Japan (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)



Japan (Japanese: 明湄 Myōmi; formally 大明湄民國 Dai-Myōmi Minkoku; literally Greater Japanese Republic; 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, China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the southern part of Sakhalin island in the north to the South Pacific archipelago in the south.

Its previous official name is Dai-Nihon Sokoku or Dai-Nippon Sokoku (Japanese: 大日本祖國; literally Greater Japanese Fatherland; officially State of Japan). But after the World War II, the National Congress of Japan regulated the change of Japan's name through the popular referendum in 1946. The "Nihon" as the name of Japan replaced by an unofficial, "Myōmi".

Japan is an archipelago of 8,964 islands. The five largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, Shikoku and Taiwan, together accounting for ninety-six percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's eight-largest population, with over 153 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, 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: Karafuto-Chishima-Hokkaidō, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, Ryūkyū Islands, Taiwan and South Pacific. The northernmost zone, Karafuto, Hokkaido and 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 Taiwan, 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, South Pacific 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 South Pacific islands, then in early January in Taiwan, and the rain front gradually moves north until reaching Hokkaidō in late July. In most of Honshū, 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.

Empire of Japan era (1854-1930)
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. Bakufu 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, Bakufu government not only control the military, but also the Kyoto Imperial Court.

Ii's actions led to the First Japanese Civil War between 1866-1868. Afraid the future collapse of Shogunate, moderate Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu agreed to cooperate with Ii. Both parties agreed to open up to international community and began more broader modernizations in political, judicial and social institutions. Under Ii's leadership, Bakufu government unified all local armies into one national army and national navy which equipped by modern weapons and Western techniques. The Shogunate also proclaimed the establishment of Empire of Japan and established the centralized state nominally unified under the Emperor although Imperial Court already weakened by Ii's interventions and most of pro-Imperial elements in government purged.

Han system officially abolished in 1871 and replaced by modern regional prefectures under Bakufu government in Edo (renamed as Tokyo), four divisions of society abolished in 1874 and Western bureaucracy system officially implemented in 1875. All members of Kyoto ancient court nobility and former feudal lords (daimyo) formed new single 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 1885. After his death, Ii position replaced by Uesugi Mochinori in 1891. Ii's radical reforms succeed to transforms Japan into an industrialized world power that pursued military conflict to expand its sphere of influence.

After victories in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), Japan gained control of Taiwan, Korea, and southern half of Sakhalin. Japan's population grew from 35 million in 1873 to 50 million in 1920. Emperor Tōbu died in 1904. His son, Prince Takeda Tsunehisa succeeded him and enthroned as Emperor Keishin. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu died in 1913 and replaced by his adopted son, Tokugawa Iesato.

Japan entered World War I in 1914 and sided with Central Powers. Due to heavy economic embargo, Japan moved its side to Triple Entente in 1916. Central Powers defeated in 1918. Japan gained German territory in Liaodong peninsula and South Pacific islands.

Although already win the Great War, Japan’s economy already suffered and almost collapse. Soon after the death of Emperor Keishin in 1919, peasant rebellions erupted across the country. The Bakufu government, under Taikun Tokugawa Iesato agreed to adopt the written constitution for Empire of Japan. The workers and peasant revolution against Imperial government, however, was inevitable.

The Ten-Years Civil War (1920-1930)
Toward the end of the war, Japan succumbed into deep economic crisis. In August 1918, rice riots caused by this inflation erupted in towns and cities throughout Japan.

At the north, the White Russian Army who escaped from Siberia after the Bolshevik gained controls over the country, occupied Karafuto (Japanese part of Sakhalin island) and northern Hokkaido in September 1918. The anti-communist Shogunate tried to cooperate with the White Russians for halting the spread of Communism. This action led to protests by revolutionary-nationalist who accused Shogunate as foreign puppet.

