Japan (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Japan (Japanese: みょ う み (明湄) Myōmi; formally だいみょ う みみんこく (大明湄民國) Dai-Myōmi Minkoku; literally Greater Japanese People's State; officially Republic of Japan) is an Island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, Soviet Union, Manchuria, Korea, China, Philippines, Sulu and Indonesia, stretching from Karafuto Island in the north to the Nanyo Islands in the south. Japan bordered directly with Manchuria, the Soviet Union and Korea in Uraji Province (OTL and ), the only Japanese province located in Continental Asia.

Japan is an archipelago of 8,964 islands. The six largest islands are Karafuto, Honshū, Ezo, Kyūshū, Shikoku and Takasago, together accounting for ninety-six percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's eighth largest population, with over 153 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding provinces, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 40 million residents.

Climate
The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it into eight principal climatic zones: Northern Islands, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, Ryūkyū Islands, Takasago and Nanyo Islands. The northernmost zone, Northern Islands (Karafuto, Ezo, Chishima Islands), has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.

In the Sea of Japan zone on Honshū's west coast, northwest winter winds bring heavy snowfall. In the summer, the region is cooler than the Pacific area, though it sometimes experiences extremely hot temperatures because of the foehn wind. The Central Highland has a typical inland humid continental climate, with large temperature differences between summer and winter, and between day and night; precipitation is light, though winters are usually snowy. The mountains of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions shelter the Seto Inland Sea from seasonal winds, bringing mild weather year-round.

The Pacific Coast features a humid subtropical climate that experiences milder winters with occasional snowfall and hot, humid summers because of the southeast seasonal wind. The Ryukyu Islands have a subtropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very heavy, especially during the rainy season. The generally humid, temperate climate exhibits marked seasonal variation such as the blooming of the spring cherry blossoms, the calls of the summer cicada and fall foliage colors that are celebrated in art and literature.

In Takasago, the climate is generally marine and varies widely by season in the Northern part and the mountain areas. The Southern part of the island, however, belongs to the tropical belt and is warm and humid all year. The southernmost part of the country, Nanyo Islands has a tropical climate all year round with an annual mean temperature of 82 °F (28 °C). Rainfall is heavy throughout the year, averaging a total of 150 inches (3,800 mm). The average humidity over the course of the year is 82%, and although rain falls more frequently between July and October, there is still much sunshine.

The average winter temperature in Japan is 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) and the average summer temperature is 25.2 °C (77.4 °F). The highest temperature ever measured in Japan — 40.9 °C (105.6 °F) — was recorded on 16 August 2007. The main rainy season begins in October in Nanyo Islands, then in early January in Takasago, and the rain front gradually moves north until reaching Ezo in late July. In most of Honshu, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain.

Politics and Government
The Republic of Japan is the authoritarian government under the rule of Japanese Nationalist Party which based from the ideology of Social Nationalism and the principle of National Democracy.

The President of the Republic of Japan (民國総裁 Minkoku Sōsai) elected by the National Congress from among its members every four years. The President is the head of state of Republic, and the nominal commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The Council of Ministers (閣僚評議會 Kakuryō Riji-kai) serves as the highest administrative body of Japan. It is composed of a Chairman (首相 Shushō), three Vice-Chairmen (副首相 Fuku-Shushō), and the Ministers of State (國務相 Kokumushō).

The National Congress (國民代表大會 Kokumin Daihyō Taikai) elected every four years by the direct election. The election, however, only participated by the parties that recognized as legal under the Japanese law, with the Nationalist Party as leading party.

To exercise daily legislative functions, the National Congress elected the members of Legislative Council (立法院 Rippō-in) from among its members every two years. The Legislative Council is described by the constitution as the main law-making body of the Republic.

The State Council (國務院 Kokumu-in) have a minor significance role in the day-to-day government. Its members elected by the electoral college, consisted by 40 electorates, in every provinces every six years. The National Front, an alliance of legal political parties always nominating two candidates in each provinces as "All-Party candidates". The State Council functioning as the main advisory body for the government.

The National Court (國民裁判所 Kokumin Saibansho) serves as the supreme judicature for the whole territory of Japanese Republic. It supervises the administration of justice by the state courts at various levels. All of judges of the Court appointed by the National Congress. Every Japanese citizens were the subject of Japanese law and under the authority of National Court of Japan.

Japan is one of few non-communist countries that is applying the procuratorial system. The procuratorates charged with both the investigation and prosecution of crime with the office of National Procuratorate (國民檢察院 Kokumin Kensatsu-in) at the national level.

