“Atomic Wonderland?” The Significance of American Nuclear Diplomacy and Cold War Culture on the Making of a Japanese Nuclear Powerhouse- A Constructivist View of the Atom as a White Hope in Postwar Japan

“How did American Nuclear Diplomacy and Cold War Culture Facilitate the Making of a Japanese Nuclear Powerhouse in Postwar Japan?” This thesis examines the introductory phase of nuclear power to Japan from 1945 to 1960 with a focus on political and cultural enabling factors towards the country`s decision to “go nuclear”. The central argument of this thesis constitutes that understanding nuclear developments in Japan requires acknowledging American nuclear diplomacy efforts, Cold War dynamics and strong cultural beliefs in Science and Technology developments at that time, mainstream economic or ecological reasoning is insufficient. This thesis concludes that Japanese nuclear developments were fueled by American nuclear diplomacy efforts, an existing Cold War culture and ideological beliefs in the superiority of pioneering science and technology developments in the postwar era, which made the Japanese government and society euphoric for nuclear power, enthusiastic for nuclear...Show more“How did American Nuclear Diplomacy and Cold War Culture Facilitate the Making of a Japanese Nuclear Powerhouse in Postwar Japan?” This thesis examines the introductory phase of nuclear power to Japan from 1945 to 1960 with a focus on political and cultural enabling factors towards the country`s decision to “go nuclear”. The central argument of this thesis constitutes that understanding nuclear developments in Japan requires acknowledging American nuclear diplomacy efforts, Cold War dynamics and strong cultural beliefs in Science and Technology developments at that time, mainstream economic or ecological reasoning is insufficient. This thesis concludes that Japanese nuclear developments were fueled by American nuclear diplomacy efforts, an existing Cold War culture and ideological beliefs in the superiority of pioneering science and technology developments in the postwar era, which made the Japanese government and society euphoric for nuclear power, enthusiastic for nuclear adoptions. This paper enhanced understanding of the introductory phase of nuclear power from a global to a national level, exemplified and explained through Japan as an Asian regional case study deconstructed via a historically situated political and cultural contextualization.Show less

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“Atomic Wonderland?” The Significance of American Nuclear Diplomacy and Cold War Culture on the Making of a Japanese Nuclear Powerhouse- A Constructivist View of the Atom as a White Hope in Postwar Japan