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|local_name=日本
|established=
|capital= Osaka
|largest_city=
|population=
|government_type=Federal Constitutionalconstitutional Monarchymonarchy
|languages= {{unbulleted_list | Japanese (Officialofficial) }}
|currency=Japanese Sensen (JPS)
|flag=RTL Flag of Japan.png
|map=Locator_Japan.png}}
'''Japan''' (Japanese: 日本, ''Nippon'' or ''Nihon)'' is an island country located in EasternNortheast Asia. ItThe isJapanese borderedislands onextend the west byfrom the Sea of Japan,Okhotsk and extends fromto the SeaTokara ofStrait, Okhotskand inare thebordered north towardby the East ChinaEastern Sea and [[Tauland]] in the southPacific Ocean. Japan also shares a border with the [[Ainu National Republic]] on the island of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido Ezo] and is a stone's throw away from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amami_Islands Amami Islands] of [[Tauland]].
==History==
=== Early History ===
Japan has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic period. (30,000 BC), though theThe first written mention of the archipelago appears in a Chinese chronicle finished in the 2nd century AD. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the kingdoms and tribes of Japan became unified under anthe Yamato emperor, andwith the imperial courtCourt based in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian-kyōky%C5%8D Kyoto]. Beginning in the 12th century, political power was held by a series of military dictators (''shōgun'') and feudal lords (''daimyō''), and enforced by a class of warrior nobility (''samurai'').
=== Tokugawa Japanregime (1603-1754) ===
==== BeginningJapan's ofisolation the Sakokuperiod ====
In the aftermath of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period Warring States era], the Tokugawa family unified the islands of Japan. The Shogun's government deemed this necessary to prevent Western influence which might undermine the authority of the shogunate and disrupt Japan's social order. This paranoia, along with the Spanish conquest of the Philippines and Dutch entry into East Asia, led to the formal institution of the Sakoku doctrine [鎖国, lit. ''locked nation''].
In the aftermath of the Sengoku period, where the nation was in a state of nearly constant civil war from 1467 to 1615, the Tokugawa Shogunate unified the island chain. Throughout the early 17th century the Shogun started to fear the growing Portuguese & Spanish influence in the country as well as the potential for independent Daimyos armed with weapons & goods to usurp Shogunate authority. This led to a policy of gradual "closing off" of Japan to foreigners and foreign influence.
==== The Rangaku (蘭学, lit. ''Dutch studies'') ====
In 1641, the Dutch took over the former Portuguese trading post at Nagasaki. creatingThey ancreated artificial[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima Dejima] island in whichorder to doconduct businesstrade with the Japanese. Overtime, westernthe knowledge,spread technologyof andWestern medicineknowledge diffusedtriggered fromthe theseformation Dutchof traders toa Japanese merchants, elites and middle classesclass in a process known as the ''Rangaku''. This eventually leads tounder local Daimyos allowing a merchant class to develop in order to trade manufactured goods to the Dutch (and later other Europeans throughout Japanese ports)lords.
==== The CollapseEncroachment of the BakufuDutch and Russians ====
InTaking thecues earlyfrom andthe midDutch's 18thestablishment century,of Russiana traders started tobase realizein the untappedCorean marketcity of JapanPoesjan whichin was1710, mostlyRussian closedtraders offstarted byto thetake Sakokua (besideskeen forinterest severalin allowedcommerce trading ports, one operated bywith the Dutch)Japanese. In 1739 afterAfter a relatively successful meeting with the Tokugawa Shogun in 1739, a consortium of Russian traders were given limited access to trade withat Japan through the[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maizuru Maizuru port], butthough wereheavily subjectregulated. toA highJapanese tariffsofficial andat strictthe tradetime regulations. In 1741noted the Russianrelative Czar hearingsuccess of the wealth the Dutch weretrading ablebase toin gainCorea fromas tradea withmotivating thefactor far east and seeking to expand Russian imperial prestige through an expansionist foreign policy decided to grant an exclusive imperial charter to these traders and formfor the ''<nowiki/>'Russian-Japaneseapproval Company'''of tothis manageplan. trade between Russia and Japan.