Classical Japan
A Paleolithic culture around 30,000 BC constitutes the first known habitation of the Japanese archipelago. This was followed from around 14,000 BC (the start of the Jōmon period) by a Mesolithic to Neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture, who include ancestors of both the contemporary Ainu people and Yamato people, characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture. Decorated clay vessels from this period are some of the oldest surviving examples of pottery in the world. Around 300 BC, the Yayoi people began to enter the Japanese Islands, intermingling with the Jōmon. The Yayoi period, starting around 500 BC, saw the introduction of practices like wet-rice farming, a new style of pottery, and metallurgy, introduced from China and Korea.

Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago during the third century was called Yamataikoku. Buddhism was first introduced to Japan from Baekje of Korea, but the subsequent development of Japanese Buddhism was primarily influenced by China. Despite early resistance, Buddhism was promoted by the ruling class and gained widespread acceptance beginning in the Asuka period (592–710).

The Nara period (710–784) of the eighth century marked the emergence of a strong Japanese state, centered on an imperial court in Heijō-kyō (modern Nara). The Nara period is characterized by the appearance of a nascent literature as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired art and architecture. The smallpox epidemic of 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Japan's population. In 784, Emperor Sudo moved the capital from Nara to Nagaoka-kyō before relocating it to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto) in 794.

The Zen school of Buddhism was introduced from China in the later part of Heian period (784–1333) and became popular among the petite noble class. Japan repelled Mongol invasions in 1274, but was eventually successfully defeated by Mongol in 1281. Between 1281 and 1590, Japan become the tributary state to Yuan Dynasty and its successor, Ming Dynasty.

Early modern (1590-1854)
Under the leadership of Nobunaga Oda, Japan regained its independence in 1590 and even ambitiously tried to invade Korea between 1592 and 1596. But following defeats by Korean and Ming Chinese forces and Nobunaga's suicide, Japanese troops were withdrawn in 1596. After that war, Japanese military succumbed into decline until Emperor Saka appointed Harushiki Atsuzuma as his imperial commander in 1601.

Under Harushiki's commandery, Japan established a rival regional hegemony against China's Ming Dynasty. Ryukyu Islands and Takasago Island (known at that time as "Formosa" by Westerners) invaded and annexed by Japanese forces in 1602 and 1605 respectively. After a failed invasion to the Philippines Islands, the Japanese defeat by the Spanish fleets, and the death of Admiral Harushiki on the battle in 1609, Emperor Saka reconsidered again about the move of expansion to the south.

Following the advice from the Council of State, Harushiki's aide, Nozuma Takahide, appointed as new imperial commander. In 1611, Japan launched a punitive expedition to Ezo after its imperial envoys killed by local Ainu villagers in Otaru. Emperor Saka used this opportunity to annex Ezo and Takasago into the Japanese Realm. The punitive expedition itself very bloody due to the fierce opposition by Ainu peoples which forced by Nozuma's troops to leave their settlements to the hilly areas in northeastern Ezo.

Japan renamed as "Great Wa Empire" (Japanese: 大和帝國; だいわていこく) by the Imperial Decree issued by Emperor Saka in February 24, 1614 (February 16, 15 Shakuyō in traditional Japanese calendar) which later spanned the two centuries as one of the regional hegemony in Asia, known as the Daiwa period (1590–1920).

Japan began its second maritime expansion to the region of Oceania in 1619 under the reign of Emperor Yonichi. Emperor Yonichi sent the large fleet to the water area in the southeast of the Philippines Islands in hope to conquest the islands on it and get closer to the centre of spice trade, Maluku Islands. He believed if Japan expanded its trade to the islands, it would benefited Japan in the trade both with the Dutch and the Portuguese, thus can strengthening the country's economy.

In 1620, Japan's Council of the State claimed the collection of islands in southeast of the Philippines Islands and the north of New Guinea Island under its rule and gave a name for the islands as "Nan'yo Islands" (南洋群島; なにょ う ぐんと う ). As the Japanese settlers growing in number by 1600s, native population of the islands slowly shrank as they forced to live in more remote areas or assimilated into Japanese culture and did intermarriages with Japanese settlers, which brought a unique color of Japanese culture and language to the island.

