This extraordinary concentration of power at the center was complemented not only by the stationing of both civilian and military personnel throughout the country, but also by a hands-on manipulation of the educational system and everyday culture. The conquerors were keenly aware that meaningful democratization involved more than simply instigating legal and institutional reforms. It was also essential, as one of the initial planners of occupation policy put it, “to get at the individual Japanese and remold his ways of thinking and feeling” to enhance a deeper appreciation of freedom and
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