The death of Emperor Keishin, the main opponent of Russian occupation in Hokkaido, 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. In Japanese-occupied Korea, the pro-independence movement arose in March 1, 1919 and signaled gradual lost of Japanese domination over the peninsula. The demonstrations in Japan itself came to peak earlier in November 13, 1918. Over 5,200 peoples gathered in Ii Naosuke Square, Kyoto to hear the speech from Nagayama Yoshida, the Kyoto leader of Japanese Nationalist Party.

In his speech, Nagayama fiercely addressed the crowd to “drive out the Barbarians (White Russians) from Karafuto and northern Hokkaido and save Asia from Western imperialism.” He added, “Although we just the yellow-colored people in the Westerners’ eyes, we must believe and forever believe, we can stand in our own feet, by our own strength, to our own nation. Neither me nor you, whole Japanese nation, wanted to be a slave in our own country!” That speech quickly spread through both left- and right-wing newspapers. The whole nation was electrified.

All Japanese nationalists soon hailed Nagayama Yoshida as the central figure of Japanese revolutionaries and the supreme leader of Japanese people. The newspapers, like Eien Taiyō (永遠太陽), the organ of ultra-nationalist movements in Kyoto, even praised Yoshida’s appeal to the nation in November 13, 1918 as the “emergence of Japan’s greatest leader ever since His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jimmu founded this nation.”

Less than two weeks, Yoshida's name began attributed as "the Birth of Great Sun" or “the Great Saint of Sovereignty” by the masses in every demonstrations over the Home Islands of the Empire and he became the icon of Revolution. The number of Nationalist Party members also significantly increased, especially in the Central provinces

In January 16, 1919, nineteen leaders of Nationalist Party convened the meeting at Kyoto and concluded the resolution which known as “Proclamation of the Action”, that called for Japanese people to form a new grass-root government and defend the nation by themselves, neither depended on Shogunate Army nor the Emperor’s 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 10,450 people were killed in Korea and Taiwan after being accused as “extremists”. Seeing no supports from any Western countries and the British support to Imperial Japanese government, Korean independence movement began to side with Japanese revolutionary movement. In February 17, 1919, the delegation of Korean independence movements met in secret with the delegation of Japanese Nationalist Party, Japanese Socialist Party, Japanese Workers’ Union and Taiwanese Cultural Association 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 Japanese Home Islands, Korean Peninsula and Taiwan. Among of the delegates, Nagayama Yoshida attended as deputy from Kyoto, Matsutaka Imada from Kumamoto, Hotori Etsu from Kochi, Yoshinohe Toyoda from Chiba, Lee Seung-man (Ri Shō-ban) from Keijō (modern-day Seoul), and Chiang Wei-shui (Shō I-sui) from Taihoku.

About a half of delegates supported the dissolution of the Empire, mostly from Korea and Taiwan, while the other supported the further democratization in the Empire itself. The Conference failed to create the bigger united forces after the Korean nationalist’s delegates walked out the meeting following Japanese nationalists delegates’ protest to the Empire dissolution idea as they still believe the Japanese Emperor would support the movement.

But, the expectation turned sour as Emperor Tensho who depended on the Shogunate’s rule refused the Nationalists’ demand to expel the Taikun from his position. Disappointed, Nagayama Yoshida led the Nationalist Party into more radical line than before. He not only sent a cable to Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai that described, “The Empire will break up soon” on May 7, 1920, but also supported any future assassination attempts to the Taikun and any pro-Bakufu politicians in his speech before the Party Central Committee on May 10, 1920.

In May 25, 1919, the Nationalist Party of Japan made an agreement with Shanghai-based Korean Provisional Government that promised the future independence of Korea if the Empire collapsed while the Korean will provide the Japanese revolutionaries a military and financial help. Dr. Sun Yat-sen of China gave his support to Japanese revolutionary movement by sent a personal letter to Nagayama Yoshida in April 2, 1920 that stated the movement in Japan as the better improvement for realization of Pan-Asia Union in the future. The same support also came from the Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin.