Another sea voyages between 1625 and 1651 led the Japanese to sail more further to the southern side of Pacific Ocean, through the islands that today being part of the independent countries of Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, and even to the northeastern coast of Australia and to North Island of Aotearoa. Many of the local chiefs on the islands annually paid the tributes to Emperor of Japan and so-called "imperial commanderies", each under Japanese commanders and imperial residences, has stationed in order to put the islands under Japanese sphere of influences.

Modernization (1854-1920)
On March 31, 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry and the "Black Ships" of the United States Navy forced the opening of Japan to the outside world with the Convention of Kanagawa. Subsequent similar treaties with Western countries in the Bakumatsu period brought economic and political crises. The Imperial government, led by Great Councillor (大老 Tairō) Ii Naosuke initiated several programs to modernize Japanese military. When Emperor Ninko suddenly died in 1865, Ii installed his own Imperial candidate, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa for the Chrysanthemum throne as Emperor Tōbu. In this position, Sekkan government not only control the military, but also the Kyoto Imperial Court.

Ii's actions led to the First Japanese Civil War between 1866-1867. Afraid the future collapse of Sekkan domination over Imperial Government, Kampaku Oda Nobumichi agreed to cooperate with Ii. Both parties agreed to open Japan up to the international community and began more broader modernizations in political, judicial and social institutions. Under Ii's leadership, Sekkan government unified all local armies into one national army and national navy which equipped by modern weapons and Western techniques.

Four divisions of society abolished in 1874 and Western bureaucracy system officially implemented in 1875. All members of ancient court nobility formed new aristocratic class, kazoku. Senate of Japan (元老院 Genrōin), composed by kazoku nobility representatives assembled in Tokyo on 1875 and promulgated Tokyo Charter, proto-constitution of Japan.

Inspired after the Chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck, who modernized Imperial Germany to become a nation with strong military leadership, Ii appointed himself as the Chancellor of the Realm ( 太政大臣 Daijō Daijin) in 1877. After Ii's death, he replaced by Uesugi Mochinori in 1891. Ii's radical reforms succeed to transform the Japanese military into first modern armed forces in Asia that able to support Japan for re-expanding its sphere of influence.

After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the Spanish-Japanese War (1898-1901) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Japan gained control of Kwantung, Shandong Peninsula, the Philippine Islands, and southern Korea. Japan's population grew from 35 million in 1873 to 50 million in 1920. Emperor Tōbu died in 1904 and his son, Prince Takeda Tsunehisa, succeeded him as Emperor Keishin.

Japan entered World War I in 1914 and sided with the Allied Powers. Central Powers defeated in 1918 and Japan gained control of German New Guinea and Manchuria. Although winning the World War I, Japan’s economy already suffered and almost collapsed. Soon after the death of Emperor Keishin in 1919, the workers and peasant uprisings against the Imperial government, however, was inevitable.

Japanese Civil War (1920-1923)
Toward the end of the war, Japan succumbed into deep economic crisis. On August 1918, rice riots caused by this inflation erupted in towns and cities throughout Japan. At the north, the White Russian Army that escaped from Siberia after the Bolshevik gained controls over the country, occupied Karafuto and Uraji on September 1918. Japanese government that put into debt after war almost did nothing about the invasion and led to the protests by Japanese nationalists as they viewed Karafuto and Uraji as legitimate part of the Empire.

The death of Emperor Keishin, the main opponent of White Russian aggression, in 1919 marked the government’s loss of support from the nationalists. The series of protests from both right- and left-wing movements erupted in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima. The demonstrations in Japan itself came to peak earlier on November 13, 1918. Over 5,200 peoples gathered in Ii Naosuke Square, Kyoto when Nagayama Yoshida, the Kyoto leader of Japanese People's Party, gave a fiery patriotic speech against Russian occupation.

Nagayama's speech quickly spread through both left- and right-wing newspapers. Japanese nationalists hailed Nagayama Yoshida as the supreme leader of Japanese Revolution. Less than two weeks, Nagayama's popularity sky-rocketed and he became the icon of Revolution. The number of People's Party members also significantly increased, especially in the Central Japanese provinces

On January 16, 1919, nineteen leaders of People's Party convened the meeting at Kyoto and concluded the resolution which known as the “Kichidango Resolution”, that called for Japanese people to form a new grass-root government and defend the nation by themselves, not depended on Imperial Army. The resolution is very important to lay the foundation of modern Japanese Republic and the Japanese Republic Armed Forces.

