A Thousand Years of Happy Reign: Japan during the Showa Era, 1936-1963

[Ab Ovo]

A Thousand Years of Happy Reign:
Japan during the Showa Era, 1936-1963
​

Updates:

Chapter I: Ryooyaku Kuchi ni Nigashi
Chapter II: Tsuno o tamete ushi o korosu
Chapter III: Keizoku wa chikara nari
Chapter IV: Saru mo ki kara ochimasu
Chapter V: Shōri wa heiwadesu
Chapter VI: Seibu sensen no subete no shizukana
Chapter VII: Kimigayo wa chiyo ni yachiyo ni

Epilogue


Interludes:

Interlude: Bez kota mysham razdol'ye

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter I:
Ryooyaku Kuchi ni Nigashi
​

Tokyo, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

Ito Mizushima, Minister of the Imperial Household, glowered irritably at the sky. Winter had been lingering and wet and even in May the weather was still rainy and uncooperative. He put up the collar of his greatcoat and quickened his step. Meetings with the Daihon'ei were generally arrived to several minutes early; and it seemed that he would be arriving several minutes late. Damn the weather, damn the maid that his wife insisted he beat, and damn his wife for that matter. Ito sighed and gently massaged his temple as he went along. He just knew that today was going to be a long day...

The Niigata Protests in their infancy
​

1936 was a busy year for the Japanese government. On May 16th, an industrial strike in the city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, spiraled swiftly out of control. Workers occupying an automotive parts plant owned by the large manufacturing company Nippon Seiki scuffled with police who were called in to break up the strike; and as a result two of the striking workers were killed. Sympathetic workers who heard about the deaths quickly went on strike as well and soon substantial portions of Nagaoka's industrial district had abandoned any pretense of labour; instead calling for a general strike if their nebulous 'demands' weren't met. Prefectural authorities in Niigata proper were consulted and eventually Governor Hirohiko Izumida decided to reinforce the police in Nagaoka, rather than send in the army or negotiate.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, the Imperial General Headquarters (Daihon'ei) met to discuss the status of Formosa. The Qing government in Beijing, as well as the other Chinese warlord factions, all laid claim to Formosa as integrally Chinese territory; and increasing incidences of nationalism concerned the government highly. The question at hand was whether to integrate Formosa as an integral member of the Home Islands, to leave it as a colony, or to grant it independence. Ultimately it was decided that Formosa would be formally integrated, at the insistence of the ever more powerful Hawk faction within the Japanese government. At the Olympics that summer, Japan dominated the swimming competition; taking home several medals -- including quite a few gold medals. The Emperor congratulated them in a public radio address, and the nation as a whole celebrated the athletic prowess of the Yamato race. All was not well, however...

On July 21st, the Daihon'ei met in a special emergency session convened by His Imperial Majesty; to address the spread of the Niigata protests. Although the feeling of national fraternity engendered by the Olympics had helped bind the open wound that the strikes and demonstrations had quickly become, it wasn't enough. Governor Izumida's order to increase police presence in Nagaoka had only made matters worse and now the entire country was gripped by rumours of an impending general strike after a very public meeting of the trade unions. Something had to be done. While records of the Daihon'ei's meeting have not survived, the actions that resulted are etched in the history books: dismissing Suzuki Kisaburo, his ruthless Minister of Security, the Emperor declared a state of martial law throughout the Empire in an attempt to stave off a debilitating general strike.

 

[trekfan]

Following with interest!

 

[der Kriegsherr]

Oh, it's a Kaiserreich AAR! I'm almost ashamed that I didn't pick up on it right away!
I await with interest your purging of Asia of the decadent Europeans and red scum!

 

[MastahCheef117]

Ist sehr gut.

Will be following!

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter II:
Tsuno o tamete ushi o korosu
​

Tokyo, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

Kenkichi Yoshizawa sighed. Korea was making trouble again. Korea always made trouble, like a flower booming in the spring. If the flower smelled like horse shit. He sighed again; Japanese or not, he wasn't very good at poetry. Japan's relationship with Korea had in the eyes of the Japanese always been one of subservient reciprocity. Korea knew her place and stayed there, and in return Japan would grace the peninsula with the enlightened benefits of her civilisation. But ever since Korea was formally annexed, things had been tense. The Emperor of Korea had escaped abroad and his government in exile occasionally yammered; hoping to find a sympathetic ear. They were yammering again, and this time people were listening.

