Imperial State of Japan

The **Imperial State of Japan** (Japanese: 日本帝国, Nihon teikoku) is an island country in East Asia, located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. Part of the Ring of Fire, Japan spans an archipelago of 6852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 sq mi); the five main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan's capital and largest city; other major cities include Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Kyoto.

Japan is the eleventh-most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most densely populated and urbanized. About three-fourths of the country's terrain is mountainous, concentrating its population of 125.36 million on narrow coastal plains. Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.

Japan is Southeast of the Kingdom of Korea, Empire of Manchuria and Tsardom of Russia, East of the Heavenly Empire of China and Northeast of the Republic of Taiwan. Japan is the leader of the organization known as the Democracy for Asia Organization (or DAO for short) which has the purpose of regulating the spheres of influence of Japan's former puppet state of China, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Empire of Hawaii and prevent the rise of Ultra-Nationalist Authoritarian Monarchism in Asia.

## History

### Early History

Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period (30,000 BC), though the first written mention of the archipelago appears in a Chinese chronicle finished in the 2nd century AD. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms of Japan became unified under an emperor and the imperial court based in Heian-kyō. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (*shōgun*) and feudal lords (*daimyō*), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (*samurai*). After a century-long period of civil war, the country was reunified in 1603 under the Tokugawa shogunate, which enacted an isolationist foreign policy. In 1854, a United States fleet forced Japan to open trade to the West, which led to the end of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial power in 1868. In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western-modeled constitution and pursued a program of industrialization and modernization. In 1937, Japan invaded China; in 1941, it entered World War II as an Axis power. After suffering defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered in 1945 and came under a seven-year Allied occupation, during which it adopted a new constitution. Under the 1947 constitution, Japan has maintained a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet.

### World War III

Japan had conquered the unstable Korea with the Manchuria and Vladivostok regions of China and Russia to gain their resources and prevent those resources from falling into the hands of the communists and give those resources to Taiwanese rebels who are fighting against Soviet and Chinese occupiers fighting each other and help liberate east Asia from Communism. Japan had restored the Qing Dynasty, Yi Dynasty and the Romanov Dynasty as rulers of a group of Satellite States who can wage war on the communists and defend Japan so Japan can flourish as a nation without waging war on people. Japan had installed a satellite state in the Shandong Peninsula known as the heavenly Empire of China in order to have as a base in saving Taiwan from Communist China. Japan had liberated Vietnam which was conquered by Communist China and restored the Vietnamese monarchy.

The Soviet Union was destroyed after Moscow was nuked and Imperial Russia had conquered all of East Siberia and gained control of its oil fields in order to become resource rich. Tianimen Square protests and the loss of territory had resulted in Communist China getting overthrown by the protestors who were backed by Japan. The protestors nominated Wang Juntao as the leader of the new China as they decided to merge all of China with the Republic of China, however they were overthrown by the Princelings and Maoists who placed the Gang of Four in charge of China in order to fight against the protestors who were seen by the CCP as Kuomingtan Spies.

The United States Forces Japan (who became mercenaries after the fracturing of America) and the Taiwanese Army had decided to aid Japan and they started backing its buffer states by training their armed forces with American and Taiwanese army training as they would under the command of the American soldiers and Taiwanese soldiers who would have them try to back the protestors in taking back control of the provisional government from the Gang of Four and their Maoist allies. The government under the leadership of Jiang Zemin had decided to oust the Gang of Four and restore the Communist Party of China as the rulers of China. However the three way duel had resulted in a fracturing of the CCP into ideological military cliques.

The Nationalist elements of the PLA had joined forces with the armed forces with the Heavenly Empire of China who took control of Beijing and declared the city their capital which resulted in the expansion of the Heavenly Empire. Japan was a little iffy about this but they decided to give Imperial China its independence due to it being controlled by Chinese Nationalists and Nationalist Elements of the PLA. Manchuria, Korea and Tsarist Russia were also given independence from Japan who decided to focus on their own domestic affairs.