The tense of Japanese Revolution effected the Imperial government action in the colonial provinces. About 6,450 people were killed in the Philippines after being accused as “extremists”. On February 17, 1919, the delegation of Japanese Nationalist Party, the Japanese Socialist Party, the Japanese Workers’ Union and the Formosan Chinese Cultural Association met in secret in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The meeting resulted in the decision from all delegations to establish a “united opposition front”.

The Great Japanese People’s Conference gathered in Osaka on April 11, 1919 and attended by the delegations from all across Japanese archipelago. Among the delegates, Nagayama Yoshida attended representing Kyoto, Matsutaka Imada for Kumamoto, Hotori Etsu for Kochi, Yoshinohe Toyoda for Chiba, and Shimamori Itsuke for Takasago.

The Chinese revolutionary leader, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, gave his support to Japanese revolutionary movement by sent a personal letter to Nagayama Yoshida on April 2, 1920 that stated the movement in Japan as the better improvement for realization of Pan-Asian Union in the future. The same support also came from the Bolshevik leader and the premier of Soviet Russia, Vladimir Lenin.

The situations in foreign embassies in Tokyo getting worse. The nationalist sympathizers attacked the British stations and killed the foreigners that suspected as “Western imperial agents”. The Japanese Parliament in Osaka filled with heated debates between the delegates that support the revolutionary movement and the against ones.

On February 7, 1920, Nationalist-based Japanese Revolutionary Army formed with Colonel Matsutaka Imada from the Sixth Division of Imperial Army as its Field Commander. The Army itself took a loyalty to the Great Japanese People’s Conference, instead to the Emperor. The Revolutionary forces tried to build a strong military base in mountainous areas that stretch along Central Japan to avoid any threats and influences from the Imperial Army. The first Central Headquarters of JRA was established later in Nagano, Shinano Province on August 20, 1921.

The Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Army fought their first protracted battle in Kanume, Shimotsuke, known as the Battle of Akayama, that would last until September 19, 1921. The Battle of Akayama marked the beginning the Japanese Civil War between the revolutionaries and the imperial government which would lasted from September 1921 until April 1923.

The Revolutionary forces successfully defeated the Loyalist forces in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kyushu on April 27, 1923. Prime Minister Shidehara agreed to ceasefire and signed the Instrument of Surrender in Kyoto on May 16, 1923. Empress Anmei announced her abdication from the throne on May 18, 1923 and the Empire of Japan officially abolished on May 27, 1923. The provisional revolutionary government, led by Nagayama Yoshida and Hotori Etsu effectively took over the control of the country on May 29, 1923.

Nagayama era (1924-1942)
After the defeat of Imperial Japanese forces by the Revolutionary forces on April 27, 1923, the revolutionary coalition formed a provisional government in Tokyo with Nagayama Yoshida and Hotori Etsu as the co-head of government. The provisional government ruled the country from May 1923 to February 1924.

The new republican government of Japan proclaimed on February 16, 1924 and the new republican constitution had been promulgated by the first National Congress on February 18. It established a single-party state system under the Nationalist Party of Japan. Opposition movements and organizations banned and only several small parties and organizations which permitted by the government, such as Social Democratic Party and Constitutional Party has the second and third largest seats acquisition in the Congress and Legislative Council. The Nationalist Party Politburo became central policy making body of the Republic.

The new republican government recognized by the Soviet Union on February 28, 1924, followed by the United States on May 4, 1924; the British Empire, Spain, France and Germany on November 19, 1924 and Italy on February 27, 1925.

Under the administration of Nagayama Yoshida, Japan implemented the rapid economic development. The Economic Planning Board formed by the Council of Ministers of Japan in October 24, 1924. The committee, under the management of Nationalist Party’s main economic theorist, Hotori Etsu, set the draft of industrialization and modernization process of Japanese national economy. The draft features the proposed nationalization of corporations and banks controlled by conglomerate families (zaibatsu) and establishment of joint international economic zones with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In January 9, 1925, the draft becomes further developed by proposing Japan’s future heavy industrial and agricultural investment in the Japanese South Pacific and development of Kwantung as Japanese main trade port in Yellow Sea area.

The first step of Japanese economic acceleration was by the expansion of country's industrial base in the islands’ urban areas. The revolutionary government began a mobilization of natural resources in April 24, 1926 by increasing the output of mining industries in Karafuto and Ezo. The provisional government issued the Decree of Nationalization in September 15, 1927. All zaibatsu corporations, banks and companies handled by the government. Japanese economy started to centralize under the State’s controls.