After Japan left the Entente to pursue a career as a nonaligned power, her former allies regarded her with bitterness. Yoshizawa had often sat through excruciating unpleasant meetings with Canadian or Pied-noir diplomats as they did everything in their power to flout the subtle conventions of Japanese social norms, purely for the purpose of being spiteful. Now the "Imperial Government of Korea" sat in exile in Algiers, and the Emperor's ambassador there was being pressured to enter into negotiations with them. He had written back home asking for advice from the Emperor's own counsel, and now he had to be answered. Shinjimae. The French, and the Koreans at that, could go to hell.

A photograph commemorating the establishment of the Korean government in exile, 1919
​

Soon after the Emperor's declaration of martial law, troubles arose in Korea. Pressure by the National French government, including King Jean III himself, on the Japanese ambassador in Algiers to negotiate with the Korean exile government were roundly rejected by Tokyo. Only four days later, on November 15th, reports from Vladivostock indicated that Transamur's Korean minority was agitating heavily for their government to support Korean independence. Transamur was a loyal client of the Empire -- even moreso after the establishment of a Soviet, syndicalist regime in Moscow -- and His Majesty's Government wasn't unduly concerned. Even so, Japan's representative pushed for a crackdown on the activities of the Koreans. News on the 30th of November that the AOG had declared war on the Legation Cities triggered severe protests from Tokyo, concerned that Japan would no longer receive her cut, but ultimately nothing could be done.

On December 8th, the Daihon'ei convened again; this time to discuss the status of the martial law implemented in light of the Niigata riots. After hours of debate between those who wished to see the period of martial law continue indefinitely -- mostly the military members of the Council -- and the civilian politicians who claimed the martial law had done it's job, the latter eventually won out: martial law was lifted; and special elections were scheduled for later that same month. The Minister of War resigned in protest, alongside the Armaments Minister and the Chief of Staff, and Prime Minister Tsuyoshi retired due to old age in the face of upcoming elections but as a whole the nation breathed a sigh of relief. On December 13th, as news broke of the AOG's swift annexation of the Legation Cities, the reconvened Diet considered a law proposed by a conservative MD banning syndicalist parties. Political observers predicted that the bill would fail due to the prevailing liberal sentiment of the establishment; and were promptly proven correct. The interim Prime Minister -- leading liberal constitutionalist Osachi Hamaguchi -- praised the Diet's actions as "a victory for Japanese freedom of speech." The next day the Emperor dissolved the Diet and called for elections.

The Rikken Minseitō won a major upset victory, unseating the conservative incumbent Rikken Seiyūkai and signalling a new era of Japanese liberalism. The Emperor invited Minseitō's leader -- who was, conveniently, Osachi Hamaguchi -- to form a new government; and he promptly did so. One of the first acts of the new government was to call a conference between the regional powers to discuss the annexation of the Legation Cities; which had been under the joint investment and protection of most of the powers that be in Asia. Embarrassingly however none of those invited actually decided to accept the invitation. Japan thus moved into 1937 with a fresh new government, but one which had already been tainted by failure.

 

[der Kriegsherr]

Okay, Yoshizawa-san's poetic incompetence had me laughing out loud.

 

[MacGowan]

Another KR AAR? I feel like it would be more interesting just to see a new direction with Japan 1936 in the Vanilla DH.
That being said, I love the writing, and I will have to see what happens next!

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter III:
Keizoku wa chikara nari
​

Kyoto, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

Tomoyuki Tanabe was not generally a busy man. Kyoto was a quiet city raking in income from temples and domestic tourists; and as such the mayor had very little to do. So it was that he was sitting at his desk on a bright Sunday morning reading this week's edition of Nihon Keizai Shimbun instead of actually working. The papers today focused on a recent speech by the new Foreign Minister describing Japan's 'rising sun' in international affairs, and making a commitment to a new, benevolent colonialism in the aftermath of the United States promptly collapsing. Tanabe grimaced. He'd voted for Minseitō in the last election -- like most people had -- and was unsure whether he liked this aggressive foreign policy. He knew that the party had kept her promises of democracy and civilian rule at home, and as a politician he understood that a strong foreign policy would poach conservative votes. But still...

"Tomoyuki-sama?"

Startled, he looked up. It was his secretary.

"You have a speech to give in honour of Prince Hitachi's visit."

Ice shot down his veins. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. The mayor leapt from his seat and dashed for the door.

