Most Japanese that grew up after the 1970s are not even aware of the struggles that were experienced before them. The same can be said for the study of post-war Japanese history. The lion’s share of research has been on the Japanese economic ‘miracle’, and relatively little has been mentioned of the post war hardships. This paper marks an effort to shift this balance. It will explore the so-called Security Treaty Crisis of 1960 between the US and Japan and pay particular attention to the social effects on Japan. To provide an understanding of the situation the origins of the crisis will be elaborated. Here, in addition to the domestic situation in Japan, the entire international scene must be looked at, as this was a critical time in the unfolding of the cold war. After setting this stage, the remainder of the paper will focus on the impact and importance of the crisis and the longer-term effects on Japan.