This chapter examines Japan's transition to democracy following World War II, situating the U.S. occupation (1945–1952) through GHQ/SCAP in comparison with forms of colonial rule in other Asian cases. While Japan differed as a former imperial power, its inclusion highlights shared patterns of regime formation. The chapter traces how U.S. indirect rule, combined with Japan’s prewar institutional legacies, fostered the emergence of a stable postwar democracy. Key turning points included the adoption of a new constitution emphasizing popular sovereignty, GHQ-led purges of militarists and prewar elites, and the rise of bureaucrats-turned-politicians under Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru. Although reformist parties initially gained ground, Cold War pressures and internal divisions eroded their influence, paving the way for a conservative-dominated order. This culminated in the 1955 formation of the Liberal Democratic Party, uniting old party elites and technocrats. Through this discussion, the chapter argues that Japan’s democratic consolidation stemmed from the alignment of U.S. goals with domestic elite preferences, institutional reforms rooted in earlier political experience, and effective leadership under U.S. oversight.