The prosperity of this small trade venture gained the attention of the Czar of Russia, who granted an exclusive imperial charter to expand Russian influence in Japan in 1740, forming the [[Russo-Japanese Trading Company]] [Русско-японская торговая компания, abbrv. ''RYT'']. Over the next decade, the RYT expanded its operations in Japan, putting pressure on the Shogun to loosen commercial restrictions and bribing regional Japanese lords in order to enter political and economic alliances with them. The Russians formed an especially strong bond with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsumae_clan Matsumae clan]. Wary of Russian competition, the Dutch moved to expand their influence among the lords of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushu Kyushu], using their bases at Dejima and Poesjan to manipulate maritime trade and fishing zones.
Over the next decade the Russian- Japanese company expanded it's operations in Japan, petitioning the Shogun to allow a higher trade volume, gaining the ability to trade out of more ports, bribing influence Daimyos with illicit goods and kickbacks in order to gain allies and growing their influence over the islands of Ezo (building a strong trading relationship with the Matsumae clan). This in turn provoked the Dutch who feared the growth of Russian influence in East Asia would threaten their advantageous position in the region into gaining their own allies amongst the Japanese merchant classes and southern Daimyos. Eventually this tension would culminate in the 1754 Tokugawa succession crisis where the favored heir to the Shogunate of Japan was revealed to be illegitimate and both pro and anti Russian factions in the Tokugawa court seized the opportunity to put forth their own successor. When the anti-Russian & stanchly isolationist Tokugawa Naritami won over the court, a Shinobi spy hired by the Russian-Japanese Company assassinated the newly appointed Shogun 13 days later. This led to widespread anger in the Tokugawa court and a call to remove Russian influence from Japan; but unfortunately for the Tokugawa the Russians were ready. Over the next 8 months a alliance of Pro Russian Daimyos and allied clans rose up against the fractured Shogunate with Russian supplied weapons and mercenaries. This in turn led to the Dutch first supporting the Tokugawa and then their own alliance of southern Daimyos after a diplomatic dispute between the two parties over the role of Dutch merchants in a post-civil war Japan.
During the 1754 Tokugawa succession crisis [徳川継承の危機], the heir apparent of the Tokugawa government was found to be an illegitimate child. The RYT took this opportunity to put forth a pro-Russian candidate, which was rejected. When the anti-Western Tokugawa Naritami [徳川斉民] was selected as Shogun, the Russians hired a mercenary to assassinate him merely a fortnight later. This led to widespread rage in the Japanese government and the dramatic increase in anti-Russian sentiment.
Over the next 60 years Japan became a battle ground between foreign and regional powers with Russian backed, Dutch backed, Portuguese backed and independent Daimyos along with Tokugawa remnant isolationists fighting each other over control of the Japanese islands. During this period the Dutch annexed the Ryukyu islands and the Russians annexed the ports of Maizuru & Idzu. Additionally this period saw a widespread series of social changes including the explosion of Rangaku knowledge (especially in relations to war and weapons), a lucrative and exploitive trade in Japanese slaves and servants to the European colonies in Asia & elsewhere and an expansion of the homegrown Japanese merchant class who acted as the middlemen and translators between foreign traders and local Daimyos.
A group of pro-Russian clans in the Ezo and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region Tohoku] regions, most notably the Matsumae and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_clan Date] clans, mobilized in favour of the Russians. In response, the Dutch put their support behind the Tokugawa government.
Over the next 60 years, the Tokugawa government's influence was gradually eroded. Japan became a battleground between pro-Russian lords, pro-Dutch lords, and pro-independence lords. In 1784, the Dutch established a protectorate of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu_Kingdom Rjoekjoe kingdom], reducing the influence of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain Satsuma] lordship. The Russians annexed the ports of Maizuru & Idzu by 1815.
During the reign of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_K%C5%8Dkaku Emperor Kokaku], Japan experienced immense social and economic change. Japanese mercenaries and laborers ventured outside of Japan with the guidance of European merchants, taking up residence in colonies like [[Tauland]] and the [[Philippines]]. The modern Japanese economy formed, though with unwelcome intervention from the Russians and the Dutch.
▲=== Sakai Shogunateregime (1809-1896) ===
==== Reunification of Japan ====
|flag=RTL_Sakai_Flag.png
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In 1795, revolutionary France invaded the Republic of the Netherlands and installed a puppet government which had numerous implications across the Dutch empire and it's allies. In JapanConsequentially, the southern alliance of pro-Dutch clans,lords merchantsof andsouthern Daimyos started to fall to infighting and havingJapan lost their primary Europeanmain benefactor startedand began to runwaver. lowThe on western weaponry[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakai_clan ThisSakai ledclan] toof the numerous effects on the ongoing unstable political crisis ofnorthern Japan, with the pro-russian Sakai clan, who'ves hadinfluence successwas inexpanded theirdramatically northernafter expeditionsuccessfully againstcrushing themuch Tokugawa remnants andof the anti-foreignerWestern '''Shiragiku''forces society'north movementof expandingthe wildlyWatarase inRiver. de facto controlled territory.
