1923
After World War II, the United States established a significant presence in Japan. The US was concerned with the growth of the economy of Japan in order to slow the expansion of Soviet influence in the Pacific, as the thought was that a poor, unhappy Japan was more likely to turn to Communism. The US also needed theJapanese islands in the Korean war. The Japanese economy recuperated after the war and its fast development was termed an economic miracle. But despite the economic progress of the nation, not all of the citizens participated. Ironically, even though Tokyo was one of the economic hubs, residents of the cities were left out. Reconstruction efforts first benefited the Allied forces who had won the war and occupied Japan. They had strong impact on the Japanese economy throughout the term of their occupation.
1945
After the war, Tokyo struggled to rebuild. In 1945/1946, the city received a share of the national reconstruction budget roughly proportional to its amount of bombing damage (26.6%), but in successive years Tokyo saw its share dwindle. By 1949, Tokyo was given only 10.9% of the budget; at the same time there was runaway inflation devaluing the money as Japan was spending more than it was bringing in from taxes. Occupation authorities such as Joseph Dodge, an economic consultant, stepped in and drastically cut back on Japanese government rebuilding programs, focusing on simply improving roads and transportation. Tokyo did not experience fast economic growth until the 1950s. The women, who had very few opportunities to make money for their families following the war, were encouraged by the government to use their bodies for the sake of the nation. Japan organized a brothel system set up to accommodate 300,000 occupation troops; a short lived endeavor, though, as it was disbanded by Douglas MacArthur in March 26, 1946. It was succeeded by many akasen, or red line districts, where prostitution was permissible.
1995
The Fukushima nuclear meltdown of 3.11 has spurred international debate on the safety of nuclear energy and exposed exploitation in the nuclear industry. Upon evaluation of domestic energy policy and risk assessment studies, nuclear energy advanced as the statistically safe and clean energy solution that could create a full fuel cycle and free Japan from dependence on imports. However, the advancement of nuclear energy depended on the assumption that the combination of natural disaster, human error and technical malfunction would not happen. Fukushima was designated as a potential victim from the onset because of its low socio-economic status compared to other regions. The people performing the most dangerous operations are "nuclear gypsies" - unskilled subcontract workers from the lowest social class with no other source of decent income. They are lured to the job only by the promise of high wages. Due to their lack of choice and weak status, these temporary laborers are treated like disposable tools, thrown into suicidal jobs and discarded after reaching the limit of radiation exposure.
Already in 1979, freelance writer Horie Kunio had published articles accompanied by illustrations by the famous horror manga artist Mizuki Shigeru detailing his experiences working undercover in the Fukushima power plants. From that time, subcontract companies of TEPCO and other energy utilities had hired people at the bottom of the socio-economic system - the homeless, yakuza, burakumin, and others living on the economic margin - for daily maintenance and repair work, the dirtiest and most dangerous tasks in a nuclear power plant. Coupled with Mizuki's visceral illustrations, Horie gives a graphic narrative of the intense excruciation, fatigue, and fear suffered by the workers and further exposes the concealment of problems and work related injury reports in Fukushima nuclear power plants that upheld the false image of the "safe and clean" nuclear energy.
2011
Fukushima suffered the nuclear contamination while the nuclear power was transmitted to Tokyo for use. This situation emerged due to exploitive decisions of electricity utilities to build nuclear power plants in poor regions that could be easily controlled through economic compensation. In the name of energy independence and an economic surge, Japan has turned a blind eye to the exploitations. Now, they are sacrificing possibly even their lives to repay the debts from a tremendous gamble against nature. As the debate concerning energy moves forward, socio-economic conflicts should also be a critical point to consider.