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

In 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 National Protection Government formed in Kanazawa, Kaga Province on August 22, 1920. The government headed by the Executive Council of National People’s Conference, consisted by:
 * Nagayama Yoshida as Political Commander of the Army and Navy
 * Hōtori Etsu as Secretary of the Council
 * Colonel Matsutaka Imada as Field Commander of the Army
 * Captain Takahagi Shiromiya as Fleet Commander of the Navy
 * Yoshinohe Toyoda, Aikiro Yoichii and Atsugawa Ōsobe as First Councelors
 * Motonara Hishaku, Satsudaira Ezō, Motonari Aichi, Shozaku Kumashira as Second Councelors
 * Koga Ichiru, Sendaiki Atsuma, Tomozawa Genbu, Noburo Sen, Ichigaya Makino, Miyagawa Haneda, and Sumimoto Akira as Associate Counselors
 * Genji Fukuzawa, Kōda Bonsuke, Tayama Madaira, Yuzaki Isei and Nōki Haseguchi as Assistant Secretaries (Secretariat of the Council).

As the Political Commander of Army and Navy, Yoshida granted the title of “Generalissimo” by the Western media and brought the Nationalist Party hegemony over the Revolutionary Army. After the establishment of Republic in 1931, the position of Political Commander later included into the office of President of the Republic, as stated in 1931 Japanese Constitution: “The President of the Republic is the political commander of the National Army and the National Navy.”

The Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Army fought a protracted battle in Niigata 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 1930.

Both of the National-Liberalists and Constitutional Monarchist factions, comprised by Shidehara Kijūrō, Ikeda Makoto, Makino Nobuaki and Ozaki Yukio proposed the constitutional amendment to abolish the Bakufu military government and established the constitutional monarchy, modeled after British Empire with the Emperor as nominal head of state as the form of compromise

The more radical pro-Imperial Court faction refused the proposal and wanted the Emperor has the real prerogative power over the nation and the military. But, the moderates faction already gained majority in government. Shidehara succeed to become the new Prime Minister of Japan in August 23, 1925, but he failed to maintained the authority over the country again.

The Revolutionary forces successfully defeated the Government forces in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kyushu on April 27, 1930. Prime Minister Shidehara agreed to ceasefire and signed the Instrument of Surrender in Myomi village on May 16, 1930. Empress Anmei announced her abdication from the throne in May 18, 1930 and Shidehara Kijuro automatically became the de-facto provisional head of state of Japan. The Empire of Japan officially abolished in May 21, 1930 and the provisional revolutionary Republican government, led by Nagayama Yoshida and Etsu Hotori effectively took over the control of the country in May 29, 1930.

First Republic era (1931-1942)
main article, see: First Republic of Japan

After the defeat of Imperial Japan forces by the Revolutionary forces on April 27, 1930, the revolutionary coalition formed a provisional government in Osaka with Hotori Etsu as the head of government. The provisional government ruled the country from May 1930 to February 1931.

The new republican government of Japan proclaimed on February 16, 1931 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.

Under the new government, Japan subsequently introduced many radical reforms included the abolition of noble titles, the nationalization of all zaibatsu companies, industries, and banks, the abolition of State Shinto and the simplification of national language

The Republic also tried to restores the good relationship with China and Korea. With China, Japan agreed to ceasefire and ultimately ended the Sino-Japanese War in March 1931. Japan also negotiates with Korean independence activists and resulted the give the Korean the rights of self-government in July 1931.

With the introduction of Great Economic Plan in 1932, Japan economy recovered and maintain its status as the leading economy power in Asia

World War II (1939-1945)
for main article, see: Fascist Japan

Due the success of the Great Economic Plan, Japan re-expanded its national arms industry at the middle of 1930s. By 1939, the weapons, artillery and tanks productions of Japan reached its peak and the Japanese Army was the largest armies in Asia and Pacific.

President Nagayama Yoshida himself imagined the sort of Portuguese colonial empire in East Asia by uniting Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, China and even Tibet, as a new economic power that possibly can rivaled the British Empire, the United States and the Soviet Union. The domination of Japan over the union seen as natural since the Japanese economically and militarily strong enough for creating the “Asian line” in the League of Nations.

