Alternative History
Republic of Japan
ダイワミンコク
Timeline: Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum
OTL equivalent: Japan, Taiwan, and southern part of Sakhalin Oblast
Flag of Japan (Myomi Republic) National Emblem of Japan (Myomi)
Flag Emblem
Motto: 
瑞穂魂下
(Classical Japanese)
("Under the Spirit of Land of Abundant Ears of Rice")
Anthem: 
Wagakuni

Location of Japan (Myomi)
Location of Japan
CapitalOtsu
Other cities Kyoto, Nagoya, Sapporo, Taihoku
Official languages Japanese
Other languages Ainu languages; Chinese; Korean; Ryukyuan; Formosan languages
Ethnic groups  Yamato; Ryukyuans; Koreans; Chinese; Ainus
Religion Irreligion; Shintoism; Buddhism; Christianity
Demonym Japanese
Government Unitary state; Presidential republic; Dominant-party system
 -  President Kono Taro
 -  Prime Minister
Legislature National Congress of Japan
Establishment
 -  Founding of the Republic of Japan February 16, 1919 
Population
 -   estimate 151,021,689 
Currency Japanese yen (¥) (JPY)
Time zone JST (UTC+9)
Drives on the left
Internet TLD .jp
Calling code +81

Japan (Japanese: ワコク (和國) Wakoku), officially known as the Republic of Japan (Japanese: ダイワミンコク (大和民國) Daiwa Minkoku), is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, the Soviet Union, Manchuria, Korea, and China, stretching from Karafuto Island in the north to Taiwan Island in the south.

Japan is an archipelago of about 6950 islands. The six largest islands are Karafuto, Ezo, Honshū, Kyūshū, Shikoku and Taiwan, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's eighth largest population, with over 153 million people. The Greater Biwa Area, which includes the capital city of Otsu, former capital city of Kyoto and several surrounding provinces, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 40 million residents.

Climate[]

SapporoFestival8

Sapporo Ice Festival in Sapporo, Ezo in February

The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it into seven principal climatic zones: Northern Islands, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, Ryūkyū Islands, and Taiwan. The northernmost zone, Northern Islands (Karafuto and Ezo), 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.

Himejijo sakura2

Sakura blossoms with Himeji Castle in Hyōgo, Honshu in April.

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. Rainfall varies hugely from place to place throughout the year, but averaging 2600 mm for the island proper. During the winter (November to March), the northeast experiences steady rain, while the central and southern parts of the island are mostly sunny.

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 August 16, 2007. The main rainy season begins in early January in Taiwan, 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[]

Img20080113201409724

The National Congress Building of Japan

The government of Republic of Japan is founded according to the 1921 Constitution of the Republic of Japan (ダイワミンコク オサダメ Daiwa Minkoku Ōsadame), based on the principles of Five-Pointed Star Ideology (ゴボセイシソ, Gobōsei Shisō). The constitution prescribes a political system where the political powers are exercised through deliberative councils in which there is no separation of powers. Rather, the court, the legislature and the government are only arms of said council as an expression of popular will.

The unicameral National Congress (コクミンダイヒョタイカイ Kokumin Daihyō Taikai), also colloquially known as the Ōwatsumari (オワツマリ, literally "big gathering"), is the highest institution of state authority, with absolute powers in legislative, executive, and judicial matters. The Congress has the authority to change and interpret the Constitution. Its members are elected every four years using a strict hierarchical voting system. Members of the National Congress are chosen by prefectural councils, which are in turn elected by residents..

Teien art museum

Teien Building, the official residence of the President of Japan

The National Congress elects the Legislative Council (リッポイン Rippō-in), also colloquially known as the Sadametsukuri (サダメツクリ, literally "law-writer"), from among its members for a two-year term during the interim between sessions. When the National Congress is not in session, the Legislative Council exercises law-making authority and acts on its behalf. In addition, when the Legislative Council may appoint a constitutional commission to interpret the Constitution when the Congress is in recess.

