Civil Information and Education Section
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The Civil Information and Education Section (Japanese: 民間情報教育局(Minkan Jōhō Kyōikukyoku)) or CIE was one of the divisions of the General Headquarters of the Allied Powers (GHQ/SCAP) Staff Department, in charge of measures related to education, religion and cultural property conducted by Allied forces in Japan and Korea during the occupation of Japan after the end of World War II. It existed from September 1945 to April 1952.
It was involved in controlling and censoring media and educational content in Japan, overseeing newspapers, radio broadcasts, movies, and books to ensure they aligned with the Allied objectives of democratization and demilitarization. It played a major part in Japan's postwar educational reform, restructuring the curriculum to emphasize democratic values and critical thinking. It sought more generally through various campaigns to promote change in cultural norms, such as fostering individualism, gender equality, and democracy.
It is said to have had a lasting impact on Japanese society in its promotion of a liberal democratic society.
The CIE was initially established in the Yokohama General Headquarters, US Pacific Command, on September 22, 1945, through General Orders 193.[1] It was formed initially as an independent staff group from two different organizations, the Education Branch of the Public Affairs Division and the Information Dissemination Section, which themselves had been created only a few months before.[2] On October 2 of the same year, it was incorporated into General Headquarters and moved to the Radio Tokyo Building in Hibiya Park.[2]
After several reorganizations in the course of the occupation administration, the CIE as an organization was abolished at the end of the occupation on 28 April 1952.[2]