But, the plan became radicalized after Germany invasion to Poland in September 1939. The radical faction of Japanese Armed Forces argued the only way to create the union is by the military intervention to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek regime in Nanjing. As many opponents of peaceful tactics (known as “hegemonist”, for their idea of future Japanese economic hegemony in East Asia) resided in the body of Nationalist Party, the Armed Forces began to distrust and disobey the Party orders and reorganized themselves to gain the legitimacy over Republican government

The Party and the Armed Forces relationship getting worse and put under critical condition in May 19, 1940 after the Army surrounded the Presidential Palace, the Government Hall, the Tokyo City Hall and the building of National Congress and pressured President Yoshida to appoint pro-Army figures, Nakano Seigo as the new Prime Minister

The Party Central Committee secretly convoked the plenum in May 27-June 2, 1940 confirmed the Party and the Armed Forces broke up as the meeting bought up the theme of “The Immediate Actions to Neutralizes the Armed Forces from Independent Power”. The Party inner leaders planned to purge the Army leadership by replaced radical Generals with more cooperative ones.

The military government soon acknowledged the plan. The martial law declared in June 4, 1940. The 1931 Republic Constitution breezed. The power of National Congress transferred to the Council of Ministers led by Nakano Seigo. President Nagayama Yoshida house-arrested in Tokyo National Palace (referred by the military government as “distanced our Senior Comrade from the American and British undercover agent influences”) on June 5, 1940.

The Nationalist Party of Japan officially disbanded in June 7, 1940 after the military government accused the institution already infiltrated by foreign powers spies. Some of Party leaders arrested and executed, while others such as Hotori Etsu, Sazaki Oda, Mizunari Kazama and Yoshinohe Yamada succeed to escape to Vladivostok and formed the National Committee for Fatherland Liberation and its military wings, Japanese People’s Liberation Army on August 14, 1940.

The resistance committee later more known as the "Vladivostok Government". Nagayama Yoshida appointed as the President of the exiled government and Hōtori Etsu as the Prime Minister. The loyalist General of the Army, Katobushi Toshio became the nominal commander-in-chief of the Resistance forces. The Vladivostok Government sent their delegations to Washington to re-negotiate the peace. The United States then recognized the resistance government as the legitimate authority of Japan islands on November 3, 1942.

Under military government, Japan formed the alliance with Germany and Italy with the signing of Tripartite Pact in September 27, 1940. On October 1, 1940, Japan declared the war to British Empire and France, and then also Netherlands who colonized the South and Southeast Asia.

With the occupation of French Indochina in the years of 1940–41, the United States placed embargoes on Japan of strategic materials such as scrap metal and oil, which were vitally needed for the war effort. The Japanese were faced with the option of either withdrawing the Southeast Asia campaign and losing face or seizing and securing new sources of raw materials in the resource-rich, European-controlled colonies of South East Asia—specifically British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia).

The hard-line conservative faction of the military, led by Lieutenant General Fukuda Shogi advising Nakano to advanced the action and declared the war to United States of America. Its sparked the controversy within the military. General Hashimoto Genji, the commander of the Nineteenth Army said those action is courageous and endangered the Japan’s interests itself in Asia because the imbalance factor of the army and artillery sizes with the United States.

But, Nakano Seigo agreed with the advice and arranged the attack to American naval base in Pacific. The Imperial Japanese Navy made its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 while the Japanese ambassadors to United States, Nomura Kichisaburō and special envoy Kurusu Saburō tried to negotiate peace and understanding with Washington.

The Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine air forces sustained significant losses. The primary objective of the attack was to incapacitate the United States long enough for Japan to establish its long-planned Southeast Asian empire and defensible buffer zones. The U.S. public saw the attack as a treacherous act and rallied against the Empire of Japan. The United States entered the European Theatre and Pacific Theater in full force. Four days later, Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany declared war on the United States, merging the separate conflicts.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched offensives against an Allied forces in South East Asia, with simultaneous attacks on Hong Kong, British Malaya and the Philippines.