The President of the Republic (ソサイ Sōsai) is the country's head of state and the nominal commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. Unlike other heads of state, the President of Japan is mostly a ceremonial role and, according to the Constitution, can only be defined as an instrument of the Congress. However, the Presidency is the most powerful office by convention, as it is normally occupied by the leaders of the ruling Japanese Nationalist Party. The President of the Republic is elected every four years by the National Congress from among its members and can be re-elected indefinitely. The President is assisted in their works by the Ministers of State and the State Council.

State Guest-House Akasaka Palace, Main Entrance-1

Akasaka Palace, the seat of Council of Ministers of Japan

The Ministers of State (コクムブギョ Kokumu Bugyō) are appointed by the National Congress from among its members by the Presidential recommendation. The Ministers of State are presided by one presiding member who referred as the Prime Minister (ソSōri). With the President's approval, the Prime Minister appoints the ministers without portfolio, heads of state commissions and president of Central Bank which together with the Ministers of State form a single institution that called as the Council of Ministers (カクリョイギ Kakuryō Kaigi).

The State Council (コクムイン Kokumu-in), also known as the Kunisusumeri (クニススメリ, literally "state advisor"), serves as the main advisory body both for the National Congress and the President of the Republic. The members of the State Council are elected for four-year terms through three types of constituencies: regional constituencies, functional constituencies and indigenous constituencies. The regional representatives are elected by the prefectural councils. The functional representatives are elected by the corporate and special interest groups. The indigenous representatives are elected by the designated indigenous peoples of Japan, like the Ainus or the Taiwanese aboriginal peoples.

Supreme Court of Japan 2010

The National Court building in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

The National Court (コクミンサイバンショ Kokumin Saibansho) is the supreme judicature of Japan. Its consists of one Chief Justice and 12 Associate Justices which are appointed by the Congress from among its members every four years. The court has the power to interpret the Constitution and laws on the behalf of the Congress as a court of last resort. The highest court of appeal, the Supreme Court (タカサバメ Takasabame), is in charge of civil and criminal cases, with all of its judges (サバキ sabaki) are appointed for life by the National Court. The National Procuratorate (コクミンケンサツショ Kokumin Kensatsusho) responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crime at the national level.

Administrative divisions[]

The country is divided into insular regions (チホ; Kanji: 地方 chihō), circuits (ド; Kanji:道 ) and autonomous prefectures (ケン; Kanji: 県 ken) at first level.