In 1807, the alliance between the southern lordships collapsed. By 1808, the Sakai coalition had established their influence over most of Japan - though not in Ezo or Kyushu. In 1809 the Sakai negotiated with the collection of Catholic Daimyos & the archdioceses of Kyushu to accept Sakai rule in exchange for policy of religious toleration of Christians by the Sakai government. By 1815, the Sakai government had achieved recognition from several European powers and had successfully limited Dutch influence in Japan by placing restrictions on Dejima. Despite this, the Sakai clan was not recognized as the rightful government of Japan by [[Corea]], Tauland, or the [[Great Qing|Qing dynasty]] until decades later.
==== TheRise Ezoof Questionthe Ainu ==== ▼In 1807, the southern alliance officially disbanded with the merchant class wing of the alliance (along with several key coastal Daimyos) seeing the way the wind was blowing and switching allegiances to the Sakai. This allowed the Sakai to sweep in from the north and swiftly conquer the majority of former southern alliance territory. By the winter of 1808 the only territory left under Sakai rule was Hokkaido, in which the Tokugawa remnants fled to in 1803 and a collection of numerous independent catholic Daimyos in Kyushu & Shikoku. In 1809 the Sakai negotiated with the collection of Catholic Daimyos & the archdioceses of Kyushu to accept Sakai rule in exchange for policy of religious toleration of Christians by the Sakai government. By 1815, the Sakai Shogunate was recognized as the official government of Japan by most European and Asian powers besides the newly formed Kingdom of the Dutch who resented that their port on Dejima was captured during the Sakai's Sothern excursion. In 1816 the Sakai Shogunate returned Dejima to the Dutch in exchange for a annual fee and a major restriction on rights for the Dutch to bring military vessels to the island.
Tokugawa loyalists, controlling the island of Ezo, repelled Russo-Sakai invasions in 1810, 1812 and 1816. Throughout the 1810s and 1820s, the Sakai eventually gave up on trying to actively conquer the island and instead attempted to starve the Tokugawa of political capital by issuing an ultimatum to all its trading partners - do not interact with the Tokugawa or they would cut off trading relations. However, this was an unsuccessful strategy, and the idea of conquering Ezo faded from the list of priorities.
The Russian Empire resented Tokugawa control of Ezo as it limited their expansion in Japan and the northern Pacific. In the 1820s, Russia staked claim on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands which had extensive Tokugawa influence. In 1837, the Ainu revolted against the Tokugawa after decades of cultural assimilation policies. The Russians supported the Ainu insurgency, leading to the establishment of a provisional multiethnic Ezo state to challenge the Tokugawa's rule.
▲==== The Ezo Question ====
Besides Ryukyu islands and the three treaty ports in Japan, the only remaining formerly Japanese territory not under control of the Sakai was the Tokugawa remnants in Hokkaido who repelled three subsequent invasions by the Sakai in 1810, 1812 and 1816. Throughout the 1810's and early 1820's the Sakai eventually gave up on trying to actively conquer the island and instead attempted to starve the Tokugawa of political capital by issuing an ultimatum to all European & Asian powers trading with Japan to avoid trading or interacting with remnants in fear of losing access to mainland Japanese markets. By 1824 the Sakai seemed to have abandoned the idea of reconquering Hokkaido and instead spent their focus on solidifying their rule internally and building foreign relationships.
After the formation of the Ezo state, the Ainu experienced a cultural renaissance under the protection of the Russians. A modified Cyrillic alphabet was created in 1840 for the Ainu language. Many Ainu converted to Christianity during this period as well. In 1868, after the Russian Succession Crisis, the new Czar seeked to focus on expansion in the Pacific. A political dispute between Ainu clans was used as an oppurtunity by the Russian Imperial Navy to annex Ainu lands.
