The Postwar U.S. Policy toward Japan and the Revival of Japanese Technology: The Introduction of TV Broadcasting and Atomic Power in Japan and Hidetoshi Shibata by Kenzo Okuda

A historical analysis reveals that U.S. postwar policies significantly influenced the introduction of television broadcasting and nuclear power in Japan, primarily through psychological warfare strategies during the Cold War. Kenzo Okuda's study, using archival documents from Japanese journalist Hidetoshi Shibata and U.S. institutions, demonstrates how the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) shaped Japan's adoption of 6 MHz bandwidth and 525 scan lines for television, enabling military broadcasts to East Asia. Additionally, the study highlights coordinated efforts by Japanese media, including Yomiuri and Nippon Television Network Corporation, to promote nuclear power despite anti-nuclear sentiment following the Bikini Atoll hydrogen bomb test in 1954. Okuda's work underscores the interplay between U.S. foreign policy and technological advancement in Japan, revealing how American influence extended beyond military strategy to cultural and scientific domains.

Okamoto, T. (2017). The Postwar U.S. Policy toward Japan and the Revival of Japanese Technology: The Introduction of TV Broadcasting and Atomic Power in Japan and Hidetoshi Shibata by Kenzo Okuda. Technology and Culture, 58(3), 885–886. https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2017.0097