c development.7 Further, subsequent to implementation of the Constitution, the government worked actively with the private sector in the development of political, economic, and social structures which promoted economic development.8
Japan, however, required more than just government encouragement and cooperation to succeed as rapidly as it did in its economic development. The combination of (1) the strength of the state machinery established by the Meiji Constitution, (2) "the poverty of its resource base," which led to disinterest in the country on the part of the developed economies, and (3) the geographic remoteness of Japan from the developed economies created the environment which led to rapid economic development in Japan.9
Social values were also significant in the industrialization of Japan. The rationalizing tendencies of Japanese religions provided the catalyst for the development of these values.10 From this religious environment, evolved the Shingaku movement, which became the ethical foundation of the Japanese merchant class in the nineteenth century, which, in turn, played a central role in the industrialization of Japan.11 The religious and ethical environment, thus, provided a rationalization for social and economic change, while retaining an appreciation for tradition. The social environment so created was characterized by "a high level of toleration, and a high level of reconciliation of opposing principles and ideas."12
Agrarian reform also played an important role in the economic development of Japan. The Meiji Restoration created a strong central government, under which the rights of owners of small plots of land were protected, and the land control of the privileged class was ended.13 When the strong central government was established as a part of the Meiji Restoration, the existing village and agrarian structure was incorporated into the new governmental structure. This action, at once, (1) prese...