Japan (Asia for the Asiatics!)

Empire of Greater Japan
大日本帝國
Timeline: Asia for the Asiatics!
OTL equivalent: Japan, Korea, Sakhalin and Manchuria

Flag Coat of Arms Location of Empire of Greater Japan Motto Eight Cords, One Roof ("Hakkō ichiu")
Anthem	"Kimigayo - Imperial Reign"
Capital	Tokyo
Largest city	Tokyo
Other cities	Kyoto, Seoul, Pyongyang, Shenyang, Taipei
Language   official	Japanese
others	Korean, Mandarin
Religion   main	Shinto
others	Buddhism, Shenism, Christianity
Ethnic Groups   main	Yamato
others	Ainu, Ryukyuan, Manchu, Han, Korean
Demonym	Japanese
Government	Constitutional Federal Monarchy with a Parliamentary Democracy
Legislature	Imperial Diet
Emperor	Akihito
Imperial House:	Yamato
Crown Prince	Naruhito
Prime Minister	undefined
Population	278,000,000 people
Established	3 January 1868
Currency	Yen
Organizations	AEC, ADL

The Empire of Greater Japan is a world superpower that dominates the Asia-Pacific region. It is the world's second largest economy and leading space-faring nation. It rose to greatness following World War II when it defeated the combined might of the Allied Powers in Asia. Following the war, they secured their domination of Asia and expanded their military might to compete with United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.

History

A New Course

After much lobbying, Ito Hirobumi was able to obtain a reversal of the Korean annexation treaty and establish the Japanese-Korean dynastic union. As a result, Korea began to be integrated into the Empire of Japan and PanAsianism grew within the ranks of the Japanese political leadership, including the Imperial Family. In addition, the new union weakened the Japanese military support with the political leadership because of the obvious failure of their tactics, compared to those that were used. Over time, this would lead to the relative weakening of the military, politically, and greater strength for the Imperial Diet.

World War I

At the request of its ally, Great Britain, the Empire of Japan officially entered World War I on August 23, 1914 with its declaration of war against the German Empire. The war had been raging for several months and the British wished to expedite their victory against the Germans. Before the end of the year, the Japanese seized the German-controlled port of Tsingtao, China along with the German-leased island territories in the western Pacific. During the remaining years of the war, Japan contributed its naval ships to assist the British in other theatres of the war and helped suppress a mutiny in Singapore.

During the war, Japan meanwhile presented the Republican demands to China and sought to expand their influences in the country. After the Republican Demands were rejected, the Japanese government began supporting Sun Yat-sen and the KMT. With Japanese support, the KMT was able to successfully establish a government in southern China in 1917.