Treaty of San Francisco Ratified (1952)
On April 28, 1952, the United States occupation of Japan ended with the ratification of the San Francisco Treaty. The treaty was signed by 49 nations in San Francisco, California.
The Treaty of San Francisco served to officially end World War II. Among its provisions were the formal ending of Japan's position as an imperial power, and the distribution of compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who suffered Japanese war crimes. Of the 52 nations invited to sign the Treaty, 49 ratified it on April 28, 1952. Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Soviet Union refused to sign. Several other nations, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and China, signed separate treaties with Japan as well.
Some specific provisions of the Treaty were:
- Allied forces confiscated all Japanese overseas assets, which included anything owned by the Japanese government or private citizens
- Japan paid £4,500,000 to the Red Cross to aid former POWs
- Japan compensated the countries it occupied during the war, including Burma, the Phillipines, Indonesia, and Vietnam
- All Japanese territories were redistributed among the Allied nations (though some have since been restored to Japan)
This San Francisco Treaty, along with the Security Treaty signed that same year, were said to mark the beginning of the "San Francisco System," which refers to Japan’s relationship with the United States. These two treaties are considered to have great impact on Japan’s post-war history, and the way in which Japan is perceived to this day.