Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers

The Allied occupation authority in Japan from 1945 to 1952, led by a supreme commander who directed demilitarization, political reform, and reconstruction.

Douglas MacArthur: U.S. general who served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan from 1945 to 1951. As supreme commander, MacArthur exercised the authority at the center of the occupation.
Land reform in Japan: Postwar redistribution measures that reduced landlord ownership and expanded owner-cultivated farming in Japan. Occupation policy used land reform to weaken concentrated rural power.
Shigeru Yoshida: Japanese statesman who served as prime minister during much of the Allied occupation. Yoshida's governments negotiated reforms and rebuilt Japan under occupation constraints.
Treaty of San Francisco: The 1951 peace treaty that restored Japan's sovereignty in 1952 for most Allied signatories. Its entry into force ended the occupation authority's rule over Japan.
General Headquarters: The central staff organization through which MacArthur directed the occupation of Japan. GHQ translated the supreme command into directives and administrative supervision.
Zaibatsu: Large Japanese industrial and financial conglomerates that dominated parts of the prewar economy. Occupation authorities targeted these groups in an effort to disperse economic power.
Hirohito: Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989, retained as a constitutional monarch after World War II. The decision to retain the emperor shaped the occupation's approach to political legitimacy.
U.S.–Japan Security Treaty: The 1951 treaty permitting continued U.S. military presence in Japan after the occupation. It replaced occupation-era control with a bilateral security relationship.
Japan's postwar constitution: The constitution promulgated in 1947 that established Japan's postwar political system. Occupation authorities supervised its drafting and adoption.
Japanese demilitarization: The dismantling of Japan's wartime armed forces and military institutions after its 1945 surrender. Demilitarization was a central occupation task assigned to the command.

Linked from 5 pages