International Relations to East Asia - Research Paper Example

In the 19th century, Japan decided to adopt a developmentalism ideology as a defense mechanism in the then prevailing harsh and deep rooted competition from imperial states. Japan was determined to rise economically to enable it compete comfortably among the then well established states from the western region. The process of rapid development started before world war two. However, it stagnated greatly because the war interrupted the environment for Japan to develop. After the war, Japan set out to achieve its dream of being industrialized.

The Japanese government concentrated on development policies in all its endeavors. The Japanese government was prepared to take any risk as long as that risk resulted to rapid economic expansion. Dent (2008) argues that some risks involved putting on hold all other policy agendas. At that time, it did not matter, whether the policy agendas ignored concerned the environment or nature. The opinion of the public did not count in the making of vital decisions, but rather the government was pragmatic and concentrated on the development goals.

On the contrary, big businesses, politicians, and bureaucrats dominated the race to attaining industrialization. Japan’s primary target was to join organizations of the rich countries and therefore these three pillars worked tirelessly in implementing the policies set up by the government, to favor industrialization. In Asia, Japan got industrialized first through concentrating on development goals and preferably adopted this system because it was in a rush to join the global economy (Flath, 2005).

The Japanese government formulated policies that favored the big corporations. In addition, these corporations received protection and support from the government. The bureaucrats had great potential to control government projects and therefore they ensured that these corporations thrived under all costs. In most cases, the government allowed the bureaucrat hierarchy to have more powers than the politicians. These bureaucrats formed a hierarchy in The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Members of the civil society did not participate in policymaking. Concentration on big corporations left out small and medium industries. The bureaucrats exerted great influence on the entire process of policymaking in Japan reaching a point whereby they acquired a dominant position. Despite Diet, the legislative body according the dominating power to cabinet, strategies from the bureaucrats overpowered the cabinet (Dent, 2008). It is through this system that the Japanese government rose to participate in the global economy.

Japan gained entry into the Group 8 organization of rich countries (G8) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Since the Japanese government chose to ignore all other policy agendas as they rose to the level of global economy, the great economic achievement brought about increased environmental pollution. The public condemned the companies that contributed to the highest level of pollution. In the process of industrialization, the government ignored the voice of the public.

The big corporations that the government supported were under no obligation to take moral responsibility in protection of the environment. The public suffered terrible effects of the pollution. There was increased emergence of unknown diseases in the society because of pollution. These were the worst risks the government