As my intention of research was to look into the advancements/inventions/innovations of post war Japan, it was relevant at this point to investigate more into these. To this point I looked at all the major reasons why Japan flourished after the war, and the factors responsible for the importance of Japanese innovations to their economy. Early research into innovations was to get a grasp of what innovations were helpful in playing a part of the 'economic miracle'. As we all know Japan have made contributions across a number of scientific and technological domains, with crucial role in the digital revolution since the 20th century. However, from initial research into these innovations it isn't all robots, household appliances and electrical everyday goods that are considered the core of the 'economic miracle'. The research below documents a selection of my ranged findings. (all inventions looked at are from 1945 - 1991)
Instant noodles (Food science)
Surprisingly instant noodles feature highly in the best Japanese innovations of all time in many tables. However, when I came to think of who hasn't had instant noodles at least once in their life? They were invented by Taiwanese Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando in and first marketed in 1958 by Ando's company, Nissin, under the brand name Chikin Ramen. Ando developed the production method of flash frying noodles after they had been made, creating the "instant" noodle.
Shinkansen/Bullet Train (Transport)
Personally whenever I think of Japan I think of the high-speed rail line network that Japan has. It all started in 1964, and Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high speed travel because of the mountainous terrain and narrow-gauge lines, which generally took indirect routes and could not be adapted to higher speeds. It is the fastest railway network in the world and has the highest annual passenger ridership, so without doubt the Shinkansen played a massive role in the economic miracle.
Sony Walkman (Audio technology)
The original Walkman cassette player, released in 1979 totally changed listening to music by allowing people to listen to their music whilst on the move. This could turn everyday tasks like commuting and running into pleasurable experiences, give commuters a sense of privacy, and add a soundtrack to urban surroundings. It was devised by Sony co founder Masaru Ibuka, as he loved listening to opera on his frequent trans Pacific flights, but felt Sony's existing portable player, the notebook sized, five pound TC-D5 was far too unwieldy for everyday use, and far too expensive to ever sell successfully. Sony thus began work on a portable player that could combine light weight and stereo sound with a price an ordinary consumer could afford.
Pocket Calculator (Calculators)
Something that is totally taken for granted today due mainly to smartphones. The first portable calculators appeared in Japan in 1970, and were soon marketed around the world. Sanyo, Canon and Sharp all released models of pocket calculators which revolutionised that market.
Godzilla (Entertainment)
One that may seem like a odd one out, compared to the other inclusions documented. However, the monster that originated from a series of films in 1954 has become a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in media including 29 films produced by Toho, three Hollywood films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, television shows. This is one the finest examples of post war Japanese innovations as Godzilla is one of the most recognisable symbols of Japanese popular culture worldwide and remains an important part of Japanese films.
Karaoke (Arts)
Another interesting inclusion that the Japanese were doing before anyone else. The first machine was invented in 1971 by a drummer and since then the machine has proved to be a massive hit, especially in China.
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