African-American soldiers on the outskirts of Galax, Virginia
​

The collapse of the United States in the spring of 1937 brought new opportunities for Japan; as Foreign Minister Shidehara Kijuro in his famous "Rising Sun Speech" outlined a new pseudo-colonialist foreign policy. On March 10th, a contingent of the Imperial Japanese Navy went to port in Guam; seizing it in the name of the Emperor, while a report of the Foreign Ministry delivered to the Daihon'ei laid the groundwork for a convocation of that body on the fourth of April; discussing the matter of Hawaii. Hawaii had declared independence from the USA after the secession of California from the union, the haole aristocracy dominating the new republic. It was a ripe target for expansion -- liberating the large Asian/Buddhist minority from a European yolk. The new Daihon'ei was markedly more liberal than it's predecessor however; and opted to apply diplomatic pressure to Honolulu instead of deploying the Navy once more. This turned out to be serendipitous, as Japan would need all the military muscle she had at her disposal.

Less than two weeks later, panicked reports flooded into Tokyo from Seoul: the Koreans were revolting, and they had foreign arms. Something had to be done. Quickly, sensing their chance, the Formosan Bunka Kyokai (Cultural Association) approached Japan with an offer: either allow for Formosan independence or face the consequences. Ordinarily they would have been arrested without a second thought, but the situation in Korea required further thought. The Diet was convened in an immediate emergency session and after much bickering decided that negotiating with the Formosans would be better than having to put down yet another armed rebellion. This proved prescient as the Bunka Kyokai was more than amenable to the needs of the Japanese. Given Taipei, the newly-independent Formosa actually only occupied a sliver of the island as the rest remained in the hands of Tokyo; either as a direct possession or a "lease" for military purposes. The effect, many observed, was as if Formosa was not independent at all.

So much the better as far as the government was concerned. The Diet also passed special legislation requisitioning convoys as troop transports, and produced a wash of anti-Korean propaganda which blanketed Japan. They stopped short of censorship however; shooting down a bill by a conservative which proposed that the press be heavily regulated during the course of the rebellion. Foolish Koreans were not an excuse for curtailing the born liberties of the people, much to the chagrin of the military. On April 19th news of success came from Honolulu, as the Hawaiians capitulated to Japanese demands and signed the Japanese-Hawaiian Treaty of Amity, 1937; which saw them become a formal protectorate of the Empire. Meanwhile, Japan still scrambled to marshal troops for the restoration of order to Korea. Japanese, Manchurian, Transamurite, and even Formosan troops all gathered to defend the Japanese territory that remained in northern Korea; holding onto what little part of the peninsula remained under Imperial control while preparing for an offensive to take the rest of it back. The time for that offensive came on June 10th, as the Daihon'ei sent a directive to the Japanese commander in Hamhung: it was time. By August, the coalition forces had reached the outskirts of Seoul and Japan had imposed a full naval blockade on the Korean peninsula; cutting them off from foreign aid or supplies.

Upon receiving a proposal of peace from the Koreans, which centered around Korea being divided with a Japanese north Korea and an independent south Korea it is said that the Emperor literally spat in distaste. The idea of some ridiculous divided Korea was rightfully rejected as a farce by the Foreign Ministry, and the joint commanders in Korea were instructed to renew their offensive as soon as their troops were rested and ready. September 16th marked the recapture of Seoul and the reinstatement of Jirō Minami as Governor-General of Korea as the illegitimate Korean government fled south and seated itself in Busan. By November there were rumblings in Tokyo at the great expense of the continuing blockade of Korea when it seemed that victory was at hand; but arguments that any renewal of foreign support could severely endanger the war effort even now managed to sustain the blockade. Thankfully the war soon drew to a close as two brutal offenses in early December brought the Koreans to their knees. Busan, the last bastion of an independent Korea, fell on the 18th, and the Japanese government formally re-assumed control of the peninsula on the 29th after executing most of the members of the Korean government in exile; including the Korean Imperial Family. Japan was now entering difficult economic times in the aftermath of such a prolonged rebellion, and the Diet voted to enact a few temporary measures to devalue the yen in order to combat them before declaring a recess. 1938 waited with hope and trepidation, to see what a new year may bring.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Interlude:
Bez kota mysham razdol'ye
​

Vladivostock
The State of Transamur,

October 20th, 1938

"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a poor sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a poor sinner. Lo-"

On the third great thump of rifle-butts, the doors leading into the nave bowed and then splintered into a thousand shards. In after the shards came a gaggle of Soviet troops, their commander -- as he must have been -- shouting in an accent that was nearly unrecognisable. The nave was practically empty as priests and worshipers departed long ago with the news of the Soviet invasion; and the sound of shouting and the smashing of icons echoed throughout the empty cathedral.