The Southeast Asian Campaign was preceded by years of propaganda and espionage activities carried out in the region by the Japan. The Japanese espoused their vision of an Asia for Asians to the people of Asia, who had lived under European rule for generations. As a result, many inhabitants in the region actually sided with the Japanese.

This setback of the Pacific battle was followed in June 1942 by the catastrophic loss of a four carrier task force at the Battle of Midway. Midway was a decisive defeat for the Imperial Japanese Navy, and proved to be the turning point of the war. Australian land forces defeated Japanese Marines in New Guinea at the Battle of Milne Bay in September 1942, which was the first land defeat suffered by the Japanese in the Pacific. Further defeats by the Allies at Guadalcanal in September 1942, and New Guinea in 1943 put the Empire of Japan on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

By 1944, the Allies had seized or bypassed and neutralized many of Japan's strategic bases through amphibious landings and bombardment. By early 1945, the U.S. Marines had gotten the control of the Ogasawara Islands marking the beginning of the fall of Japan.

With the Allies help, the Resistance forces led by General Katobushi entered the islands from Hokkaido island on March 1945 and success to captured the entire islands (except Taiwan) on July 1945 with the fall of Tokyo. Nakano Seigo and another war leaders arrested by the Allied forces on August 1945. After concerned the Postdam Declaration, Vladivostok Government agreed to seek an armistice with the Allies. In a national radio address of August 14, General Katobushi announced that termination of the war to the Japanese people

Beginning of New Republic (1945-1948)
for the main article, see: Second Republic of Japan

On August 15, President Henry Wallace of the United States appointed General Douglas MacArthur as chief of Allied Powers Transitional Administration for Japan (APTAJ), to supervise the "pseudo-occupation" of Japan. and to overlook the demilitarization process of Japan. APTAJ was given direct control over the main islands of Japan (Honshū, Hokkaidō, Shikoku, Kyūshū), Chishima islands, Karafuto and the immediately surrounding islands, while outlying possessions were administered by each appropriated Allied Powers administration as follows:


 * Korea, under the United States Administration for the Reconstruction of Korea (USARK)


 * Manchuria, under the United States Administration for Manchuria (USAM)


 * Taiwan and Ryukyu islands, under the Republic of China Administration in Taiwan (ROCAT)


 * Japanese possessions in Pacific Islands, under Australian-based British Royal Commands for Japanese South Seas Islands (BRCJSSI)

However, the pre-war Dominion governments for Manchuria and Korea still retained their status quo but under supervisions by both of USARK and USAM. The Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council for Japan were also established to supervise the occupation of Japan.

MacArthur arrived in Tokyo on August 30, and immediately decreed several laws: No Allied personnel were to assault Japanese people. No Allied personnel were to eat the scarce Japanese food. Flying the Hinomaru or "Rising Sun" war flag was initially severely restricted.

On September 2, Japan formally ended the war with the signing of the Japanese Armistice Agreement. On September 6, US President Henry Wallace approved a document titled "US Initial Post-War Policy for Japan". The document set two main objectives for the occupation: (1) eliminating Japan's war potential and (2) turning Japan into a neutral, non-aligned country.

Japan's 1931 constitution, amended under Allied supervision, renounced war and banned Japan from maintaining any war forces. The armed forces of Japan intended to be only the defense forces. This was intended to prevent the country from ever becoming an aggressive military power again. The police forces separated from army to avoid any military influences and became the independent civilian institution on December 12, 1945

While these other reforms were taking place, various military tribunals, most notably the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Ichigaya, were trying Japan's war criminals and sentencing many to death and imprisonment.