The Russian Empire in contrast, resented Tokugawa control of Hokkaido due to the fact that their influence on the island, which they had built up over the previous 80 years was almost entirely purged and allow with it trade with the native Ainu of the island. Additionally the Russian empire was looking to expand it's influence in North America and the north Pacific and as such decided to try to push claims on Sakhalin & the Kuril islands which started to put it in competition with the Tokugawa remnants who actively fished, hunted and settled in those regions. In 1837, the Ainu revolted against the Tokugawa after decades of forced 'Yamato-ization' and economic subservience to the Japanese minority of the island. The 'Russian-Japanese company' and their allies in the 'Kuril-island colonization company' realized that this was an opportunity to regain influence on Hokkaido and so sent in several waves of mercenaries to support the Ainu. This led to eventually the fall of the Tokugawa remnant regime and the establishment of the 'Ezo confederation' which while nominally an independent Ainu state was subject to strong economic and political influence by the Russian Empire.
==== Late 19th century Japan ====
The Ezo Confederation period led to many cultural changes on the island with the Ainu language experiencing a renascence of usage, with Orthodox missionaries adapting the Ainu language into a written form (through the Cyrillic alphabet) and printing the first Ainu language bible in 1841. Over the next several decades the Ainu gradually converted to Orthodox Christianity (though many aspects of the traditional Ainu religion persisted syncretically with Christian beliefs) and adopted Russian farming practices and numerous tools of western technology (which led to relatively large population increase amongst the Ainu). IN 1868 after the Russian Succession Crisis, the new Czar & Czarina of Russia started to see the pacific as the next pimary route of expansion of Russian power and as such wanted to expand and consolidate their holdings in the region further. In 1870 a political dispute between clans in the Ainu confederacy led to multiple assassinations of Ainu clan leaders which was used as a pretense for the Russian navy to land on the island, disband the Ainu confederation and annex the island of Hokkaido (with the promise to local leaders of semi-autonomy for internal Ainu affairs).
Japan began to industrialize during the late 19th century. However, social unrest, economic strife resulting from intervention from the Russians and the Dutch, and political instability led to the formation of the Federalist political faction.
==== ChangesThe withinSakura lateRevolution 19thand centurythe JapanEra of Reform ====
In March of 1896, the last Sakai shogun died without a heir apparent. This naturally led to the nonviolent Sakura Revolution not long after and the abolishment of the shogunate. The Federalist Party gained control of the nation, establishing the Empire of Japan. The traditional samurai class lost their remaining influence to the rising Japanese merchant class.
By the 1870's there some industrialization started to occur in Japan with textile factories built by the new merchant class with the support of local Daimyos. Most of this development was homegrown with the merchant class adopting western technology, but with the Daimyos making sure that foreigners didn't gain direct control of industry outside of the treaty ports. However due to the lack of organization, increased urbanization and tension between various Daimyos new administrative and social problems started to plague Japan. During this time cracks in the outdated feudal political economy and throughout the social fabric of Japanese society started to become apparent. This would lead to the rise of the Federalist party, which sought to reform the central government to better fit the new changes brought upon by the late 19th century.
A constitution was drawn up in 1899, placing the Emperor at the forefront of Japanese identity and nationhood. During the 1910s, the ruling Federalist Party enacted further reforms to improve the efficiency of the government and reform the military. However, many of these reforms failed due to the insubordination of local lordships and socioeconomic distress.
=== The Sakura Revolution and Japanese Reform Period ===
In March of 1896, the last Sakai shogun died without a appointed heir, leading to a secession crisis that resulted in the mostly bloodless Sakura revolution a month later. This would eventually lead to the abolishment of the Shogunate and the establishment of the Japanese Confederation lead by the Federalist faction, who would quickly bring reform to the government. By this time the Samurai class had already lost what little Bureaucratic powers they still had to the merchant class, so their abolition alongside the few still existing feudal systems faced little overall resistance. The 1899 constitution would give the Emperor (who had supported the Sakura revolution) very little, and mostly ceremonial power; however the emperor would later become a symbolic unifying figure of Japanese culture and the Japanese nation. During the 1910s the ruling Federalist enacted further reforms to central governmental power out of a necessity to streamline national administration. This led to a period of increased intranational business transactions further growing local industries, allowed for widespread infrastructural improvements, as well as the creation of a standing Army and Navy modeled off of the Kingdom of Corea’s. While this period of reform was seen by many to be the creation of modern Japanese society but to some there were widespread failures of the reforms including a discrepancy in provincial development and the failure of the national government to break the power of an autocratic local elite class.
=== Role in the Russo-Corean War ===
{{Nations of the World}}
Japan joined the Russo-Corean War on the side of the Russians after they were promised Desjima and Tema (Tsushima).{{Nations of the World}}
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