### After World War III

Japan had focused on many domestic affairs in the nation in order such as the transfer of factories from military production mode to civilian production mode and rebuilding their economy. The economy was back and running within 3 years as civilian life had also returned to normal. Emperor Hirohito had died in 1989 after ruling for 25 years and helping Japan survive two world wars making him a truly Iconic Emperor. His son Akihito had been declared Emperor and Akihito and he was the Emperor of an economic boom that had started in the 90s. The company SEGA had released Sonic the Hedgehog on SEGA genesis and that resulted in Japan's video game industry in becoming a thriving industry. Sony a multi-media conglomerate had bought the newly revived movie studios of Monogram and moved it to Canada in order to establish a functioning film industry in both Canada and Alaska.

It was revealed that America had perished during World War III and due to this Akihito had decided to prevent a succession crisis by bringing the Fushimi cadet branch (*Shinnōke*) and the five extant sub-branches (*Ōke*) back into the Imperial family. However Crown Prince Hirohito's wife, Masako Owada had given birth to a son named Prince Meijihito in 1999 and Prince Fumihito of Akishino's wife had given birth to a son in the year of 2005 which resulted in the reinstating of the *Shinnōke* and *Ōke,* the birth of the sons of both Naruhito and Fumihito had solved a succession crisis that was a thing since 1947.

### Establishment of DAO

Japan's former Satellite State known as the Heavenly Empire of China had become what Japan was long ago before and during World War II which was a monarchy under an ultra-nationalist dictatorship, but even worse as the Emperor is an absolute monarch. The Empire of China had made an alliance with the Kingdom of Thailand and the Empire of Hawaii called the Tiānshàng de Jūnwáng Pact (or TJP for short). Japan and its allies in Asia had established the Democracy for Asia Organization and its allies of Manchuria, Imperial Russia, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Katipunan. Hawaii nervous about being cut out of the TJP alliance had decided to invade Australia which resulted in a war that resulted in bloody massacures, murders, assaults and rape against various Australian people in order to ruthlessly subjigate them into submission. Japan after this decided to condem Hawaii for its actions, but Hawaii blamed Japan for creating an alliance that made it impossible for it and its allies to maintain contact with each other in order to "control all of Asia". Japan said that it had the intention from stopping Imperial China, Thailand and Imperial Hawaii from invading weak countries in Asia and installing regimes that the people hate in order to prevent the three in doing the same thing that Iran had done.

## Government

### Executive Branch

Japan is a unitary state and constitutional monarchy in which the power of the Emperor is limited to a ceremonial role. Executive power is instead wielded by the Prime Minister of Japan and his Cabinet, whose sovereignty is vested in the Japanese people. Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father Akihito upon his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019.

### Legislative Branch

Japan's legislative organ is the National Diet, a bicameral parliament. It consists of a lower House of Representatives with 465 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and an upper House of Councillors with 245 seats, whose popularly-elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The prime minister as the head of government has the power to appoint and dismiss Ministers of State, and is appointed by the emperor after being designated from among the members of the Diet. Fumio Kishida is Japan's prime minister; he took office after winning the 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election.

### Cabinet

* Naruhito - Emperor
* Fumio Kishida - Prime Minister
* Yoshimasa Hayashi - Foreign Minister
* Shunichi Suzuki - Finances Minister
* Koichi Hagiuda - Industry Minister
* Nobuo Kishi - Minister of Defense
* Yasushi Kaneko - Minister of Intelligence
* General Kōji Yamazaki - Chief of Staff
* General Yoshihide Yoshida - Chief of Army
* Admiral Hiroshi Yamamura - Chief of Navy
* Air Marshall Shunji Izutsu - Chief of Air Force

## Military

Japan is the second-highest-ranked Asian country in the Global Peace Index 2020. Japan maintains one of the largest military budgets of any country in the world. The country's military (the Japan Self-Defense Forces) is restricted by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which renounces Japan's right to declare war or use military force in international disputes. The military is governed by the Ministry of Defense, and primarily consists of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