In January 7, 1946, Nagayama Yoshida elected as President of the Republic for the second time by the Third Convocation of National Congress

After the meeting between General Katobushi Toshio of Japan, General Douglas MacArthur of America, Lieutenant-General Xi Guofeng of China and General Franklin Thompson of Britain on February 15, 1946, the Allied agreed to sign the Yokohama Agreement on February 16, 1946 that loosened their dominance over the government of the Republic of Japan. The native Japanese authority, especially the Nationalist Party of Japan was de facto relieved from Allied control. With the permission from APTAJ, the Party able to re-establish its political organizations throughout the islands

During 1946 Nationalist Party Congress, the new right-wing faction of the Party gained a majority in Central Committee and steered the Party’s policy to be more cooperated with the Allies, especially with the United States. The new right-wing faction leader was Mizunari Kazama, the secretary of Tokyo Party Committee. Mizunari appealed the Party to cooperate with the Allies occupation (especially the United States) to gained the support and recognition for newly re-established Republic.

On November 15, 1946, the National Congress regulated the amendment of 1931 Constitution and passed the law to change the native official name of Japan from "Nihon" (or "Nippon") to "Myomi" and its official name became Dai-Myomi Minkoku.

The government of Japan and the APTAJ talks on Japan sovereignty were held in July 1946. The Myomi government demanded the return of Taiwan, Penghu, Okinawa, the Amami islands, the Ogasawara Islands and the South Seas provinces as the part of Japan legitimate territories. The APTAJ agreed and in return demanded Japan to became a neutral nation.

The first post-war Japan general election held all around the islands, except in Chinese- and British-occupied Japanese territories on March 7, 1947 was a victory for the right-wing faction of MKT, which dominated the party gained 209 seats while the left-wingers who run the opposition list able to gain 114 seats in the National Congress. On March 17, 1948, Ozaki Yukio elected as President of the Republic replacing Nagayama Yoshida.

Japan regained its sovereignty on February 16, 1948, with the signing of Honolulu Peace Treaty by the Republic of Japan, the United States, British Empire and Republic of China which guaranteed Japan neutrality. The Allied troops completely withdrawal from Japan on April 4, 1948.

The Second Republic era (1948-1972)
After the emergence of second generation of Party's leadership, led by Mizunari Kazama dan Katobushi Toshio, the government began to relaxes its control over economy and press. Japan's national economy still invested heavily on industrial and agricultural field in Manchuria and Korea.

Several reforms also introduced such as total abolition of kanji characters and changes on Japanese orthography after the country relation with China strained in the late 1940s. The "Japanization" policy pushed in Taiwan and South Seas province. Pro-Japanese politicians installed in Vietnam to halt the advances of Chiang Kai-shek's influences toward Indochina.

Inside the Nationalist Party organization, there is an internal political struggle between the left- and the right-wing faction. The left-wing faction led by Takamatsu Yoshimisa and Nakatome Shiune supported the State Capitalism economy system. The right-wing faction led by Katobushi Toshio and Mizunari Kazama supported the gradual economic liberation.

Nakatome Shiune was the head of Rural Development Project prior the war. He was the pioneer of Japanese rural development by promoting the system of rural council and agricultural cooperatives in 1935, but his idea clashed with radical Nationalists during the time. He re-launched Rural Development Project in 1946 and gained the support from President Nagayama Yoshida. But, after internal struggle with Mizunari Kazama in 1948, he purged and appointed as the head of Rural Inspection Department in Hakodate.

Shiune, however, made the political alliance with the leader of Nationalist Party in northern Japan provinces, Takamatsu Yoshimisa. Yoshimisa was very influential Party local secretary as most of Party leaders in Karafuto, Hokkaido, and northern Honshu always supported him in the election of Central Committee and made him stays in the body until his death in 1969. Yoshimisa was also very popular Party leader in the North and the Northern Japanese viewed him as the true leader who can carrying Nagayama Yoshida’s legacy. The right-dominated Politburo of the Nationalist Party always failed to dismiss him from his position. He made an independent political base in the North and able to develop his own style of government.

Yoshimisa and Shiune built the North with their peasant-oriented economic policy. Yoshimisa believed the central government economic policy for the liberalization of industry cannot properly implemented in the agricultural North. The wave of industrial liberalization cannot reach the Northern provinces until the early 1970s as the most of major industries still supervised by Yoshimisa’s administration.

After the Sino-Manchurian War in 1950 erupted, Japan pursued strict anti-communist stance and sided with the United States.