Japanball/History

== Prehistoric and Ancient Japan ==
The first people that settled in the Japanese archipelago were the Native Islanders, followed by the Native Austronesians who discovered the Ryukyu Islands and the Ancient Siberians who discovered Hokkaido via the Sakhalin. Then they fused each other up into Jomonball (14,000 – 1000 BC). It had a hunter-gatherer culture and made the finest pottery. Then the Yayoi Japanball (1000 BC - 300 AD) arrived and brought new technology such as iron tools and rice cultivation. Japan became a settled agricultural society. The Jomonballs and Yayoiballs mixed and formed the modern Japanball.
== Classical Japan ==
Like all historically existing formal regimes in Japan, its "leader de jure" is the Kousitsuball (皇室ボール), the Japanese Imperial Familyball, founded in 660 BC, the age of Jimmu (神武天皇). It makes Japanball 
as first oldest kingdom in the world that still exist today. There were long periods of clan warfare and civil wars.
At first, Japanball practiced Shintoism before learning about Buddhism. After that, it started having emperors and eventually became a samurai. For most of Japanball history, it was ruled by military governments. The Shogun (supreme military dictator), the daimyo (feudal lords), and the samurai (military nobility, officers) ruled Japan from 1192 till 1868. After that, Kousitsuball was mostly a figurehead without real power. The nobility had limited power largely in the Imperial Court in Kyoto, so Japanball had many centuries of militarism as a "warrior" country where samurai, katanas (weapons), ninjas, and bushido were very important.
After World War II, Kousitsu-ball became the "symbolic leader." no longer the "leader de facto." But it's true that Kousitsu-ball had been, and is still the leader de jure since 660 BC.
==Feudal Japan==
Japanball's clay is far from the Asian continent, so it was difficult for continental people to reach the Japanese islands. Moreover, the sea storms (tsunamis) and steep mountains made it nearly impossible and costly to invade. However, some, such as the Mongol Empireball, have attempted it.
At one point, the Mongol Empireball had conquered most of Asia and Eastern Europe. It had tried to take Kamakuraball's clay. Still, it couldn't work because of the mighty Kamikaze typhoon (神風) and Kamakuraball's fierce samurai. Kamakuraball resisted two different Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281. The Ashikaga shogunate ruled Japanball from 1338 to 1573.
 Oda Clanball was an important daimyo (feudal lord). It unified much of Japanball in the Sengoku period (warring states) from 1560 to 1582 CE. The Oda Clanball successfully gained control over most of Japan's main island Honshu, and it went on to rule much of Japanball until it died in 1582. It was succeeded by its best friend, the daimyo Toyotomi Clanball (Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leader of the clan). It ended the Sengoku period (warring states of Japan). However, it ruled ruthlessly, dis-empowering those it hated and giving power to those it favored.
In 1592, the Toyotomi Clanball ordered the Japanese invasions of Joseonball (1592–1598) to reach Mingball. It quickly captured Joseonball's capital, but Admiral Yi won battles in the sea. The initial invasion was in 1592, which was a success. Then came a brief truce in 1596. After that, there was a second invasion in 1597, but Joseonball, with the help of Mingball, managed to push it back. It retreated in 1597. Just before the final wars, the Toyotomi Clanball died at 61 years old in 1598. This paved the way for Tokugawaball to rise to power. Tokugawa would rule all of Japan as the Shogun (military dictator) from 1603 to 1867 CE.
Japanball's past selves, Edoball and Tokugawaball, were reclusive hermits and closed most of Japan from foreigners. However, Japanball allowed connections with westerners like the Dutch Empireball and Portugalball. Tokugawaball was very skeptical of the barbarians gaijin such as the Dutch Empireball, British Empireball, Russian Empireball, and USAball. Japanball was isolated from gaijin from 1635 onwards, but in 1853 when USAball arrived and taught it to open its markets, totally not through Gunship Diplomacy.
==The Imperial period==
During the late 1860s, revolutions began to sprout across the nation because the Shoguns could no longer protect Japan. It had to modernize to prevent westerners from exploiting and taking its clay. The Tokugawaball Shogunate was replaced with the House of the rising Sun and a modern constitutional monarchy. Its leader Emperor Meiji held most of the power. Still, the Prime Minister was the real ruler of the Empire of Japanball. In 1868 Japan started actively trading with other European countryballs as well, but Germanyball had yellow fever (not a real disease). Japan modernized quickly and became the only industrialized non-western country in the world. It also built up a large and modern army and navy to capture Okinawa in 1873 and the Kuril Islands in 1875. Japanball looked at western colonial powers and started to imitate their behavior in Asia. In 1894, it went to war with Qing Chinaball. It defeated the backward Qing Empire the following year, taking its Formosan ( Taiwanball) clay as punishment along with ( Qingdaoball) In 1904-1905. Japanball would war with the Russian Empireball, and win with an overwhelming naval victory. It was the first time that an East Asian power defeated a western power in modern history. The Empire of Japanball solidified its status as the main superpower of East Asia. It took half of the Russian Empireball's Sakhalin clay. While Joseonball was a vassal state of Chinese dynasties for centuries, Japan's victory would change the balance in the Far East. Japan was now the dominant power. So Japan annexed Korea, which became Japanese Koreaball. It developed an interest in extreme bondage and subjugation of its (unwilling) sex partners, Koreaball and Taiwanball; the former was raped in 1910.
