One can argue though that is only because the United States helped to rebuild the country as a result of the Soviet Union
The Japanese are very hard working and very intelligent. They didn't received much of aid from the US. What they have achieved, they did it on their own. Remember that, even before the WW2 Japan was a very advanced society. The average Japanese during the 1930s were much more educated than the Spanish or Italians of that time.
I'll concede that the Japanese miracle was caused by their determination to retrieve their place in the international system but discounting the US to much would miss the whole point of it being a miracle
The economy was devastated after WW2 maybe not to the same extreme degree as Europe but they had it pretty tough
That said I do credit the Japanese themselves for creating the right policies and integrating industries towards their economic recovery
After all even if you don't make to much guaranteed work security Shūshin koyō means that you would work hard for your company
Not socialist at all since there were not that many jobs after the war, and job security became paramount to personal security, and economic reform.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_post-war_economic_miracleAlso one must factor the Lost Decade notably started around the same time the Soviet Union collapsed and there most certainty is a relationship there and not causation
