ABSTRACT
Japan is a country that has achieved a great deal in a relatively short period of time. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century Japan has undergone tremendous transformation, and much of this has been the result of purposeful reforms planned and implemented by the Japanese government in relation to a broad array of political, economic and social issues. Foreign intervention during the post-Second World War Occupation also played a major role in reforming the legislative and institutional framework of Japanese society. Since the mid-nineteenth century Japan has been constantly changing, however, only at certain times has this change been transformative, or clearly the result of intervention.