Name Population Area (km²) Capital
Flag of Hokkaido Prefecture Hokkai-dō (ホッカイド; Kanji: 北海道)
Sorachi (ソラチケン) 365,563 6,558.22 Iwamizawa (イワミザワシ)
Ishikari (イシカリケン) 2,334,241 3,539.86 Sapporo (サッポロシ)
Shiribeshi (シリベシケン) 234,984 4,305.83 Otaru (オタルシ)
Iburi (イブリケン) 419,115 3,698 Muroran (ムロランシ)
Hidaka (ヒダカケン) 76,084 4,811.97 Urakawa (ウラカワチョ)
Oshima (オシマケン) 433,475 3,936.46 Hakodate (ハコダテシ)
Hiyama (ヒヤマケン) 43,210 4,811.97 Esashi (エサシシ)
Kamikawa (カミカワケン) 527,575 10,619.20 Esashi (エサシチョ)
Rumoi (ルモイケン) 53,916 3,445.75 Rumoi (ルモイシ)
Sōya (ソヤケン) 71,423 4,625.09 Wakkanai (ワッカナイシ)
Kitami (キタミケン) 309,487 10,690.62 Abashiri (アバシリシ)
Tokachi (トカチケン) 353,291 10,831.24 Obihiro (オビヒロシ)
Kushiro (クシロケン) 252,571 5,997.38 Kushiro (クシロシ)
Nemuro (ネムロケン) 84,035 3,406.23 Nemuro (ネムロシ)
Karafuto (カラフトケン) 87,100 497,973 Toyohara (トヨハラシ)
Combined 5,368,397 581,396.84 Sapporo (サッポロシ)
Flag of Miyagi Prefecture Tōsan-dō (サンド; 東山道)
Aomori (アオモリケン) 1,249,314 9,645.64 Aomori (アオモリシ)
Iwate (イワテケン) 1,229,432 15,275.01 Morioka (モリオカシ)
Miyagi (ミヤギケン) 2,305,596 7,282.22 Sendai (センダイシ)
Akita (アキタケン) 966,000 11,637.52 Akita (アキタシ)
Yamagata (ヤマガタケン) 1,079,950 9,325.15 Yamagata (ヤマガタシ)
Tochigi (トチギケン) 1,943,886 6,408.09 Utsunomiya (ウツノミヤケン)
Gunma (グンマケン) 1,937,626 6,362.28 Maebashi (マエバシシ)
Nagano (ナガノケン) 2,052,493 13,561.56 Nagano (ナガノシ)
Gifu (ギフケン) 1,991,390 10,621.29 Gifu (ギフシ)
Fukushima (フクシマケン) 1,810,286 13,783.90 Fukushima (フクシマシ)
Combined 8,682,011 66,951.97 Sendai (センダイシ)
Flag of Tokyo Prefecture Tōkai-dō (カイド; 東海道)
Ibaraki (イバラキケン) 2,871,199 6,097.19 Mito (ミトシ)
Saitama (サイタマケン) 7,338,536 3,797.75 Saitama (サイタマシ)
Chiba (チバケン) 6,278,060 5,157.61 Chiba (チバシ)
Tōkyō (キョケン) 13,960,236 2,194.07 Tōkyō (キョ)
Kanagawa (カナガワケン) 9,058,094 2,415.83 Yokohama (ヨコハマケン)
Shizuoka (シズオカケン) 3,637,998 7,777.42 Shizuoka (シズオカシ)
Aichi (アイチケン) 5,172.873 5,172.92 Nagoya (ナゴヤシ)
Mie (ミエケン) 1,781,948 5,774.41 Tsu (ツシ)
Combined 42,607,376 32,423.90 Tōkyō (キョ)
Flag of Aichi Prefecture Hokuriku-dō
(ホクリクド; 北陸道)
Niigata (ガタケン) 2,227,496 12,584.18 Niigata (ガタシ)
Toyama (トヤマケン) 1,044,588 4,247.61 Toyama (トヤマシ)
Ishikawa (イシカワケン) 1,140,573 4,186.09 Kanazawa (カナザワシ)