"Vy! Vstavay!"

"Lord Jesus Chri-"

The icon he was kneeling in front of promptly exploded into flinders, and he felt a rifle butt hit him in the side of his head. Blood filled his mouth and he felt teeth swish around as he struggled to stand.

"Ya skazal, vstavay! Teper, vstavay!"

"Da, da," he mumbled obstinately as he was hauled to his feet, "ya vstal."

Another whack on the side of the head, this time hard enough for his vision to flicker and go out.

Meanwhile, at the Japanese embassy...

Ito Mizushima gazed impassively at Admiral Alexander Kolchak, Generalissimo and Prime Minister of Transamur. He had hoped that his appointment to be ambassador to one of Japan's most steadfast puppets could signal a quiet and comfortable retirement. And all in all, it had been. Daily meetings with Kolchak were a bit wearying but on the whole of things he had managed to live a very comfortable life in Vladivostok. Not anymore.

He held up a hand, silencing the Admiral's fulminations and schemes against the Soviet regime.

"Your Excellency, at this time His Imperial Majesty's Government is -- while strongly reproachful of the actions of Petrograd, and expressing sympathy with your people -- not prepared to intervene militarily."

Kolchak stared at him disbelievingly.

"You can't do this to me! You can't do this to Transamur! We had an alliance, Mizushima! Ties! What cowardice is this?!"

"It's not cowardice, it's intelligence. Your Excellency, the Soviets have toppled the Mongolian government and established a puppet. Our military intelligence reports that Soviet troops movements are taking place within Mongolia proper, as well as on the Russo-Fengtien border. Add to that the fact that we just fought a war against Korean rebels. Do you honestly think Japan is willing to engage in protracted conflict with a world power that threatens one of our most valuable allies, simply for the sake of your vanity project? Transamur has been useful to Japan, but is now a liability."

The Admiral's mouth gaped open and shut, reminding Mizushima of a fish that had been landed. He glanced out the window, and saw Soviet troops with fluttering red flags parading down a boulevard. Japan and the Soviet Union weren't exactly friendly towards one another, but Petrograd respected diplomatic convention and gave Japan time and safe passage with which to clear out her embassy. If Kolchak were smart, he would go with them and settle into a house and a generous pension in Japan. If not... well, he was lucky enough to reach the embassy before the Soviets got there. It wasn't Mizushima's fault if he didn't take the chance that was offered.

He stood, glancing at the Admiral.

"I must go now, Your Excellency. Take care."

And with that, the last hope of Transamur's salvation walked out his office door.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter IV:
Saru mo ki kara ochimasu
​

Tokyo, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

One of the representatives, a member of Rikken Seiyūkai, lunged at another member as the chambers of the Diet of Japan dissolved into a riot of shouting and fists. Seiyukai had been dangerously provoked by legislation, introduced by Minseito, to outlaw "radical nationalist and populist movements which pose a threat to Japanese democracy" and, as occasionally happened, the debate degenerated into fisticuffs after things got a little too heated. Shōju Koyama, Speaker of the House of Representatives, toppled over a desk and was furiously pursued by a sword-wielding attacker -- evidently a military man -- before the noble warrior was held back from manslaughter by members of his party.

Soon gendarmes came spilling into the room, shouting for order as the sergeant-at-arms milled about and laid into those members of the Diet too fractious to desist. Finally, order was slowly restored as some representatives and other sundry politicians left either on stretchers or in handcuffs. Exhausted, and understandably winded from his collision with the desk, Speaker Koyama staggered to the head of the chambers and took his seat before calling for a vote. Members of Minseito turned out to oppose the law to begin with, chastising the radical who had proposed it, and of course members of Seiyukai opposed it unanimously. The bill was shot down as ignominiously as it's predecessor banning syndicalist movements; and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Imperial Diet building as it stands today, unique for it's 'pyramid' design and influenced heavily by the West
​

