't so bothered about his country's image being tarnished with a few post-war acquisitions.

Another thing, WWII was bitter lesson on how to handle defeated enemies. In the last war, the victors - namely England and France - kicked Germany in the teeth leading to embittered feelings long after. After WWII, it was thought a defeated enemy should have it's sting removed by removing its military but should not be plundered or conquerored. Such actions could have possible lead to another war.

Plus the US was gearing to what it thought would be a showdown with Russia and China. The US needed Japan as a buffer country not a seething conquerored country that Russia and China could have undermined thru assisted rebellions.

Basically the US turned a former enemy into an ally by not taking it over in the way the Japanese and Germans took over countries during WWII

Answer 3

First of all, it is a well-known fact (though not widely publicized) that FDR had knowledge of the Japanese spy presence in Hawaii and America in the Late 40's and Early 50's. Competing intelligence agencies in the USA refused to cooperate, so all intelligence was incorporated at the highest level. Thus, very few people knew about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. As we all know (obviously except for you, because you actually asked this question and left all sorts of room for you derision), America refused to join World War II because there were so many casualties from the first WW. Furthermore, the chaos seemed far away enough, that it would never come to American soil. FDR knew that it would take a crisis to motivate the country. One of the commanding Japanese Admirals later said " I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant."

Now that we have that out of the way, allow me to propose that "Since they attacked us first anyway" is not a fair statement. FDR attacked the American people: he sacrificed the lives of a few to perhaps save the lives of many more. And for the record, the Japanese intended the attack on Pearl Harbor to be an internationally recognized act of war. If it weren't for a mix of technological mix-ups and simple human error, the Japanese Declaration of War on America would have occurred before Pearl Harbor, rather than a day after.

We cannot view Japan as some ruthless enemy or monstrous empire. How many Americans did the Japanese kill on December 7th, 1941? Most scholars agree that around 2,400 Americans died. On August 6th, 1945, Enola Gay dropped Little Boy on Hiroshima... three days later, Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki. The death toll? 214,000 Japanese people.

So why didn't the US take over Japan? What country wants to send their soldiers to a small island next to Russia and China with two patches of radiation and a ruined economy? They had internment camps in America, I doubt that the biggots of the day wanted any more of those "dirty yellas" being governed under their O so precious stars and stripes. Why didn't America ever try to take over Cuba or declare Puerto Rico a state? Who wants 51 or 52 states? Our current number of states has become too symbolic and too concrete to be changed.

And if you hate me and all the answers I've given to you thus far (which you probably should, because I've taken the past few minutes as an oppurtunity to "school you") at least consider this... America is SUPPOSED TO stand for liberty, justice, freedom, etc. America joined to war after defending their own soil. They couldn't instantly kill hundreds of thousands of people and then further ram Japan in the backside. They would appear to the world as terrible, arrogant, and vengeful... rather than the posterboy of Democracy. derp.

Answer 4

The USA didn't take over Japan after the war. The USA wanted to stop the war, not conquer the country.

Answer 5

It would have put them too close to China and Russia, they decided to use Japan as a far eastern buffer zone, a place to station troops and missiles and not be too personally involved, very diplomatic solution, after all most Americans do not like nattoh, shiokara, or sashimi, which the Japanese love.

Answer 6

In a lot of ways the US took over Japan
Who does the defense of Japan? The US
Trade deficit? who cares!

Answer 7

We did - in a way. This is the Wikipedia link for an article on the Occpation of Japan by the Allies (for all intents and purposes, the US) after WWII. We changed their government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Japan

Answer 8

Maybe because Japan always have Erathquake , Tusnami And Tornado..I am not sure. But Good Question.

Answer 9

We are not like countries of old we have all the space we will ever need.

Answer 10

Because we would have democratic allies than colonies