When World War I broke out in 1914, it fought with UKball and Franceball as part of the Allies, capturing Germanyball's Chinese possession Tsingtao, and was granted a place in the League of Nations afterward. It also acquired Manchuria which was a puppet and later fully annexed as Manchukuoball in 1932. But in the 1930s, it developed an interest in a kidnapping and raping Chinaball, which it did in 1937 before its new ally Nazi Germanyball attacked and raped Franceball. Oh and, even as neo-Nazi, Japan can into kawaii. It also kidnapped Philippinesball, Triangapore, Hong Kongball, 
 French Indochinaball, Dutch East Indiesball , Burmaball Papua New Guineaball, Malaysiaball, and many pacific islands before brutally suppresing them and raping their women. However, they were "liberated" by USAball, who also bombed ,or hurt badly, in its tentacles Hiroshima and Nagasaki parts. Japanball was shocked because it didn't have nuclear bombs. This lead to the only time in history that Japanball surrendered to a foreign power.
==The Contemporary period==
In 1947, the Empire of Japanball lost all its overseas colonies, and it was reformed as the "State of Japanball" with liberal democracy. Its constitution was written by USAball, which made it a pacifist country (article 9). Japanball has mixed pride and regrets for the Empire of Japanball. It learned from the past to do better. USAball made it up to it by offering free psychotherapy sessions, aka the Marshall Plan, teaching it how to control its lust for its former colonies, and is now one of its best friends and trading partners. Japanball regained full independence in 1952. Japanball didn't have a military, but due to the Cold War and the threat of Soviet Unionball, it established the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in 1954.
Japanball achieved rapid growth in the 1950s to become the second-largest economy in Za Warudo 1970. This made Japanball great power again. However, the asset price bubble burst in 1992. After that, there was a decade of economic stagnation and low growth. Yet, due to a dispute over a part of Sakhalin Oblastball's clay in the South Kuril Islands called Chishima (千島ボール) that were seized by Soviet Unionball after the Empire of Japanball surrendered, Japanball didn't sign a peace treaty with Russiaball.
Japanball became the third largest economy after Chinaball surpassed it in 2011. It can make anything but is very good at cars, ships, high-speed bullet trains, technology, and electronics. Japanese cartoons Anime (Japanese cartoons) became world-famous. It invented amazing TV shows like Takeshi's Castle, Ninja Warrior, and even Ajinomoto. No one ever wins!
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami destroyed a huge chunk of Japan's clay. It also caused a nuclear meltdown, poisoning a big chunk of Japan's clay. That was a very bad day for it.
On April 14, 2016, MULTIPLE earthquakes struck the island of Kyushu. This caused the earthquake to transfer from Japan and Ecuador 3 days later, so now Ecuadorball blames Japan for damaging its country. Now the earthquake might trigger another one on the US west coast, but USAball was glad that nothing happened after that.
From 2012 to 2018, it got angry when Kitachōsen fired missiles in the Sea of Japan.
Japanball struggles with its pacifist 1947 constitution that prevents it from having a normal military. It has the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the 4th highest ranked in 2015. It has a security alliance with USAball and relies on it for offensive military duties. USAball wants Japanball to do more military activities in the alliance. Disputes with Chinaball caused Japanball's military resurgence. In 2015 collective-self defense was allowed. Japanball does more regional security in East and South-East Asia. However, there is still big opposition to changing article 9 of the 1947 constitution that was written by USAball, and the disasters in Fukushima galvanized opposition to nuclear proliferation. The samurai have not fully returned yet....
On May 1, 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito became the new Emperor after Akihito abdicated the throne. He is a figurehead, a symbol of the state and unity of the people of Japanball. On August, Shinzo Abe resigned, and Japanball feels sad. Luckily, Yoshihide Suga has been chosen as the new Prime Minister, who will continue what Abe wanted to do but could not do.
From 23 July to 8 Augsut on 2021, Japanball can into hosting the Olympics! On September, Yoshihide Suga resigned due to controversy, and Fumio Kishida succeeded Suga as the prime minister on October 4.
On July 8, 2022, its former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead by Tetsuya Yamagami.
On May 19, 2023, Japanball announced as a host of G7 summit in Hiroshimaball, also made a rememberance to Hiroshima bombing victims. On August 24, Japanball insisted on releasing nuclear contaminated water into the sea despite various opposition.