This paper will discuss the depiction and treatment of Japanese culture and society in the American popular media during the year 1948. At that time, the United States had recently attained victory over the Japanese in World War Two. In various ways, the forces of the American occupation were trying to reshape Japanese society in order to prevent another war from breaking out in the future. During the Second World War, the Japanese people had proven themselves to be relentless in obeying the dictates of their Emperor. Most Americans believed that the Japanese invasion would have not been stopped had it not been for the devastating impact of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. Thus, in the years following the war, many Americans were concerned about the possibility of the Japanese regaining their military power. In addition, there was widespread hope that the Western values of democracy would be instilled in Japan in order to counteract the former influence which was held by the Emperor. Depictions of the Japanese people in American newspapers and magazines often focused on these aspects of the Japanese society. The American popular media at the time also made frequent comparisons between the American and Japanese people. Apparently, the purpose of these comparisons was to determine the extent to which the Japanese people were becoming more Westernized, and thus less of a threat to the American people.
An example of this can be seen in the New York Times. In 1948, as today, the target audience for this newspaper was the sophisticated, cosmopolitan reader of New York City. However, the newspaper also had a huge circulation which encompassed not only New York but the rest of the country as well. Because of its sophistication, many Americans looked to the New York Times with great respect. The newspaper not only reflected the way the American people thought, but also influenced the way the...