1939 was, domestically speaking, quite peaceful. While the decision of the government not to intervene in Transamur was unpopular with the Right, with the Japanese people as a whole it was very popular. '39 was laden with awareness that the men of Japan were at home, working in factories and buying food for their families rather than fighting and dying in the frozen wastes of Siberia or the burning deserts of Mongolia. This engendered a revival of isolationist spirit as other powers and forces were at work in Asia. News on the 27th of June that Qing China had annexed the sprawling warlord state of the Ma family, easily tripling their size and influence amid the shattered mess of states that existed after the Xinhai Revolution, was greeting a little over two weeks later with a grand peace demonstration in Tokyo. Citizens took to the streets, decrying war and bloodshed as the Prime Minister and even the Emperor himself spoke in favour of keeping Japan out of foreign wars. Minseito's neocolonialist foreign policy seemed to be dead.

But as Japan strove to keep herself at peace, seemingly still exhausted from the experience of the Korean rebellion in 1937, Europe had no such qualms. On August 5th, 1939, the Communes of France declared a state of war existed between them and the German Empire; after Germany refused French ultimatums over Alsace-Lorraine. Syndicalist states across the globe, from southern Italy to Mongolia, declared for France while Germany marshaled Mitteleuropa in her defense and the Entente finally declared war on the Union of Britain. While Japan watched the world engulfed itself quickly in the Second Weltkrieg, Ireland becoming famous through the ages as the site of bloodletting as Canadian troops landed there to unseat the British puppet government. Although the "Return Home" and the subsequent annexation -- or liberation -- of Ireland into Canada was touted as a seminal victory in Ottawa; it also came at the cost of historic casualties.

On November 22nd workers throughout Japan went on strike at rumours that the government was preparing a first strike against the Soviet Union, which have never been substantiated but were nonetheless quite influential. Unlike the general strikes of the past this one was widely supported across all segments of Japanese society; marking once more the seismic shift in the popular attitude. Where Rikken Minseitō's belligerent foreign policy had once been considered a necessity in order to retain the support of a body politic wary of liberalism, in 1939 it was a huge liability from which the party did it's best to retreat from. Alas, it was no use. Fresh general elections in January of 1940 saw the election of Shakai Taishūtō, a 'social democratic party of syndicalist principles' as the party of power. Taishuto had swept the rural areas of Japan as well as the Japanese middle-class; shop owners who opposed Minseito's rigourous market liberal policies which they saw as benefiting the zaibastu over the common man. Astride a policy of isolationism, social democracy, and a controlled market, Abe Isoo was appointed Prime Minister of Japan. The election of a pacifist Unitarian minister to the premiership of a regional powerhouse raised heads throughout Asia; and it remained to be seen what his first policies would be...

 

[der Kriegsherr]

Astride a policy of isolationism, social democracy, and a controlled market, Abe Isoo was appointed Prime Minister of Japan. The election of a pacifist Unitarian minister to the premiership of a regional powerhouse raised heads throughout Asia; and it remained to be seen what his first policies would be...

Welp, time for a coup by these guys.
More "incidents" like 2/26 when?

 

[Ab Ovo]

Welp, time for a coup by these guys.
More "incidents" like 2/26 when?

Possibly not at all, TTL Japan is quite cuddly.

 

[Attalus]

Subbed

Could you post some maps and screens ? (even in spoilers if you think that it does not go along the text)

 

[Ericafaq]

Can you post English translation for Japanese words on latin text?For example,im don't know what is "Nippon" and "Ryooyaku Kuchi ni Nigashi"

 

[Ab Ovo]

Subbed

Could you post some maps and screens ? (even in spoilers if you think that it does not go along the text)

Would that I could, but no. My DH is a very fragile beast, and I can't get it to take screenshots.

Can you post English translation for Japanese words on latin text?For example,im don't know what is "Nippon" and "Ryooyaku Kuchi ni Nigashi"

The titles will remain untranslated, as I like them better that way, and Nippon mean Japan.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter V:
Shōri wa heiwadesu
​

Tokyo, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

February, 1941

"Today, on NHK News, we bring you Finance Minister Yōhei Kōno; as he finally issues a public statement concerning accusations of embezzlement from His Majesty's Privy Purse and concerns regarding kickbacks from the zaibastu during his tenure..."