Fukui (フクイケン) 778,943 4,190.49 Fukui (フクイシ)
Combined 23,010,276 72,572.34 Nagoya (ナゴヤシ)
Flag of Kyoto Prefecture Kinki-dō (キンキド; 近畿道)
Ōtsu (ツシ) 1,412,916 4,017.38 Ōtsu (ツシ)
Kyōto (キョトケン) 2,579,921 4,612.19 Kyōto (キョトシ)
Ōsaka (サカケン) 8,823,358 1,905.14 Ōsaka (サカシ)
Nara (ナラケン) 1,321,805 3,691.09 Nara (ナラシ)
Wakayama (ワカヤマケン) 944,320 4,724.69 Wakayama (ワカヤマシ)
Combined 22,757,897 33,124.82 Kyōto (キョトシ)
Flag of Hiroshima Prefecture San'in-dō (サンインド; 山陰道)
Hyōgo (ヒョゴケン) 570,569 3,507.05 Kobe (ベシ)
Tottori (トットリケン) 570,569 3,507.05 Tottori (トットリシ)
Shimane (シマネケン) 665,205 6,708.26 Matsue (マツエシ)
Combined 22,757,897 33,124.82 Kyōto (キョトシ)
Flag of Hiroshima Prefecture San'yō-dō (サンヨウド; 山陽道)
Okayama (オカヤマケン) 1,906,464 7,114.50 Okayama (オカヤマシ)
Hiroshima (ヒロシマケン) 2,811,410 8,749.43 Hiroshima (ヒロシマシ)
Yamaguchi (ヤマグチケン) 1,377,631 6,112.30 Yamaguchi (ヤマグチシ)
Combined 7,563,428 31,922.26 Hiroshima (ヒロシマシ)
Flag of Ehime Prefecture Nankai-dō (ナンカイド; 南海道)
Tokushima (トクシマケン) 728,633 4,146.80 Tokushima (トクシマシ)
Kagawa (カガワケン) 949,358 1,876.80 Takamatsu (タカマツシ)
Ehime (エヒメケン) 1,342,011 5,676.23 Matsuyama (マツヤマシ)
Kōchi (チケン) 757,914 7,103.93 Kōchi (チシ)
Combined 3,845,534 18,801.73 Matsuyama (マツヤマシ)
Flag of Fukuoka Prefecture Saikai-dō (サイカイド; 西海道)
Fukuoka (フクオカケン) 5,109,323 4,986.52 Fukuoka (フクオカシ)
Saga (サガケン) 809,248 2,440.68 Saga (サガシ)
Nagasaki (ナガサキケン) 1,314,078 4,130.88 Nagasaki (ナガサキシ)
Kumamoto (クマモトケン) 1,748,134 7,409.48 Kumamoto (クマモトシ)
Ōita (イタケン) 1,136,245 6,340.73 Ōita (イタケンシ)
Miyazaki (ミヤザキケン) 1,073,054 7,735.32 Miyazaki (ミヤザキシ)
Kagoshima (カゴシマケン) 1,599,779 9,187.01 Kagoshima (カゴシマシ)
Okinawa (オキナワケン) 1,457,162 2,281 Naha (ナハシ)
Combined 14,311,224 36,782 Fukuoka (フクオカシ)
Flag of Taiwan proposed 1996 Taiwan-dō (タイワン; Kanji: 臺灣道)
Taihoku (タイホクケン) 7,484,997 4,594.24 Taihoku (タイホクシ)
Shinchiku (シンチクケン) 3,823,502 4,570.01 Shinchiku (シンチクシ)
Taichū (タイチュケン) 4,619,905 7,382.94 Taichū (タイチュ)
Tainan (タイナンケン) 3,358,307 5,421.46 Tainan (タイナンシ)
Takao (タカオケン) 3,612,128 5,721.87 Takao (タカオシ)
Karenkō (カレンコケン) 333,392 4,628.57 Karenkō (カレンコ)
Taitō (タイトケン) 224,470 3,515.25 Taitō (タイト)
Hōko (コケン) 101,758 126.86 Makō (マコ)
Combined 23,558,459 35,961.2 Taihoku (タイホクシ)