Hotori Etsu appointed as the Minister of Economic Affairs and the Chairman of Economic Planning Council in August 4, 1928. The Great Economic Plan, which modeled after the Soviet’s Five-Year Plan, officially introduced in July 27, 1929. Under the Great Economic Plan, the state controlled the industries, banks and foreign trades while some small non-industrial private enterprises still permitted to exist.

Only five years after the establishment of the Republic of Japan, the government builds a large number of industrial complexes in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Kobe. With the Soviet Union as main trading partner, Japan purchased Soviet factory machines for its own industrial development started from 1929 until 1937.

On January 1931, Japanese troops invaded Korean peninsula and Inner Manchuria to rid the Fengtian clique over the area and established two associated states in Korea and Manchuria. Although its real purpose was to eliminate the potential threats for newly established Republic, Japan also could get a plenty of industrial materials, energy sources, and cheap labor from Korea and Manchuria for Japan's own economic recovery.

After Japan seized the control of Manchuria in 1932, the industrial centers started to develop in the Shenyang area and followed in Anshan, Shakakon, Fushun, Fushin, and other cities. The Japanese government operated the mining industries in Manchuria that supplied the raw materials, such as coal, iron, steel, petroleum and cement, for Japanese industries.

In May 14, 1930, the state-running Nanyo Agricultural Company established to run the plantation industry in Nanyo Islands. The islands supplied the significant quantities of sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, taro, coconuts, and other tropical farming products for Japanese agricultural production. The Japanese government with the state-owned Daiwa Rubber Production Company started to run the rubber plantation in 1932 in Takasago, Nanyo Islands, Philippines, British Malaya and Dutch East Indies. The Komyo Sugar Production Company also operated in Philippines, Sulu and Hawaii to supply the needs of sugar for Japan.

The State Farms (國営農場 Kokuei nōjō), introduced by the Ministry of Agricultural Affairs in February 3, 1931. About 37% lands in Ezo, 14% in Honshu, 4% in Shikoku, 7% in Kyushu, 42% in Takasago, and 14% in Nanyo Islands run by the Japanese government for improves the rice production of Japan. Some state-owned companies also operated in Korea and Manchuria to fulfills the Japanese rice quotas.

Japan developed the Manchurian industry to use soy, with average production of 1,5 tonnes. Half was exported to Europe. Crude oil paste for fertilizer and soybeans for food was sent to Japan. The rest of the plant was used in cellulose factories. The government also placed strong emphasis on the development of forestry products in Takasago. Camphor wood was collected from forests or plantations under a government-monopoly Formosa Manufacturing Company.

However, to preserve the goal of Great Economic Plan, the condition of workers reach into its nadir. Copied the Soviet methods, the government forced the workers to fulfill the quotas either to work 18 hour a day or alleged as “enemies of State” then send to forcibly work in concentration camps that called as "special industrial areas" or "special state farms". The workers who tried to avoid his duty will lose their right to get other jobs and to use apartments, or simply mean, waiting their own time to die in starvation.

During the Great Depression, Japanese exterior commerce grew. The expansion of this trade was in part due to European difficulties in supplying their colonies, allowing Japan to expand into new markets. Before the war, crude silk represented one-third of exports and 10% of processed silk. Other products for export were cotton, processed silk and others. In 1937 exports were crude silk, cotton fabrics, and rayon. Japan was importing raw cotton, wool and oil imported products from Manchuria, Korea and China.

Massive capital investment was concentrated in Dalian, Kwantung, where the Japanese state-controlled companies developed a significant industrial infrastructure, as well as creating a first class port. The facilities of the port at Dalian and its free trade port status made it the principal trade gateway to northeast China. The South Manchurian Railway Company was headquartered in Dalian, and some of the profits from its operation were become main capital of Japanese development in the Home Islands.

On December 4, 1925, the Minister of Finance, Motonara Hishaku, organized the separated bank system by consolidating Workers' Bank of Japan, Peasant's Bank of Japan, Trade Bank of Tokyo, and Bank of Osaka under the People's Bank of Japan. The Imperial Bank merged with People's Bank and renamed as Central Bank of Japan on April 23, 1930. The Central Bank of Japan operated not only as a central bank but also as the country’s sole commercial bank until 1954.

The mercantilism-oriented Great Economic Plan proved successful to boast Japanese national development. With the economic control over Korea, Manchuria, Philippines, and Sulu, Japan's economy grew significantly in only nine years after the end of civil war and became the Asia's leading producer of agricultural products, rubber, coal, cement, natural gas and other minerals were also of major importance.