All of Japan turned on their radio sets, whether at home, at work, or at leisure in bars; listening in closely. The Finance Scandal was the most salacious event in recent years as accusations of embezzlement published in Sankei Shimbun threatened to bring down the nascent Isoo government less than a year into its tenure. The accusations: that Minister Kōno had been quietly stealing funds from no less august a personage than the Emperor himself, in addition to receiving payments from the zaibastu in return for lessening the blow of the new economic policies, were incredibly serious. If he was convicted of such crimes he would be executed; and shame brought to his family and to the government.

Prime Minister Isoo and other members of the government had been pressuring him for weeks to issue a public statement denying the allegations but he had repeatedly refused to do so; serving only to stoke further rumours of treason and criminality and damaging the reputation of the government. His announcement that he would be conducting a radio interview with Ozaki Hotsumi -- Japan's most well-regarded journalist, and a known sympathiser with the government -- had sparked a firestorm of speculation; and now that it was actually happening there was not a Japanese subject alive who did not have his ear close to a radio. Hotsumi and Kōno exchanged pleasantries, before Hotsumi swiftly got down to brass tacks:

Hotsumi: So, Kōno-sama, you're no doubt of the allegations raised against you by Sankei Shimbun. Why have you waited until now to make a public statement on the matter?

Kōno: Well, before I did anything I wanted to speak with my family and ask their opinion on the matter; as I knew that whatever I did they would be strongly affected.

<Hotsumi makes a sympathetic, understanding noise>

Hotsumi: Mhm. A honourable decision. So what do you have to say to the people of Japan? As you surely know, there has been much controversy and speculation over your role in the financial regularities afflicting Tennō Heika. Surely you are innocent?

<silence>

<after a while> Kōno: I... I am not. I am guilty of all accusations.

<stunned silence, replicated throughout all Japan and her dependencies, as a government minister admits to what is essentially treason; live and on the radio>

Hotsumi: I... um... security! Security, come seize this man! Someone call the police!

<the broadcast ends abruptly, and "Kimigayo" is played over the airwaves>

Soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army on parade in Tokyo
​

1941 saw a grand military parade in Tokyo, praising the Japanese success in the Russo-Japanese War as had become annual tradition. Although the Japanese people were decidedly isolationist by this point in time the world around the Empire was embroiled in war. The Second Weltkrieg raged on in Europe, and Syndicalism was on the rise in Asia as the Bhartiya Commune surged forth and annexed the Princely States in a sudden Soviet-backed offensive; essentially dividing India in two between the Entente-aligned Dehli in the north and the Commune in the south. This in addition to the establishment of Syndicalist Indochina and the Soviet annexation of Transamur years before prompted an outbreak of paranoia. While Japan's policy to the outside world essentially remained that, in the words of Isoo's inauguration speech, "in a time of worldwide war, peace is it's own victory" the Japanese still kept careful to maintain and keep exercised a formidable military.

Later that year, in October, the Confederated Syndicates of America raised it's standard over the ruins of the Empire State Building; marking the official end of the Second American Civil War and the rise of a new syndicalist superpower on the world stage. Some in Japan spoke darkly of Japanese encirclement, but the existence of the friendly market liberal Pacific States provided comfort; and reassured the Japanese-backed government in Honolulu that they wouldn't be challenged any time soon. In the meantime, the powers that be in Chicago announced that they would henceforth be "liberating" the Republic of New England; which had been established with the help of the Canadians when the Civil War initially broke out, and remained an Entente member ever since. Canada declared that she and her fellow Entente members -- including the PSA -- would be intervening to defend New English sovereignty; and peace in North America was put to bed as soon as it sprang into existence.

The end of the Second Weltkrieg came into sight in the spring of 1942, as German Imperial troops surged into Soviet Russia in a blitzkrieg which astonished the world. On March 14th Moscow fell to the German banner and the Second Russian Empire was proclaimed under the reign of a German tsar. The rest of the Soviet Union, exhausted, swiftly fell into line and the USSR passed into the pages of history. The Emperor sent official congratulations to the restored capital of St Petersburg; but Russo-Japanese relations remained chilly, especially as the understandably conservative new government had little love for the social democrats currently governing in Japan. While the Russian tricolour flew over Vladivostok as well, this didn't overly concern Japan. Transamur was ultimately a White Russian rump state anyway and by now had lost any reason to exist with the restoration of the Tsar. Admiral Kolchak was able to return home in triumph, given a knighthood, peerage, and popular adulation as the "Lion of the East"; and promised privately that he would work to ensure that peace prevailed between Russia and Japan.