History[]

Kofun period (250–522)[]

Rimiko0

A depiction of Queen Himiko of Yamatai and her court

Japan first appears in written history in the Chinese Book of Han in 82 CE as “Wakoku” (コク), which means the land of dwarfs. At that time, Japan comprised by many smaller polities in Eastern Honshu and Kyushu which occasionally in conflicts with each other. According to the records of the Three Kingdoms in 280, the most powerful kingdom on Japan during the third century was called Yamataikoku, by a shaman-queen named Himiko (183-248). Himiko unified the warring Wa states into a loose confederation.

After the death of Himiko, Japan was succumbed into the period of disorder until Iyo, a 13-year old female relative of Himiko, became the new shaman-queen. From the third to fifth century, many Wa kingdoms were continuously at war with each other as well as with several polities on the southern Korea. By the fourth century, the Kinai chiefdoms became more prominent among other Wa polities. To strengthen its position, the Kinai state allied with the Korean kingdom of Baekje and received many skilled Baekje immigrants who later helped to build Kinai society. The Kinai state later will transformed into the Yamato Dynasty which will ruled Japan for about 1600 years.

Early Medieval Japan (522-1282)[]

2010.10

Heijō-kyū, the royal palace of Japan during Nara period

Yamato was firmly established during the Asuka period (522-710) in the sixth century. The Soga clan which descended from Baekje assumed the control of Yamato court under Empress Suiko (554-628; r. 593-628) and her nephew Prince Shotoku (574-622). They established Asuka, now in the south of Nara, as the center of Yamato state, employed the Chinese writing system, adopted Buddhism as the state religion and established a Confucian-based centralized state to curb the opposition from the animistic rival clans and legitimize the new imperial line.

In 710, the new imperial capital was established in Heijō-kyō (modern Nara). The Nara period (710–784) of the eighth century 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 (ヘイアンキョ modern Kyoto) in 794.

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Re-enactments of Yamato royal guards at Heijō-kyū

In 1185, Minamoto no Yoritomo usurped the power from the imperial court and formed a military dictatorship called the Bakufu (バク) in Kamakura in Kantō. During the Kamakura period (1185-1282), the warrior class called the buke (ブ) dominated the country’s politics. After the death of Yoritomo in 1199, the Bakufu was soon dominated by the Hōjō clan, Yoritomo’s in-laws which hereditarily occupied the position of shikken (シッケン "regent of the bakufu").

Kōwa period and Kemmu Restoration (1282–1346)[]

Further information: Mongol invasions of Japan, Kōwa era, and Kemmu Restoration
Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba 2

Mongol invasion to Japan (1282)

In 1274, the Mongols invaded Japan after the Japanese rulers refused to submit as a tributary. However, the invasion was failed after a great storm hit the Mongol vessels in the Hakata Bay. The Mongols, however, did not give up and invaded Japan for the second time in 1282. With the superiority of the Mongol forces, the noblemen launched a coup against the Kamakura Bakufu and Emperor Go-Uda then made peace with the Mongols. The warrior rule was ended and the Bakufu institution was marginalized into the so-called Kamei Bakufu (メイバク “nominal bakufu”). Between 1282 and 1368, Japan became a tributary state of Yuan Dynasty.

Politically, the Yuan invasion resulted in the restoration of court nobles' political power surrounding the Japanese emperors and the fall of the buke warriors hegemony. As the patrons of Japanese culture, the aristocratic class, kuge, had weakened the influences of the buke in political and religious scene. Many warriors were replaced as the feudal officials by the members of imperial family and the aristocracy. Buddhist schools, such as Shingon and Tendai, were patronized and protected by the government which attempted to establish religious orthodoxy. Nevertheless, the Jōdo and Nichiren schools, which gained acceptance among peasants and warriors alike, emerged among the masses against the expanding political authority of imperial aristocrats.

Jesus depiction on a 14th century Japanese silk painting (Nightcafe AI generated)

Jesus depicted on a 15th century Japanese silk painting.

As part of the Mongol imperial domain, Japan also had extensive cultural contacts with other regions of the world, including the introduction of Chinese Manichaeism and the arrival of Christian missionaries, European diplomatic envoys, and Muslim traders from the Middle East. In 1346, famed Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta, arrived at Hakata and found many Muslim merchants from Central Asia have resided at Hakata, Jeju, Tsushima and Kyoto. An account from Hungarian Dominican missionary, Father Adrian, who arrived at Japan in 1390 mentioned that the adherents of the Church of the East had arrived and settled at Japan from China since the late 13th century. There were also limited numbers of Manicheans lived at Japan during this period.