## Economy

### Agriculture

Agriculture, farming, and fishing form the primary sector of industry of the Japanese economy together with the Japanese mining industry, but together they account for only 1.3% of gross national product. Only 20% of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation, and the agricultural economy is highly subsidized.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominated the Japanese economy until the 1940s, but thereafter declined into relative unimportance (see Agriculture in the Empire of Japan). In the late 19th century (Meiji period), these sectors had accounted for more than 80% of employment. Employment in agriculture declined in the prewar period, but the sector was still the largest employer (about 50% of the work force) by the end of World War II. It was further declined to 23.5% in 1965, 11.9% in 1977, and to 7.2% in 1988. The importance of agriculture in the national economy later continued its rapid decline, with the share of net agricultural production in GNP finally reduced between 1975 and 1989 from 4.1% to 3% In the late 1980s, 85.5% of Japan's farmers were also engaged in occupations outside farming, and most of these part-time farmers earned most of their income from nonfarming activities.

Japan's economic boom that began in the 1950s left farmers far behind in both income and agricultural technology. They were attracted to the government's food control policy under which high rice prices were guaranteed and farmers were encouraged to increase the output of any crops of their own choice. Farmers became mass producers of rice, even turning their own vegetable gardens into rice fields. Their output swelled to over 14 million metric tons in the late 1960s, a direct result of greater cultivated area and increased yield per unit area, owing to improved cultivation techniques.

### Manufacturing

Japan's major export industries include automobiles, consumer electronics (see Electronics industry in Japan), computers, semiconductors, copper, iron and steel and additional key industries in Japan's economy are petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, bioindustry, shipbuilding, aerospace, textiles, and processed foods.

Japanese manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. Japanese manufacturing and industry is very diversified, with a variety of advanced industries that are highly successful. Industry accounts for 30.1% (2017) of the nation's GDP. The country's manufacturing output is the third highest in the world. World's popular Japanese manufacturing and tech companies such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Fujitsu, Yamaha, Epson, Toshiba, Sony, Panasonic, Nintendo, Sega, Nippon, Takeda Pharma, Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, Mitsubishi Co, Komatsu, Sharp, Nikon, Canon, NEC and Hitachi are from Japan.

### Science and Technology

The Japanese consumer electronics industry, once considered the strongest in the world, is in a state of decline as competition arises in countries like South Korea and China. However, video gaming in Japan remains a major industry.

## Infastructure

### Transportation

Transportation in Japan is modern and highly developed. Japan's transport sector stands out for its energy efficiency: it uses less energy per person compared to other countries, thanks to a high share of rail transport and low overall travel distances. Transport in Japan is also very expensive in international comparison, reflecting high tolls and taxes, particularly on automobile transport. Japan's spending on roads has been large. The 1.2 million kilometres of paved road are the main means of transport. Japan has left-hand traffic. A single network of high-speed, divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities, which are operated by toll-collecting enterprises.

Dozens of Japanese railway companies compete in regional and local passenger transport markets; for instance, seven JR Group companies, Kintetsu Railway, Seibu Railway, and Keio Corporation. Often, strategies of these enterprises contain real estate or department stores next to stations. Some 250 high-speed Shinkansen trains connect major cities. All trains are known for punctuality.

There are 176 airports, and the largest domestic airport, Haneda Airport, is Asia's busiest airport. The largest international gateways are Narita International Airport (Tokyo area), Kansai International Airport (Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto area), and Chūbu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya area). The largest ports include Nagoya Port.

### Energy

Japan lacks significant domestic reserves of fossil fuel, except coal, and must import substantial amounts of crude oil, natural gas, and other energy resources, including uranium. Japan due to this lacks significant domestic reserves and has a heavy dependence on imported energy. The country has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.

### Water and Sanitation

Responsibility for the water and sanitation sector is shared between the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in charge of water supply for domestic use; the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in charge of water resources development as well as sanitation; the Ministry of the Environment, in charge of ambient water quality and environmental preservation; and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in charge of performance benchmarking of utilities. Access to an improved water source is universal in Japan. About 98% of the population receives piped water supply from public utilities.