1943 was memorable for two key events. First, ceremonies on January 12th as the colonial government in Korea were officially disestablished. It had been a good five years or so since the end of the Korean Rebellion and in that time Korea had rapidly advanced. Hoping to learn from past mistakes, the liberal and social democratic governments that had prevailed since then had poured money and manpower into industrialising Korea and extending the rights and luxuries of Japanese citizens to Koreans. Now, the colonial government was dissolved and a prefectural government was established, along with granting Koreans Imperial citizenship and giving them the right of electing representatives to the Diet. Korea was no longer considered a colony, but an integral part of the Japanese Empire. That was the domestic highlight of the year, but December arrived with the biggest news of all: the end of the Second Weltkrieg. Now fighting simply a one-front war, and replenished with Russian and Eastern European soldiers with the re-establishment of the Mitteleuropan puppet states, Germany was able to destroy the stalemate on the Western front and flood into a very surprised France. Within weeks, it was all over. The Syndicalist government of France was shot and France reorganised into three loyal German puppets: The Kingdom of France, the Duchy of Normandy, and the Grand Duchy of Brittany.

Japan breathed a sigh of relief along with the rest of the world. Although war still officially raged between the Union of Britain -- who now held aloft the banner of world syndicalism -- and the Kaiserreich and her allies, it was a very quiet one; and had seen no actual fighting since Canadian Ireland was liberated in turn by the British. Tokyo sent her congratulations to Berlin and Paris and for a wonder received thankful notes in response. The year ended with peace reigning over large parts of the globe; and January 1944 was marked by general elections. Prime Minister Abe Isoo resigned earlier in the month to retire into the comfortable life of a Unitarian minister; citing a self-perceived ineptitude in political matters. The Emperor thanked him for his service, and the Japanese people did as well when they re-elected Shakai Taishūtō in a landslide. Katayama Tetsu kissed hands and was appointed as the new Prime Minister, as Japan faced another year.

 

[der Kriegsherr]

that had prevailed since then had poured money and manpower into industrialising Korea

Funny you should mention that: I remember reading a number of places that by around 1941, the peninsula accounted for a good third of the empire's industrial capacity already.

 

[Ab Ovo]

Chapter VI:
Seibu sensen no subete no shizukana
​

Tokyo, Japan
Dai Nippon Teikoku

1945

The streets of Tokyo were overflowing with people, and all of Ueno Park seemed to be blanketed with Japanese banners and flags; as a great podium had been erected in the center of the park. Marking the end of the First Weltkrieg, the demonstrations had once been imbued with fiery militarism and the ambitions of the Japanese people. Always industrious the Japanese had looked outward, to China and the Indies, as ripe fruits destined to fall to Imperial might. Things were different now, however. In a world often fraught with perpetual war Japan had come to revel in her peaceful ways. Prosperity was the watchword at home and the ethnic and seccessionist tensions which seemed liable to destroy the Empire less than a decade ago now lay firmly in the ground.

Prime Minister Tetsu gave a rousing speech, declaring that "the Yamato race will not be known as harbingers of war; but as guardians of a fertile peace throughout Asia" to crashing waves of applause. As well, the Emperor himself made a short statement commemorating the lives lost in the First Weltkrieg and expressing his confidence in the policies of the government. Although it was still comparatively rare -- when measured against the monarchies of the West -- for the Emperor to act as a public figure, during the liberal and social democratic tenures of his recent Prime Ministers he had begun to take on a wider range of duties appropriate to the constitutional monarchy which they envisioned. His own speech was received without frenzy but instead with reverence and filial piety. There were no military demonstrations, signalling the military establishment's displeasure with the Isoo government; but surely that wouldn't come to anything...

Planes of the Canadian Royal Airforce flying over Wisconsin, the CSA
​

In July of 1945 the angel of death finally withdrew his grim hand from the North American continent as RAF bombers confirmed that they had destroyed a CSA government convoy en route from the ruins of Milwaukee; effectively decapitating the Syndicalist leadership and ending the war between the CSA and the Entente. In the ensuing weeks the United States of America would see her reestablishment in Washington DC with General Douglas MacArthur and Southern politician Strom Thurmond serving as interim President and Vice President; respectively. The reborn USA signed peace treaties recognising the independence of both New England and the Pacific States of America -- much to Japan's relief -- but pointedly did not extend the same to the Republic of Hawaii or the Japanese administration in Guam. Regardless it seemed as if Japan's conquests in the wake of the US collapse would be maintained, at least in the immediate future.