Although the imperial rule was restored after the Mongol invasion, ambitious Emperor Go-Daigo determined to increase his own legitimacy and eliminate his potential opponents from power. Unlike his predecessors, Go-Daigo was a very assertive emperor; he wanted to unify all Japan under a single rule of the imperial court with a high degree of centralization. In 1320, Emperor Go-Daigo issued a series of edicts which intended to remove Mongol influences in the government. The first of them was the Jōteki Edict (攘狄令, "edict to expel the northern barbarians"), which ordered the removals of Yuan administrators from Japan. Go-Daigo also banned the practices of Islam and Christianity which were introduced during the Yuan era.

Emperor Godaigo

Emperor Go-Daigo (1288–1339, r.1318–1339)

To consolidate his rule, Go-Daigo moved further by removing pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers. In 1325, the emperor abolished the Kamei Bakufu, an institution governed by Prince Masayasu who was descended from a Kubilai Khan's daughter and moved the capital from Kyoto to Ōtsu, near Lake Biwa. This action triggered a civil war between the pro-Emperor and pro-Bakufu forces. After Go-Daigo succeed in getting rid the Kamei Bakufu in 1333, one of his generals, Ashikaga Takauji, rebelled and re-established the Bakufu in Kamakura in 1338, intensified the strife within the country. After ten years of warfare, the rebellion was able to be put down by the imperial forces in 1345. To prevent another strife, the Shōhei Code was adopted in 1346 to reform the internal structure of the imperial government.

Kakai era (1346–1543)[]

Further information: Kakai era
19th century illustration of Emperor Go-Kameyama

Emperor Go-Kameyama (1347–1424, r.1383–1424) expanded the military influences of Japan overseas.

During the mid-14th century, Go-Daigo's successor, Emperor Go-Murakami, broke down powerful shōen estates under local landlords and re-established imperial governance in every lands by replacing the feudal landlords with the members of imperial and noble families. Military clans' influences slowly declined and many powerful military posts were filled by the imperial princes. Among of these princes were Prince Kaneyoshi, the half-brother of Go-Murakami, and Prince Hironari, the younger son of Go-Murakami, which both were the proponents of a strong naval build-up, moving away from traditional land-based military, against the rise of Ming Dynasty in China. Hironari engineered invasions to the Ryukyus and Takasago to gain tributes from the local polities between 1386 and 1395.

When Hironari ascended to the throne as Emperor Go-Kameyama in 1383, Japan began an expansion of its naval powers in earnest. In 1401, Go-Kameyama dispatched an expedition to Pangasinan, a local polity in Luzon, the modern-day Philippines and established suzerainty over the polity. Similar mission was sent to Tondo, another polity in Luzon, in 1404, but was rejected harshly by the locals. Japan invaded Tondo twice, first in 1406 which was repulsed by the latter, and second in 1408 which killed its chief and subjugated the polity under the Japanese suzerainty. Japan maintained suzerainty over the Philippine polities for the next 150 years and controlled the trade networks between China and Southeast Asia, unnecessitated Japan from having direct trade relations with China which required nominal subjugation.

A monograph of the Paradiseidae or birds of paradise (Plate II) BHL44792765

Bird-of-paradise, mentioned in the medieval Japanese records as the mythological phoenix, was highly prized for its feathers.

Go-Kameyama's successor, Emperor Seishō, integrated Japan with global maritime network by establishing trades with Majapahit and the Li Dynasty, dominating the seas in East and Southeast Asia with powerful naval forces. In 1435, Japan began its first treasure voyage, called Kaban (バン, "exploration to the south"), to the waters in modern-day eastern Indonesia. The first voyage was led by Ōno Toshimitsu which sailed to Pangasinan, Tondo, Mait, Cebu, Sulu, Banjarmasin, Tuban, Surabaya, Bali, Lombok, Makassar, Ambon, Banda, Kaimana, Wanin and Ternate. The fleet gathered tributes and gifts, including spices, fabrics, dried sea cucumbers and bird-of-paradise feathers. Followed-up expeditions were dispatched to 1440, 1444, 1446, 1450 and 1452.

