ABSTRACT
The Japanese people, proud of their heritage and conscious of their economic power, desired to take the place in world affairs to which they felt they were entitled. A new awareness and a readjustment were taking place in both foreign relations and international trade. Washington was willing to share American science and technology with Japan. President Eisenhower and his administration believed that a strong Japan was important and necessary after the Korean War, for the United States, in order to curb communist expansion and influence in the Asian-Pacific region. Among the major reasons behind Japan's economic growth in 1956–1979 were Tokyo's policies: domestic working force, international trade opportunities, and Washington's financial and technology aid. The closeness of the Japanese government's ties to the United States caused problems. Japan's foreign relations were intimately bound up with its economic ups and downs.