August 1945 saw the first major scandal of Tetsu's administration as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takashi Yori, was arrested at his Kyoto mansion by Japanese police. It was revealed that he accepted numerous bribes in return for appointments to positions within the foreign ministry and in return for attempting to influence ambassadorial appointments. Although unlike his predecessor in corruption Minister Yori continually proclaimed his innocence he was swiftly found guilty; and a reshuffling of the Cabinet ensued along with a purge of the foreign ministry. The Prime Minister was roundly criticised by members of the Right for supposedly operating a 'den of corruption' and public confidence in the Taishuto government fell to record levels. It wasn't enough to unseat their record of quiet domestic success, however, and the 1948 general elections in January saw the government comfortably returned to it's position; strengthening Taishuto's perception with the people as the quintessentially Japanese party of power.

That perception would soon be damaged however as Japanese military observers noted a staggering Russian military buildup on the border between the Russian Empire and Fengtien. On March 27, 1948 Tokyo issued a directive to the Fengtien 'government' that officers of the Imperial Japanese Army be given command over the Republic's military forces. They quickly and obediently complied and soon Fengtien and Japanese units were moving to take up positions along the border with Russia; in preparation for an attack. Less than a month later, in mid-April, the IJN and IJA conducted joint war games as Japanese ships were moved outside Tsarist territorial waters. Diplomatic cables to Tsar Ivan or appeals to his ambassador in Tokyo went studiously unanswered in the meantime and the Empire nervously shifted herself to a war footing. The Fengtien Republic was vitally important to the Japanese economy through the economic concessions that she granted to Japan; and unlike Transamur would have to be defended if the Russians got antsy.

The diplomatic stalemate and the staring contest over the border unnerved the people, and a military demonstration in September of 1949 was well-attended by all segments of society. The looming spectre of war had prompted a period of introspection in Japan as they realised that the military had been consistently neglected since the first election of Shakai Taishūtō in 1940. The Army and Navy were both well-trained and famously disciplined; but their technology and equipment had seen little to no improvement since the late 30s and were now critically out of date. Prime Minister Tetsu reiterated Taishuto's pacifistic policies, assuring the people of Japan that "the best defense is not to need one" and claiming that Russia's masters in Berlin would never sanction another Russo-Japanese war; especially seeing how German troops were already occupied in defending their colony in China from the depredations of National Protection Alliance warlords. These arguments didn't necessarily play well, however, and Taishuto would only be further undermined in the future.

The 1950 death of Julius IV in Rome and the accession of Giovanni Montini as Pope of the Catholic Church and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy brought warm wishes from the Prime Minister; who as a Christian was usually supported by Japan's small Roman Catholic population. The year would soon hold much greater surprises for Tetsu and his government however; as the government's characteristically understanding response to a major worker's strike in Yokohama in May drew sharp criticism from an increasingly re-energised Japanese right-wing. This wasn't helped by yet another parliamentary scandal as the Armaments minister was forced to resign in October after allegations surfaced that he had been mis-allocating materials for the Army so that he might later sell them abroad through a network of brokers. This was seized upon by the Seiyukai party as further example of socialist indifference towards the defense of the Empire. By far the most momentous occurrence, however, was the attempted assassination of General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of Staff and secretary of the Daihon'ei on November 28th. Attacked and shot at by a cadre of would-be assassinations outside the Imperial Palace after leaving a meeting wiith His Majesty; he subdued the assassins himself before police could arrive. The revelation that they were backed by the Australasian Federation whipped the Right and even the center of Japanese politics into a jingoistic frenzy and saw support of the government drop to record lows.

Yet a fourth parliamentary scandal, the third during Tetsu's premiership, resulting in the resignation of two cabinet ministers accused of funding prostitution rackets in Formosa; put the nail in the coffin for Tetsu and the democratic socialists. The January 1952 general elections saw the conservative Rikken Seiyūkai sweep the polls in a massive upset; ending over a decade of continuous Shakai Taishūtō government and promising to pursue a vision of Japan as "peaceable, but strong" and reversing the cultural degeneration that had so clearly taken hold. As Japan welcomed her first conservative government in many years, it remained to be seen what would happen next.

 

[Attalus]

Well all the major events have happened, I don't know what will happen for the rest of the AAR

Still surprised that Germany managed to take down both the Commune and the Soviet Union