In the middle of the 15th century, Japan explored into the northern seas instead. In 1461, a survey expedition was sent to the wilderness of Ezo and Karafuto, solidifying the imperial rule over the hunter-gatherer societies, such as the Ainus and the Nivkhs. Ainu headmen were granted Japanese administrative titles and, in return, they were required to send tributes to the imperial court. The Ainus provided animal furs and dried fishes, such as salmons and herrings, as well as falcon feathers and seaweed, in exchange to rice, cotton and iron products. When the Japanese expeditionary fleet sailed to the Kamchatka Peninsula, they encountered hostilities from Koryak and Alyutor tribes. A punitive expedition was sent in 1467, massacring the local tribes in a merciless slaughter.

19th century illustration of Monk Renka (Microsoft Bing AI generated)

Prominent Buddhist scholar Renka (1470–1536) visited Australia during his lifetime.

Japan had reached an age of stability and prosperity, or Furyū An'nai (豊隆安内), by the end of the 15th century. Trades overseas also became relaxed and the merchants were permitted to trade with every foreign countries except China, which was conducted only through Ryukyu. Treasure voyages were ceased to continue and foreign merchants were allowed to harbor and trade at the determined ports albeit with a strict license system. Individual voyages abroad became more frequent by the 16th century. Many Japanese merchants began to settle in the major port cities across the Maritime Silk Route, such as Chittagong, Palembang, Surabaya and Pangasinan. There were records that the Japanese ships had reached Australia and Aotearoa, although commercial activities with the local communities there were only fully realized a century later.

Seibō era (1543–1707)[]

Further information: Seijū trade
Nanbansen2

Seijū ships arriving for trade in Japan, 17th century.

In 1543, a Portuguese ship stranded at Tanegashima, the first European contact with the Japanese since 1390. Within two years after their first arrival, the Portuguese began to conduct regular trade with the Japanese, starting the Seijū trade period, or the Seibō era; the Japanese referred the Europeans as the "western barbarians" (西戎, Seijū). By 1550, the Portuguese had established a commercial route that was started at Goa, India and ended at Japan. In 1563, Emperor Sukō leased Kagoshima to the Portuguese as their trading port. As a result, Japan was integrated to global trading network. The most valuable commodities exchanged in the trade with the Portuguese were Chinese silks for Japanese silver, which was then traded in China for more silk. The Portuguese were soon followed by the Spanish in 1587 and the Dutch in 1600.

Christian-Mass-in-Japan-Nanban-Screen-Kano-Naizen-c1600-(cropped)

Christian mass during the Seibo-era Japan, ca. 1600.

Japanese integration with the global trading network re-introduced foreign religions to the Japanese. Through the Portuguese and the Spanish, Christianity became widespread. Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians actively propagated the Christian faith. Although most of Christians were concentrated in southeastern Kyushu, prominent noble and feudal lord families, such as the Shigaraki, Kikuchi, Shimazu, and clans, had also converted to Christianity during this period. In the Ryukyus, Islam was proselytized by the Muslim merchants and missionaries from Southeast Asia and Arabia. During his reign, King Shō Nei built the Grand Mosque of Shuri in 1600 for the Muslim community of the islands and invited many Muslims to serve as advisors, eunuchs, and envoys at his court. By the end of the 18th century, more than half of the Okinawa population had embraced Islamic religious traditions, such as abstention from eating pork and adoption of Islamic burial practice.

Societal changes were occurred in Japan due to this historical development. Japanese Christians began to hold significant positions in the government, such as Kikuchi Narinaga which served the Minister of the Left (左大臣 Sadaijin) and Shimazu Yoshihisa which became one of the Imperial Chamberlains (侍従 Jijū). The Jesuits also asserted their influences in the government through João Rodrigues which served an advisor to the Otsu court. As a result of the growth and the vast scope of commercial activities, a new social class emerged in the urban areas: shōnin (商人) or chōnin (町人). The chōnin asserted their influences in the government by bribing kuge nobles at the capital and the provinces to buy political appointments. This merchant class also became patrons of arts in the port-cities such Shimoda and Kagoshima, establishing a new mass, urban culture.