## Demographics

### Ethnic Groups

Among the several native ethnic groups of Japan, the predominant group are the Yamato Japanese, who trace their origins back to the Yayoi period and have held political dominance since the Asuka period. Other historical ethnic groups have included the Ainu, the Ryukyuan people, the Emishi, and the Hayato; some of whom were dispersed or absorbed by other groups. Ethnic groups that inhabited the Japanese islands during prehistory include the Jomon people and lesser-known Paleolithic groups. In more recent history, a number of immigrants from other countries have made their home in Japan. 97.8% of the population of Japan are Japanese, with the remainder being foreign nationals residing in Japan. The number of foreign workers has been increased dramatically in recent years, due to the aging population and the lack of labor force.

### Religion

Japan's constitution guarantees full religious freedom. Upper estimates suggest that 84–96 percent of the Japanese population subscribe to Shinto as its indigenous religion. However, these estimates are based on people affiliated with a temple, rather than the number of true believers. Many Japanese people practice both Shinto and Buddhism; they can either identify with both religions or describe themselves as non-religious or spiritual. The level of participation in religious ceremonies as a cultural tradition remains high, especially during festivals and occasions such as the first shrine visit of the New Year. Taoism and Confucianism from China have also influenced Japanese beliefs and customs.

Christianity was first introduced into Japan by Jesuit missions starting in 1549. Today, 1% to 1.5% of the population are Christians. Throughout the latest century, Western customs originally related to Christianity (including Western style weddings, Valentine's Day and Christmas) have become popular as secular customs among many Japanese.

### Language

The Japanese language is Japan's *de facto* national language and the primary language of most people in the country. Japanese writing uses kanji (Chinese characters) and two sets of kana (syllabaries based on cursive script and radicals used by kanji), as well as the Latin alphabet and Arabic numerals. English has taken a major role in Japan as a business and international link language. As a result, the prevalence of English in the educational system has increased, with English classes becoming mandatory at all levels of the Japanese school system.

Besides Japanese, the Ryukyuan languages (Amami, Kunigami, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama, Yonaguni), part of the Japonic language family, are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands chain. Few children learn these languages, but local governments have sought to increase awareness of the traditional languages. The Ainu language, which is a language isolate, is moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining. Additionally, a number of other languages are taught and used by ethnic minorities, immigrant communities, and a growing number of foreign-language students, such as Korean (including a distinct Zainichi Korean dialect), Chinese and Portuguese.

### Education

Since the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, compulsory education in Japan comprises elementary and junior high school, which together last for nine years. Almost all children continue their education at a three-year senior high school. The two top-ranking universities in Japan are the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. Starting in April 2016, various schools began the academic year with elementary school and junior high school integrated into one nine-year compulsory schooling program; MEXT plans for this approach to be adopted nationwide. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) coordinated by the OECD ranks the knowledge and skills of Japanese 15-year-olds as the third best in the world.

### Health

Health care in Japan is provided by national and local governments. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. Since 1973, all elderly persons have been covered by government-sponsored insurance. The overall life expectancy in Japan at birth was 84.62 years (81.64 years for males and 87.74 years for females), the highest in the world; while it had a very low infant mortality rate (2 per 1,000 live births). Another significant public health issue is smoking among Japanese men. However, Japan has the lowest rate of heart disease in the OECD, and the lowest level of dementia among developed countries.

## Culture

Japanese culture includes Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, anime, manga, video games, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain older artistic and literary traditions; many of their themes and styles of presentation can be traced to traditional art forms. Contemporary forms of popular culture, much like the traditional forms, are not only forms of entertainment but also aspects to distinguish contemporary Japan from the rest of the modern world. There is a large industry of music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of entertainment. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke parlors are well-known hangout places for teens while older people may play *shogi* or *go* in specialized parlors. Since the end of the US occupation of Japan in 1952, Japanese popular culture has been deeply influenced by American media. However, rather than being dominated by American products, Japan localised these influences by appropriating and absorbing foreign influences into local media industries. Today, Japanese popular culture stands as one of the most prominent popular cultures around the world.