A traditional Japanese painting of the Japanese living in Cambodia in 17th century (Ideogram AI generated)

A Japanese traditional painting depicting a Nihonmachi on Phnom Penh, Cambodia, during the 17th century.

Due to their close relationships with the Portuguese who had taken Malacca in 1511, Japanese overseas operations and presence in Southeast Asia and other parts of the region flourished between the 16th and 17th centuries. Sizable Japanese communities, referred to as Nihonmachi, started to appear in many of the major ports and political centers of the region, including Pangasinan, Manila, Batavia, Hội An, and Phnom Penh. Aside to Southeast Asia, Japanese traders ventured to the remote islands of Oceania, reaching as far south as Aotearoa (蓬萊, Hōrai—a reference to a Chinese mythological mountain) for whaling and cabbage tree trade, and as far east as Hawaii (扶桑, Fusō—a reference to a Chinese mythological island) for sandalwood.[1] Some theories even suggest that Japanese sailors may have crossed the Pacific Ocean and landed on the coasts of the Americas, engaging in trade with Native Americans.[2][3][4]

Empress Go-Suiko in traditional Japanese painting (Ideogram AI-generated)

Empress Go-Suikō of Japan (1560–1622; r. 1588–1609).

After her ascension in 1588, Empress Go-Suikō expressed an imperial ambition to conquer China. She shoved aside the Portuguese influences on her court and began to favor the Spanish. Under the Hispano-Japanese alliance, Japan invaded Korea and northern China, while Spain dispatched troops to occupy southern China in 1590. Japan successfully subjugated the Joseon dynasty under its suzerainty, although the Ming, led by the Wanli Emperor, were able to contain the Japanese in Guandong and expel the Spanish from Fujian and Guangzhou. Disastrous effects of the invasions, which almost emptied the imperial treasury, led several senior noblemen to replace Go-Suikō with Emperor Go-Konoe in 1602.

Under the influence of Portuguese Jesuits who convinced the court of Spanish imperial design on Japan, Japan closed Hirado, a port reserved for Spanish trade, in 1645 and restricted trading overseas with red-seal system, which required the merchants permit from the emperor to able to engage in commerce abroad, in 1647. By the 17th century, the Japanese maritime empire imploded, losing Takasago to the Spanish in 1626, Korea to the Jurchens (which later referred themselves as "Manchus") in 1629, as well as Karafuto and Ezo to the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in 1689 and 1698, respectively. In April 1706, the Qing invaded Japan, but were stopped during the Battle of Shinano in May 1706. Although failed, the invasion prompted Japan to turn into isolationism further. In 1707, Emperor Go-Ashihara implemented the Fusen Fubō (不戰不貿, "no war and no trade") policy, effectively closed Japan from outside world, marking the start of the Sakoku period.

Sakoku era (1707–1853)[]

References[]

  1. Braden, W. E. (1976). On the probability of pre-1778 Japanese drifts to Hawaii. Hawaiian Journal of History, 10, 75–89
  2. Roewer, L., Nothnagel, M., Gusmão, L., Gomes, V., González, M., Corach, D., ... & Ribeiro-dos-Santos, A. (2013). Continent-Wide Decoupling of Y-Chromosomal Genetic Variation from Language and Geography in Native South Americans. PLoS Genet, 9(4), e1003460. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003460
  3. Callaghan, R. T. (2005). Pre-Columbian contacts between the Asian Far East and the northwest coast of North America: A computer simulation. Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia, 3(23), 109-119.
  4. Underhill, P. A., Jin, L., Zemans, R., Oefner, P. J., & Cavalli-Sforza, L. L. (1996). A pre-Columbian Y chromosome-specific transition and its implications for human evolutionary history. Proceedings of the national Academy of sciences, 93(1), 196-200. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.1.196

Further readings[]

This article is part of Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum