History Characters / MTNOJapan

!![[center: [- [[Characters/ModernTNO Main Character Index]] -]]][[center: [- '''Superpowers:''' [[Characters/MTNOGermany Großgermanisches Reich]] | [[Characters/MTNOUnitedStates United States of America]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Major Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOChina Republic of China]] | [[Characters/MTNOSovietUnion Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]-]]] [[center: [-'''Minor Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOJapan Empire of Japan]] [[Characters/MTNOKorea (Chōsen/Korea)]] | [[Characters/MTNOItaly Kingdom of Italy]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Other Countries:''' [[Characters/MTNOIndonesia Indonesia]] | [[Characters/MTNOBrazil Brazil]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Misc:''' [[Characters/MTNOMisc Miscellaneous]]-]]]

!!The Emperor

->'''Role:''' The Emperor, N/A[[note]]Post-abdication[[/note]]

!!Prime Ministers (2017 Elections)

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Yukio Edano was born in Utsunomiya City, the grandson of Yukio Ozaki, a Taisho-era politician known for his opposition to militarism and commitment to democracy. Respecting his grandfather's legacy, he sought to follow the same road as him and got involved in politics, at first as a student activist, where he got arrested in the crackdown that followed the Meiji Shrine incident. He hadn't participated in the rally itself, however, and was quickly released. With the democracy movement running out of steam, he put his activism aside to pursue his career as a lawyer.\\\

As a candidate, Yukio proposed a bipartisan solution, and promised to end economic stagnation whilst improving living standards. For the sake of Japan, he prepares for the hard work... [[/labelnote]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Sadakazu Tanigaki was born in Fukuchiyama in the final year of the Second World War. He had an unremarkable childhood and later became a lawyer. He only became involved in politics in the early 90s, following the footsteps of his father, an ex-member of the Taisei Yokusankai who had been disgraced after the Mutō coup.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Born in Wakayama Prefecture at the eve of [=WWII=], Toshihiro Nikai's father was an assemblyman, whose dedication to politics left little time for his family. His mother was a rare specimen; a woman who worked as a physician, not relegated to living as a housewife as traditional values dictated. The contrast between the socially conservative order of Japanese society and the flexible nature of Nikai's family was only the first of many dualities he would come across.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kenjiro Ueda, also known by his pen name, Tetsuzo Fuwa, is a veteran of the Japanese left. Born in 1930, he showed a passion for writing in his youth - a passion that would kickstart his political career. He was arrested by the Tokko in 1955 for an anti-imperialist poem. In jail, he was mistreated and pressured into "converting" to anti-communism. He would refuse again and again, and remained in jail until 1964 - when he was finally released with a pardon.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Sometimes politicians aren't remarkable, or charismatic. Sometimes, politicians are shaped by the interests of a group instead of their views. This is, and has always been, the case for Fukushiro Nugaka.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Born in 1932, Shintaro Ishihara was once known merely as a prestigious writer. His first successful novel, Season of the Sun, earned him the Akutagawa Prize. Afterward, he moved on to screenplays, writing for several movies - some of which were adaptations of his novels. In the 1960s, he stepped back from his career in movies and returned to writing. With the advent of Ikeda's rule and the increasingly liberalizing nature of Japanese politics, Shintaro's reactionary views began to shine brighter - and thus began his life as an ultranationalist.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Opposition Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kan) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naoto_kan_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Opposition Leader (Civil War Stage I)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister[[note]]Head of State[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Party:''' Hantai Undō - Jiyūshugisha[[note]]Opposition Movement - Liberals[[/note]], Minshutō[[note]]Democratic Party[[/note]](Post-war)

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Naoto Kan was born in 1946, the son of an executive, and, following the tradition of soon-to-be Japanese politicians, he sought a career in the field of law. From early on, he participated in grassroots student movements, interacting with progressives like Ichikawa Fusae and flirting with left-wing politics. He sought to formally enter politics in the 70s but was barred from doing so due to the Muto Coup and the political chaos that followed the end of the Great Asian War.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]When Naoto Kan stood next to Ichiro Ozawa and proclaimed the return of democracy to Japan, he didn't expect he and his comrades - in that wide alliance of pro-democracy groups - would be able to stand up to the might of the IJA. He did not expect the Opposition would hold together, and the Emperor's words remained more ambiguous than ever, in such a time of uncertainty. Thankfully for them, the storm has passed.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Ozawa) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_ichiro_ozawa_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Opposition Leader ([[spoiler:Civil War Stage II]])[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister[[note]]Head of State[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Party:''' Hantai Undō - Shukyuuha[[note]]Opposition Movement - Conservatives[[/note]], Minshutō - Kyōken-teki[[note]]Democratic Party - Authoritarian[[/note]](Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Civilian Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Controlled Democracy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]](Post-war)
->'''Biography:''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Ichiro Ozawa was born to a moderately well-to-do family as the Second World War raged on. During the 1950s, his father founded a Keiretsu - and his family enriched itself, especially during the Economic Wars, where Keiretsus began to expand. His father sought a political career, and encouraged young Ichiro to do so - paving the way for the young man to take up his father's torch after the latter died in 1969. His initial career, however, would be short-lived.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]There are few words that can be said for Ichiro Ozawa's trajectory. Filled with bleak fates, he ensured Japan's democratization, only to have it taken away by the people he himself put his entire trust in. He tried to bring back what was lost, only to drive his country to ruin. Once again, he fought for what he believed was right, but saw his allies fall to incompetence, petty infighting, and lack of spirit. But no longer will he subject himself to such humiliation.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (IJA Gov Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ideology:''' Military Junta[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Oligarchy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Role:''' IJA Junta Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kōji Yamazaki belongs to the "third generation" of IJA officers, those who graduated in the aftermath of the Great Asian War. His generation is one of interventionist officers who wished to preserve their grip over Japan at all costs. The same men who shouted "Open fire!" during the Meiji Shrine Incident and frowned at the Emperor's intervention.\\\

->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Hidehisa Otsuji is a product of Japan's postwar history. His father commanded the Yugiri, a Fukubi-class destroyer, and returned home from the Greater East Asia War as a victor. As such, his family was granted with several social benefits and Hidehisa grew up to follow in the footsteps of his dad. But instead of joining the Navy, he joined the Army. Graduating from the IJA Academy, he later fought in the Great Asian War as a Shōsa, the equivalent of a Captain. But unlike his father, he returned home from the war in disgrace. Japan, the once indomitable master of Asia, had lost. Retiring from the IJA, Hidehisa entered politics and gained a seat in the lower house. He would witness the downfall of the IJA Junta, and, creating firm alliances with other ex-IJA legislators from the "second generation" of post-war servicemen, he formed a clique that represented the old guard of the IJA, one that longed for the days where all was said and done by the protectors of the empire. He endorsed Ishihara, being rewarded with the post of Chairman of the House of Representatives. But as it all came crashing down, his clique demanded the PM's resignation, triggering the events that led to the civil war. But with the IJA triumphant and Yamazaki dissolving his provisional junta, Hidehisa and his allies have rallied and organized a new government. His faction, the Stable Policy Group, now hopes to entrench the IJA in Japanese politics - forever.[[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:IJN Flag]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naval_ensign_of_the_empire_of_japansvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Kanpaku Flag]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_sessyo_flagsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Imperial Court Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Imperial Court in Tokyo, His Imperial Majesty's Supreme Government (IJN Coup), Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Kyūtei[[note]]The Court[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Naruhito) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naruhito_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Naruhito, the Reiwa Emperor, is the 126th monarch of the Imperial House of Japan. Being born during Hirohito's reign, the young Naruhito grew up with a fascination for basketball and the history of transportation. Perhaps, both served as an escape from the isolated and pampered life of the royals. When his father rose to the throne and did away with the restrictions placed upon the royal family, Naruhito was allowed to travel overseas. He wrote about his travels, gleefully detailing the personal independence given to European royals. To him, they stood in sharp contrast to Japan's royals, who were subjected to complete isolation. This belief in personal freedom would mold his dream of a better Japan, one designed like the constitutional monarchies of Europe. But during the Heisei era, Naruhito witnessed his father bend to unfair compromises that skewered Japanese democracy. He privately protested, but his father insisted that he remain silent. As Emperor, he ignored his father's warnings and made political statements about Japan and the world. For this, he paid dearly. After Ishihara's election, Naruhito was silenced. Once again, he was isolated. But as the world moved around him, this would change. When the chaos ensued, Naruhito and his allies took ownership of the Kantō region and the distant Pacific colonies. But the Emperor now has to contend with the opportunists of the Court, seeking to turn him into a mere puppet...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Japanese history is adorned with tails of great emperors. Giants who saved their nation from harm, or brought it out of the darkness. Naruhito may never reach the level of enlightenment these men had, but like them, he has a deep love for his people. And unlike them, he will not rule on behalf of his people, but instead, he will rule with them.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kawano) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_katsutoshi_kawano_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Military Advisor, IJN Junta Leader (Civil War Stage II)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]The son of a Rear Admiral in the IJN who served in the Second World War, Katsutoshi had always sought to follow in the footsteps of his father. Entering the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, he would graduate in the late stages of the Great Asian War, but would not see any action in the conflict. By the 90s, he would command the Ishikari, a destroyer, and rose through the upper ranks in the following decades. He had been seen as an incompetent officer throughout his career, thanks to a training accident in the late 200s and his perceived meagerness. But during the invasion of China, Katsutoshi commanded the Navy and ensured that, even in the late stages of the war, Japan remained dominant in the sea. Of course, the Chinese warlords didn't exactly have much of a navy other than shrimp boats, and Japan still lost, but the blame couldn't be assigned to him. Thanks to his long-time career and successes in the field, he was appointed head of the IJN General Staff. But as his terrible luck would have it, this would fall apart. In the confusion of the Civil War, he and his peers declared support for the Emperor. Almost accidentally, they found that the Navy was, for once, the strongest body in the armed forces, and a chance to hold onto that power emerged. So, portraying themselves as reformist admirals, they gained the Emperor's favor. With his permission, they couped the government and put the Kazoku in their place. Now, the IJN is here to stay...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Sometimes legends don't come by easily. Every now and then, they must write themselves into existence. This has been the case for Katsutoshi Kawano. Once treated like an incompetent swine by his colleagues, he not only outdid the Emperor himself but also the foxes, tigers, and bears roaming and feasting upon the carcass of the old Japan. Now, his name has been carved into the annals of Japanese history as their modern savior.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Matsudaira) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_munetoshi_matsudaira_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Political Advisor, [[spoiler:Chief Advisor (Civil War Stage II)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]]] ([[spoiler:Kazoku Coup]])

->'''Biography:''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Munetoshi Matsudaira was born as the fourth child of one of the heads of the Tokugawa clan, the same that had been deposed with the Meiji Restoration. He would marry into the Matsudaira Clan, the parent clan of the Tokugawa family and historic rulers of the Fukui Domain. By doing so, he earned the title of Marquess and a seat in the House of Peers. There, he would make several useful connections. His influence would only grow in the 90s, when his clan and others aided an inexperienced Akihito in ruling Japan - using the opportunity to push for a more conservative agenda. Outside of politics, he participated in several prestigious events and was seen as an important figure in the upper echelons of Japanese society.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Intelligence and cunning are two traits that, if mastered, brings individuals to the heights of power. Munetoshi Matsudaira knows this very well. Officially, Japan is a regime where the Emperor's word is the word of god. But behind the doors of the Imperial Palace, there is another truth.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Karafuto Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ideology:''' Civilian Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Paternalistic Conservatism[[note]]Conservatism[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]If there's one man who's ever cared for Karafuto, it's Tastsuya Hori. Born and raised in Karafuto, he would transform an abandoned, backwater, colonial frontier into a respectable Prefecture. Though Karafuto had been integrated into Mainland Japan, it was treated like a colony. Funding cuts, indifference from Tokyo, cheap Korean labor for the Zaibatsus and a revolving door of failed governments were the norm. Hori lived through those days where Karafuto was forgotten, and swore to change everything. So when he assumed the post of Governor in 2002 as an independent, Hori stood up to the Zaibatsus with regulations and laws to protect workers from exploitation. He reorganized the bureaucracy and uncovered a corrupt scheme organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs, targeting the Northern Territories. This event single-handedly led to the fall of the Nakagawa Cabinet and allowed Hori to clean up the mess in his own government, with Tokyo's blessing.\\\

->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]In many ways, Kosei Nakajima would be nothing if not for Tatsuya Hori. Born in Karafuto, he would be raised in Toyohara, and would join the local city hall after graduating from university. Appalled by the state of the Prefecture, he, alog with citizens and local government officials, would form the Karafuto Representation League, advocating for government reform between Karafuto's diverse communities. The organization would be shut down by the IJA in 1988, but would be reorganized in 1991 as the Karafuto Citizens' Association.\\\

----

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Shirai/Kasai Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/postrevolutionaryjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Karatani Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/proletarianjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Shigenobu Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maoistjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Revolutionary Japan, Japanese People's Republic (Shirai/Kasai Post-war), Proletarian State of Japan (Karatani Post-war), Democratic Republic of Japan (Shigenobu Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō[[note]]Japanese Communist Party[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Communism (Shirai), Left Communism[[note]]Ultra-leftism[[/note]] (Karatani), Bolshevism[[note]]Communism[[/note]] (Kasai), Mao Zedong Thought[[note]]Communism[[/note]] (Shigenobu)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shirai) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_satoshi_shirai_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]] Satoshi Shirai grew up witnessing Japan's chaotic political climate following the end of the Great Asian War. Along with other leftists, he immigrated to the Soviet Union and became a member of the "Muscovite Left". There, he studied Leninism, Japanese imperialism and geopolitics, forming the base for his most notable work; the theory of "Perpetual Imperialism", citing Japan's refusal to abandon its' colonial ties and refusal to admit its' defeat in a post-Japanese Asia.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]From the very early days of the Revolution, Satoshi Shirai and his comrades held the dream of constructing a worker's democracy in Japan. After many internal squabbles, pragmatic moves and sacrifices, what they once thought was a dream is now the reality of the Japanese People's Republic. Seeking a synthesis of general Leninist structures with grassroots democracy, Shirai refused to suppress the bottom-up system that was born with the revolution. Though it cost them efficiency and party unity, when the dust finally settled, it was all worth it. With proper laws and structures to prevent any further democratic backsliding, the people of Japan now enjoy the privilege of having a voice in their government - to recall their representatives and vote for those who they truly wish to see in power. As for the opposition, non-party members are as diverse and divided as the JCP itself. What both camps agree on is their mutual opposition to each other's policies, and while some radicals may point to the independents as counter-revolutionaries, Shirai knows that, as Rosa once said, freedom only for the supporters of government is no freedom at all. Outside of the state, the people rebuild their country and settle down. All over Japan, solidarity thrives. Yet, this is only the beginning of a new chapter of Japanese history. Whatever sacrifices, whatever road Japan must take to ensure their survival, the torch of Yamakawa will guide them onwards and onwards.[[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Karatani) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_kojin_karatani_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kojin Karatani earned his credentials in the student movement of the 60s. Back then, he witnessed the repression of the Japanese new left, the fall of Ikeda's government, and the failures of nonviolent methods. Fearful, he fled to the Soviet Union in the 1970s. In the public libraries of Vladivostok, he studied Marxism and Kantian philosophy - and proudly began to call himself a Communist.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kojin Karatani has witnessed several events that shaped his life - but none of them had been created by his own hands. Karatani's rule was initially shaped by confusion and strife, as he made the transition from intellectual to a politician. But of course, he wouldn't be a benevolent king like Shirai, nor a Soviet puppet like Kasai. He would be the worker's man.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kasai) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_akira_kasai_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Akira Kasai in Suita, Osaka, in 1952. Like many other Japanese leftists, his political life began with the student movements of the 60s. But as the movements were repressed further and further, Akira moved to the Soviet Union, where he would finish his education, getting a degree in Economics. He would then translate several essays on Marxian Economics into Japanese, later writing his own works. But of course, he wouldn't be relegated to a petty existence.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]What is the taste of victory? To Akira Kasai, it is bitter.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shigenobu) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_fusako_shigenobu_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairwoman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Fusako Shigenobu was born into a military family. Her father served in the war, being deployed to Manchukuo. Her rebellion against everything she knew began in the halls of Meiji University. Becoming involved in the Japanese New Left during its' heyday, she and her colleagues began to radicalize. When the IJA took power, they left it all behind and moved to the USSR. There, they formed the Japanese Red Army; vowing to start a worldwide revolution with their own hands.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Fusako Shigenobu stands as the first lady of the Japanese revolution. For decades, she dreamed of the day she would stand in front of the ruins of the Imperial Palace and proudly raise the red flag, claiming victory upon the reactionaries. It seems like that day has finally come.\\\

* EvilOldFolks: Is, in her late 70s, the oldest and most brutal potential leader of the JCP.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Fukushima/Suzuki/Koike Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Inoue Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/republicofjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Hokkaido Government, State of Japan (Fukushima Post-war), Republic of Japan (Inoue Post-war), Empire of Japan (Suzuki/Koike Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Yotōrenritsu - Josei Shinpotō[[note]]Ruling Coalition - Women's Progressive Party[[/note]] (Fukushima), Nihon Jiyūtō[[note]]Japanese Liberal Party[[/note]] (Inoue), Jinmin Seikatsu tō[[note]]People's Life Party[[/note]] (Suzuki), Zenkoku Kaikakutō[[note]]National Reform Party[[/note]] (Koike)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Fukushima) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_mizuho_fukushima_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Inoue) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_tatsuo_inoue_2_9.png[[/labelnote]]]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]"I am not a radical". Tatsuo Inoue has had to repeat these words time and time again, in futile attempts to explain his beliefs. Born in Osaka and later working in the city's university, the Handai, Tatsuo grew attached to Liberalism. rejecting both the reactionism of the ruling authorities and the radicalism of the Japanese New Left. But above all else, he sees justice as his guiding ideal. In his eyes, the people of Japan may only be freed through reason, by the guiding torch of the enlightenment. And eventually, this sense of liberation through justice applied to his stance on the monarchy.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Tatsuo Inoue's vision of Japan was once a passing dream, one that seemed impossible in the past. But his frustrations - along with the old world, have been swept away.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Muneo) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_muneo_suzuki_4.png[[/labelnote]]]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Muneo Suzuki is a controversial figure. But he always finds a way to return to the spotlight. Though he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, his career truly began when Shoichi Nakagawa, who entered politics after his father retired, was appointed Prime Minister in 2001. Muneo, who had worked under him and his father, would become Minister of Home Affairs. At that moment, Muneo stepped into the political world of the Heisei Democracy. Though the P.M. and his cabinet were subjected to Imperial decrees, they were able to sway the Emperor's decisions and alter proposed reforms. One proposal Muneo himself had pushed for was to increase state investments in Hokkaido; a project that would later become a front for briberies and other scandals via the Bureau of Public Works. The Nakagawa cabinet was dissolved in 2006, and Muneo left with a slap on the wrist: 3 years of house arrest.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Koike) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_yuriko_koike_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Yuriko Koike is the daughter of Yujiro Koike, a bureaucrat and member of the nationalist wing of the Taisei Yokusankai. From the beginning, Koike stood out amongst the youth of her generation. She rejected the New Left, being indifferent to the militancy of her colleagues. She would become a journalist and report on the Great Asian War, witnessing Japan's humiliating defeat. Bitter, she distanced herself from foreign correspondence and returned to work in Japan. And so, in 1978, she interviewed Shintaro Ishihara, marking the beginning of her interest in politics. Even then, she struggled because of the restrictions placed upon her sex. She believed her destiny was to continue working as a journalist. But then, Ishihara's victory gave her a chance. Though he held reactionary views, Ishihara's affinity with Koike, one that had built over many years, allowed her to enter politics and become the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs. But this didn't last long, as Ishihara's cabinet was dissolved with his resignation.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]From the day she was elected in Hokkaido, Yuriko Koike and her party have been accused of forming a "fifth column", of betraying the opposition. But from day one, her loyalty was to Japan and its people - not the jargon the opposition claimed to stand for.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Chūgoku Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Kokumin-teki Kakumei-ha;[[note]]National Revolutionaries[[/note]], Kakumeigo Kensetsu Undō[[note]]Revolutionary Construction Movement[[/note]] (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Sato) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_masahisa_sato.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' IJA Warlord, Daigensui (Commander-in-Chief)[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Kokumin-teki Kakumei-ha;[[note]]National Revolutionaries[[/note]],Kakumeigo Kensetsu Undō[[note]]Revolutionary Construction Movement[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Masahisa Satō is a third generation serviceman, one who is deeply devoted to Japanese nationalism.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Masahisa Satō has carved the road to reunification with blood. Surrounded by enemies, each battle was like an uphill struggle. But skirmish after skirmish, the National Revolution he dreamed of only came closer. Now, it is finally here.\\\

** Satō would replace the war economy after reunification in favour of an economic system similar to Corporatism; granting a little economic freedom to its citizens, in order to encourage economic growth

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kyushu Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ijawarflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Kyokujitsu no Gun;[[note]]Army of the Rising Sun[[/note]], Sensō Kaigi[[note]]War Council - Militarists[[/note]] (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Tamogami) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_toshio_tamogami_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' IJA Warlord, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Kyokujitsu no Gun;[[note]]Army of the Rising Sun[[/note]], Sensō Kaigi[[note]]War Council - Militarists[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Toshio Tamogami's military career began in 1971 when he graduated from the IJA Air Academy. Serving in the Great Asian War as part of a bomber squadron, he pioneered the destructive use of cluster bombs in air raids over Shanghai and Nanjing. He would be shot down by Chinese fighters and held in captivity for the rest of the war, later being released in a prisoner exchange. He would also briefly participate in the Suez Crisis of 1981, where the Italians, with help from the Japanese Air Force, stopped the Egyptians from taking the canal.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]From day one, Toshio believed Japan was corrupted; dominated by traitorous bureaucrats and greedy capitalists, in service of an anti-Japan agenda. He saw Japan's decline as a symptom of this overlying illness, and had hoped men like Ishihara would cure it. But when push came to shove, he was the one who routed the traitors and empowered the people of Japan.\\\

->'''Role:''' Minister of War[[note]]Nishida Cabinet[[/note]], Warlord[[note]]Japanese Civil War[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kishi/Abe Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]]
[[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Nobuo) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_nobuo_kishi_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Nobuo Kishi is the son of Nobukazu Kishi, who in turn was the eldest son of Nobusuke Kishi, the Devil of Showa. However, his biological father is Shintaro Abe. Nobuo was unaware of his relation to the Abe family before his adulthood, being much closer to Kishi.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]The remnants of the Imperial Diet had little when it came to the fight to reunite Japan. Yet, with Kishi's leadership and a little bit of luck, Japan is now united under a legitimate government. Kishi has rebuilt Japan as a Managerial State. Destroying the laissez-faire Capitalism that predominated in the past, the new economic system is a unique blend of German-inspired corporatism and Soviet-inspired economic planning. And though Japan presents itself like a democracy with its' formal structures, it stands upon a web of alliances, favors, corruption, and shady dealings. Nobuo lies at the top of this pyramid, but he has empowered a bureaucratic caste, one that has much more influenced than he could ever imagine.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Abe) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_shinzo_abe_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Speaker of the House of Representatives[[note]]Anti-Kishi Coup[[/note]], Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Shinzō Abe bet his life on politics but has had to travel through hell to get here. The son of Shintaro Abe, an influential MP, Shinzō held a deep admiration for his grandfather, Nobusuke. But for most of his early life, Nobusuke was distant. Later in the 70s, when Abe was in university, Nobusuke left Manchukuo for Japan to "aid" Akira Mutō. Around this time, Shinzō finally met his distant brother, Nobuo.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Back during those days in the Diet, men like Shinzō were dismissed as mere blue-blood princelings. Individuals who entered politics simply because of their relatives. But unlike his younger brother, Shinzō had a natural skill for politics. He may not have had the same public support and prestige, but his success was almost guaranteed.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Murai Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]]
[[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Murai) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_yoshihiro_murai_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Governor of Hiroshima, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Yoshihiro Murai takes pride in being a self-made man in Japanese politics. Born in Osaka Prefecture, Yoshihiro was conscripted into the IJA in 1980 and would stay in the Army up until 1991. Afterward, he settled down in Hiroshima with his family and would later be elected into the Prefectural Assembly as an independent. Steadily, he made his own connections in the Assembly, eventually joining the Constitutional Liberal Party and running for governor in 2007. His bid was successful, and he was elected as governor of Hiroshima.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Though Hiroshima held firm in the civil war, it needed much more to survive. Some dogmatists will certainly criticize Yoshihiro Murai for his cooperation with the OFN, but he was able to preserve the most important thing to him: the integrity of his nation.\\\

----

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Ainu Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/postainuflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Ekashi[[note]]The Chief[[/note]], Hokubu Minzokutō;[[note]]Northern Races' Party[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Tribal Chiefdom[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Left-Wing Indigenism[[note]]Progressivism[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Role:''' The Chief

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Haruzou Urakawa is a testament to the resilience of the Ainu people. His father was Harumatsu, the offspring of a Japanese father and an Ainu mother, who saw Haruzou as his favorite child. Growing up, he followed in the footsteps of his father - working in forestry and trying to create his own business. Though it seemed like he was destined to succeed, he, like many others, would go bankrupt during the Great Asian War. Around this time, his father contracted a disease and passed away. Struck by his father's death, he would frequent Buddhist temples for some time, perhaps in a search for answers. Well, there, he would find one.\\\

->'''Role:''' Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Shizue Ukaji grew up ashamed of her Ainu identity. Like many men and women who were pressured into assimilation, she simply shut her lips and never spoke of her roots. But unlike those troubled individuals, whose origins were lost after their passing, she did not forget. Shizue was captivated by art - and through art, she found pride in being an Ainu. Through poetry, through the exquisite patterns, through the dressings and customs that enriched the soul. With the help of her brother, she became an activist, hoping to rekindle the pride and memory of her forsaken people. While her brother was at first reluctant to enter politics, Shizue's poems and activism always emphasized sociopolitical issues faced by the Ainu. But even then, Japan was not ready to face these troubles. And god knows how long it would've taken had things not gone the way they did.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (NDA Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Sensha Dai-ni Shidan[[note]]2nd Tank Division[[/note]], Kokuritsu Tōgō Seifu;[[note]]National Integration Government[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Warlordism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Stratocracy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]] (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Taura) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_masato_taura_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Commander of the Northern District Army, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Masato Taura is not a textbook hero. He has served Japan for decades, commanding several tank divisions. By the late 2010s, he was satisfied with his service, and simply hoped to retire. And then, the war came. Leading the famed 2nd 'Geki' Tank Division, his main concern was to keep his men alive. But he is no coward - his division performed quite well during the war, thanks to his careful planning and close cooperation with other units. Upon his return, Taura was granted the Order of the Rising Sun and command of the Northern District Army. Satisfied, he once again hoped to retire. But then, the civil war began.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Masato Taura remembers when the Sapporo garrison fell to the terrorists, forcing his tank brigade into retreating with a caravan of refugees to Abashiri. Fighting in Hokkaido was his greatest test; a cold environment, where any other tank commander would foil to the elements. But Taura knew the odds, and he knew the only alternative to victory was death. And so, during those days, he extracted as many resources as possible and utilized civilians to fill in his ranks. And though this worsened the conditions for the already suffering populace of Hokkaido, worsening the famines in the north, Taura believes his crimes were justified to destroy an even more monstrous enemy.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Tōhoku Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/posttohokusrflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shiomi) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_takaya_shiomi_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Chairman

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Takaya Shiomi is one of the legendary names of the Japanese New Left. Yet, today, many leftists recoil whenever his name is mentioned.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]The dreams of a Japanese revolution were once in peril. The JCP was corrupted to the bone by SMERSH agents, bourgeois reformists, and ultra-left factionalism. Surely, communism was destined to fail under the wings of these Bukharinist thugs. But Takaya Shiomi rose like a red saint, routing the counterrevolutionaries and the traitors; ensuring the revolution would succeed no matter the cost.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (EAAJAF Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ainulewchewanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Toyama Coup]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japananarchistfrontflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Toyama Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japanfreternityleagueflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Kurihara Coup]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japancommunalarmiesflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kurihara Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japandemocraticfederationflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front, Ainu-Lewchewan Soviet Republic (Isonash Post-war), Japanese Anarchist Front (Toyama coup), Japanese Fraternity League (Toyama Post-war) Japanese Communal Armies (Kurihara Coup), Japanese Democratic Federation (Kurihara Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' EAAJAF - Sasori Saibō[[note]]East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front - Scorpion Cell[[/note]], Sekai Kakumei Rōnin[[note]]World Revolution Ronin[[/note]] (Isonash Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Anti-Japaneseism

!! Hisaichi Ugajin, Isonash (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Isonash) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_isonash.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' EAAJAF Leader, Isonash[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Ideology:''' Anti-Japaneseism[[note]]Ultra-leftism[[/note]]
->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Hisaichi Ugajin began his terrorist activities in the 70s. From all of the events that led him to take this decision, one stood out. After Moving to a Doya-gai to familiarize himself with the workers, he witnessed the frustration and resentment of the laborers transform into a riot, one that was brutally suppressed by the military police. There, in Kamagasaki, where he witnessed the blood of the masses being splattered over the streets, he would be moved into joining the EAAJAF. Ugajin joined the new Scorpion Cell. There, he absorbed the insanity of Anti-Japanese thought, believing that he was fighting evil itself. Back then, the Front was being hunted down for bombing the headquarters of the Nissan-owned Mangyo, and in 1978, the Daidojis were arrested and later executed. The remaining members of the Wolf Cell and the Fangs of the Earth Cell prepared their revenge, titled Operation Rainbow; the assassination of Prince Naruhiko. And sure enough, in 1981, royal blood was spilled on the streets of Kyoto, and the EAAJAF was hunted down once again. With other members dead or giving up the fight, The Scorpion Cell was the only one left. Silently, Ugajin planned extensively for "Operation Sunset", an elaborate plan to foster chaos and destroy Japan.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]][[evil:A few years back, Japan had a population of 134 million. Today, there are only 10-50 million, give or take. And not a single one of them would dare to call themselves "Japanese".\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Toyama) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_koichi_toyama_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' JAF Leader, President[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Tora Saibō[[note]]Tiger Cell[[/note]], [[spoiler:Warewaredan]][[note]]Our Group[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Anarcho-Communism[[note]]Communism[[/note]], [[spoiler:Fascist Anarchism]][[note]]Fascism[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Koichi Toyama is a long-time anarchist dissident. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, he began as a dissident activist, at first revolting against what he saw as a poor, hierarchical education system, dropping out of school entirely, and giving up his life in the name of his beliefs. He was arrested for his activism several times, partially because of his far-left activism, and partially because of his violent acts. Being in and out of prison, his views would slowly shift, but he remained loyal to anarchism nonetheless.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]"Lost" would be a good word to describe how Toyama felt not very long ago. Though he and his comrades had liberated the front from its' scourge and returned power to the people, they saw themselves losing ground to the individuals they despised. Even after the revolution, the people of Japan continued to reject Toyama and his gang's radicalism. Even in anarchy, they wanted their sacred "moderation". Well, to hell with them all.\\\ Toyama and his allies reorganized as the informal "Warewaredan"; Our Group. Composed of disappointed leftist radicals, nihilists and proto-fascists, they pushed back against the so-called "moderates" of the communes with brute force. The Japanese can have their beloved democracy alright, but if they dare to steer too far from Toyama's anarchism, they can expect to see their names carved on a tombstone.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kurihara) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_yasushi_kurihara_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' JCA Leader, President[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]

->'''Biography: '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Yasushi Kurihara is one of the youngest figures in the Japanese Civil War. Born in 1979, Kurihara's resentment towards Capitalism emerged in his early years. The crises, the inhumane conditions and the passivity of the reformists fed the flame of radicalism in his heart. In university, he read the forbidden works of ōsugi Sakae, becoming an anarchist. As Japan crawled towards democracy, Kurihara wrote about leftist politics, defying anti-communist laws. But Kurihara wasn't much of a nuisance to the state. Though he protested, his voice was often unheard, drowned out in a sea of dissent. So, when the civil war came, Kurihara resigned from politics and took the road to Hokkaido. And on the way, he was stopped by the EAAJAF.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]In drastically different conditions to those seen in Barcelona and Huliaipole, Kurihara was forced to save anarchy from itself. But as those weeks' events reverberate in the present, he wonders if he is a hero who routed a corrupting force from a pure experiment, or if he is a traitor who betrayed his people, being no better than Bukharinist rabble. Whatever the answer is, he is responsible for something. Like when he allowed the commissars to persecute dissidents like the Chekist scoundrels of the JCP, or when he witnessed the web of corruption being built under his nose, and in both cases, he did nothing. He created this mess. But he might aswell end it.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kyonje Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/federal_states_of_japan_flag.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Mintōren - Shuryū;[[note]]Mintohren - Mainstream[[/note]], Hikari no Tō[[note]]Party of the Light[[/note]] (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kyonje) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_ri_keisai_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' YCL Leader, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Mintōren - Shuryū;[[note]]Mintohren - Mainstream[[/note]], Hikari no Tō[[note]]Party of the Light[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]I Kyonje, also known as Takayasu Keisai, was born to Korean parents in Osaka, but grew up in Shimonoseki. His mother had long forgotten her language, and his father was, in a twisted kind of irony, relegated to toiling to construct the damned Japan-Korea tunnel. The two had long given up in preserving their roots, and as such, I grew up ashamed of his own identity, and tried to keep it hidden and assimilate into the Japanese populace. But he was still seen as alien. No matter how hard he tried to suck up to the Yamato, he was always punched down as a foreigner, even when he had been born and raised in the same land as them. Unable to pursue higher education or even find a job, he decided enough was enough. At just 18 years of age, he founded the Mukuge no Kai; what would later become the Mintohren in 1975. Over the next decade, the Mintohren resisted the IJA Regime and the injustices in Japanese society. I was arrested in 1983, and remained in jail until the junta fell.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]I Kyonje, like many other Zainichi Koreans, saw Japan's unrelenting nationalism as a poison. One that overtook everything, and destroyed humanity wherever it went. But I, like many other Zainichi Koreans, sees Japan as their home. And the fight waged by them over the last few months was to claim their right to be seen as equals.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kutoba Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Tsukasa Takeover]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yamaguchigumiflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Keihanshin Economic Directorate, Japanese Directorate (Kubota Post-war), Yamaguchi-gumi (Tsukasa Takeover), Japanese Syndicate (Tsukasa Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kubota) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_masakazu_kubota_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' President of the Directorate

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Masakazu Kubota's history began when the old Japan ended. After the Yasuda Crisis, the Reforms of the 60s, the Great Asian War, and the subsequent economic crisis, the old "Big Four" Companies that sat at the top lost their status. Then came new competitors - Zaibatsus that sat at the periphery of the corporate world and emerging Keiretsus. In the aftermath of those disastrous decades, the Japanese business sector was in dire need of experts. And here is where Kubota steps in. From the 70s onwards, he served as an advisor to several companies, even holding senior posts. He forged ties with Big Four and played a minor role in founding the Gyoshinkai (Administrative Advisory Board) in 1985. The GSK was founded to represent and aid the entire Japanese business sector, but it later became the voice of the Big Four, who used it to push for the greater free-market reforms that shaped the Heisei Era.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Creating an entire statelet based on a business structure was a bold and dangerous idea. Masakazu Kubota knew that. He was the beating heart of the Board, an impartial leader who could easily maneuver between the corporations and ensure their interests were heard. But at any moment, the [=CEOs=] could vote him out and put one of their lackeys at the top, something that would escalate their everyday competition to outright hostility.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Tsukasa) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_kenichi_shinoda_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Supreme Kingpin

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Shinobu Tsukasa, born Kenichi Shinoda, is the Kingpin of the largest Yakuza organization in Japan, and he has earned that title. Being the first Kingpin to be born outside of the Kansai region, his life in the criminal underworld began in 1962. Shinoda joined a minor organization related to the Yamaguchi-gumi. In 1971, he killed a rival Yakuza leader with a Katana and spent the next decade in jail. After returning to the real world, he and Kiyoshi Takayama, a long-time friend, founded the Kodo-kai. After the war against the Ichiwa-kai, his efforts began to bear fruit. He successfully expanded the Kodo-kai into the Kansai region and defied the Yakuza tradition of closely cooperating with the police. And these bold, unconventional antics were exactly what brought him here. When he took over, the Yamaguchi-gumi reached its' peak. But over time, business began to slow down, the cops started sniffing around, and the coffers were drying up. It seemed like their time was coming to an end.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Unlike other criminal organizations, the Yakuza has always had an intricate connection with Japanese society. As always, they were used by powerful forces to uphold order and do their dirty work. When the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, a long-time "business associate", tried to employ the Yamaguchi-gumi to gain an edge over their rivals, they had no idea what kind of power they would unleash.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Matsumoto Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Buraku Liberation League, Japanese National Liberation Government (Post-war), Republic of Japan (Redemption Path), State of Japan (Corruption Path)
->'''Ruling Party:''' BKD - Suiheisha[[note]]Buraku Liberation League - Levelers[[/note]]

->'''Role:''' BLL Leader, Prime Minister[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' BKD - Suiheisha[[note]]Buraku Liberation League - Levelers[[/note]], Kenpō Seitei Kaigi[[note]]Constituent Assembly[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Revolutionary Front[[note]]Socialism[[/note]], Provisional Government[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]] (Post-war), Personalistic Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]] (Corruption Path), Social Radicalism[[note]]Progressivism[[/note]] (Redemption Path)
->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]The history of the Buraku liberation movement is shrouded in controversy. And there is no better example of this than Ryu Matsumoto. His grandfather, Jiichirō, was the founder of the National Levelers' Association, and later a member of the Taisei Yokusankai. During the war, Jiichirō enthusiastically supported Japan's Imperialism, but would align himself with the reformists when Tajo was removed from power. By speaking in favor of the Ikeda Reforms and granting funds to Buraku activists, he redeemed himself in the eyes of the Burakumin.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]When Ishihara took power and suppressed the BLL, it seemed like it would be another fad in the history of the Buraku liberation movement. A noble cause suppressed by the deeds of power-hungry men, a lesson to be learned for future generations of Burakumin activists. But the BLL wasn't dead. Because whatever evils the leaders of the BLL did, the IJA surpassed them. Whatever progress the BLL won over the last 30 years, it was wiped clean in a matter of weeks. Even the Burakumin who initially supported the Junta would turn against them. And in that mess, they couldn't find a better man but Ryu. At first, Ryu was despised. He was controlled by his subordinates, radicals who hoped to dispose of him when the time was right.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Shōnin Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greatsacreddomainofjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Nichinyo) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_nichinyo_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Head Temple Taiseki-Ji

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Nichinyo Hayase has dedicated his whole life to Nichiren Shoshu. He is the great-grandson of Nichio, the 56th head priest of the Taiseki-ji. It was only inevitable that he would follow the same path.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]In the countryside, armed peasants brandished their weapons and prepared to hold off another batch of bandits. In the pagoda, loyal servants handled bureaucratic affairs. In the barracks, cell leaders planned their next moves and dreamed of their own domain. All of these people answered to one man: Nichinyo Shoshu.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Harada Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/humanestateofjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Harada) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_minoru_harada_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' President of Sōka Gakkai

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Minoru Harada got involved with the Soka Gakkai in 1953 after some of his colleagues introduced him to the movement. There, he would meet Daisaku Ikeda. Ikeda had been arrested for participating in a strike in 1948, and after meeting Jōsei Toda in prison, Ikeda would dedicate his life to rebuilding the Soka. The movement was reborn in 1955 as the Soka Gakkai. The Japanese state ignored the movement's existence in its early days, but as it grew, it began to clash with the ruling authorities. Harada himself was a left-wing radical back then, and he would live through an often-forgotten incident in 1959, overshadowed by silence and time. In the 60s, the Soka Gakkai rode the wave of reforms that were sweeping through Japan. Ikeda had become more vocal about his convictions, calling for democracy and openly criticizing Japanese imperialism. As a result, when the IJA took power in the 70s, the Soka Gakkai was outlawed. Fleeing to America, the movement expanded to an international scope. The Soka Gakkai was responsible for launching propaganda campaigns and aiding in the immigration of several Japanese refugees following the Great Asian War. In 1991, it was legalized as part of the Heisei Reforms, and the movement slowly began to return home.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Minoru Harada is no mighty general, no conqueror. He is simply a man who stood strong to his convictions and his mentor's ideals. Though his rule was surrounded by controversy, especially as the Soka deepened its' involvement in politics through the Komeito, he showed to be a decent leader. Flocking to a small strip of land with hopes of aiding an armed uprising was far from what Ikeda advocated for in his humanitarian work, but to Harada, it was necessary.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Kazunari Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shogunateofjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' NSJAP [[note]]National Socialist League[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kazunari) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_yamada_kazunari_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' NSL Leader, Shogun[[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' NSJAP [[note]]National Socialist League[[/note]], NSJAP - Seitō-ha[[note]]NSJAP - Orthodox[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Yamada Kazunari grew up despising the state of Japanese society and politics. He was shaped by the difficulties his country faced after the Great Asian War. In his mind, while his country fell into ruin, another nation was prospering: Germany. So, in university, he and a few friends established a "National Socialist Studies Club" to discuss Nazi ideology and Japanese politics. The small club would become an echo chamber for fascist ideology, and soon, it turned into "Der Kreis", a secret nine-man terrorist cell. In 1993, the group attempted to assassinate the head of the Soka Gakkai with a makeshift bomb, in what went down as a massive failure. As their leader, Kazunari took the brunt of the punishment, spending the next fifteen years in jail.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Many things seem impossible, but are, in truth, destiny. This is how Yamada Kazunari views his victory. From Nagasaki to Tokyo and then Sapporo, the swastika flies high. Many men have sacrificed their lives to get here - willingly or not.\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (El Cantare Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/empireoftheeternalsunflag.png]][[/labelnote]]

->'''Ruling Party:''' Kōfuku no Kagaku [[note]]Happy Science[[/note]]

!! Ryūhō Ōkawa, [[spoiler:El Cantare]] (Post-war)

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(El Cantare) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_ryuho_okawa_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Master of Happy Science, [[spoiler:El Cantare]][[note]]Post-war[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Kōfuku no Kagaku [[note]]Happy Science[[/note]]

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Ryūhō Ōkawa, born Takashi Nakagawa, was raised in an ordinary, but deeply spiritual environment. His entry into the spiritual world came thanks to his father, who supported him in his journey from day one. Ōkawa was versed in both spiritual and secular topics, including Kantian philosophy, with which he was fascinated for. Unable to find employment because of the crisis brought by the Great Asian War, Ōkawa sunk into depression. But around this time, he had a vision, claiming to have come in contact with Nikkō Shōnin and later Nichiren, two Buddhist priests. He would then dedicate his life to founding a new religion. After founding what would later become Happy Science in 1989, he wrote three books that would outline the organization's beliefs. In 1990, Ōkawa declared that he was "El Cantare", a god whose other self was the Buddha,\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]][[cinnamon:El Cantare is the one righteous god. Japan's reunification is proof. One man destroyed army after army of heretics, burning down their false idols and saving them from nothingness. The road to the sun has been established - and the people who march towards it glimmer with the hope of salvation. All religions will unite into one, and the dharma wheel will finally turn.\\\

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shoko) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_shoko_asahara_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Leader of Aum Shinrikyo
->'''Party:''' Oumu Shinrikyō[[note]]Aum Shinrikyo[[/note]], Oumu Shinrikyō - Shinja [[note]]Aum Shinrikyo - Devotees[[/note]] (Post-war)

->'''Biography: ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Shōkō Asahara was born to a poor family, and went from a visually impaired man with few prospects of success to the most controversial religious man in Japan. Forming the Aum Shinsen no Kai in 1984 (later renaming it Aum Shinrikyo), his new religious movement exhibited a mixture of esoteric Buddhism and Christianity with yoga and meditation. The group would grow steadily over the years, taking in members from middle to upper class backgrounds. But after Asahara declared himself to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, the group rapidly turned into a fanatic cult. Asahara believed the world would end in 1997, and the only ones to be saved would be he and his followers. When Japanese society caught on, controversy began to surround the cult. Asahara retorted with aggression: ordering the assassination of an anti-cult lawyer and his family, as well as Daisaku Ikeda, head of the Soka Gakkai, and a sarin attack in Matsumoto. The group faced a trial in early 1995, but surprisingly, Shōkō got away with all of it: the murder of the Sakamoto family remained inconclusive, the death of Ikeda was pinned on a minor nazi group, and a local resident of Matsumoto was mistaken for causing the attack. Even with this saving grace, their ranks dwindled over time. Asahara took his most loyal followers and sealed himself off in Kamikuishiki. Secretly, his cult has been preparing for the [[purple:Armageddon, and it seems like it is finally here...]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war): ''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]][[purple:The snow-coated Mount Fuji glimmers above the doomed Yamato landscape. Shōkō Asahara rules as a god living among his people, for he is the savior, the son of the lord, and the voice of enlightenment.\\\

----

[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Nishida) Militarist Puppet]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shoji_nishida.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (2017 Elections)

!![[center: [- [[Characters/ModernTNO Main Character Index]] -]]][[center: [- '''Superpowers:''' [[Characters/MTNOGermany Großgermanisches Reich]] | [[Characters/MTNOUnitedStates United States of America]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Major Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOChina Republic of China]] | [[Characters/MTNOSovietUnion Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]-]]] [[center: [-'''Minor Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOJapan Empire of Japan]] [[Characters/MTNOKorea (Chōsen/Korea)]] | [[Characters/MTNOItaly Kingdom of Italy]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Other Countries:''' [[Characters/MTNOIndonesia Indonesia]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Misc:''' [[Characters/MTNOMisc Miscellaneous]]-]]]

* PuppetKing: If Tamogami's plot succeeds and Nishida invades China, he will effectively become nothing more than a puppet for the ultranationalists in Tamogami's circle.

[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shoji_nishida.png]]

->'''Ideology:''' National Conservatism[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]], Aristocratic Conservatism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]] (Peace Preservation Law Expanded)

->'''Ideology:''' National Conservatism[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]], Aristocratic Conservatism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]] (Peace Preservation Law Amended)

->'''Ideology:''' National Conservatism[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]], Aristocratic Conservatism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]] (Wartime Powers)

!![[center: [- [[Characters/ModernTNO Main Character Index]] -]]][[center: [- '''Superpowers:''' [[Characters/MTNOGermany Großgermanisches Reich]] | [[Characters/MTNOUnitedStates United States of America]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Major Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOChina Republic of China]] | [[Characters/MTNOSovietUnion Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]-]]] [[center: [-'''Minor Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOJapan Empire of Japan]] | [[Characters/MTNOItaly Kingdom of Italy]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Other Countries:''' [[Characters/MTNOIndonesia Indonesia]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Misc:''' [[Characters/MTNOMisc Miscellaneous]]-]]]

* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Ozawa is not exactly wrong about the Japanese people being the ones responsible for voting in the ultranationalists.]]

* PragmaticVillainy: From the moment Kishi followed Abe into the Diet, Abe has distrusted him as naive and easily exploted.

->'''Biography (Post-war): '''[[labelnote:Click to show]]The remnants of the Imperial Diet had little when it came to the fight to reunite Japan. Yet, with Kishi's leadership and a little bit of luck, Japan is now united under a legitimate government. Kishi has rebuilt Japan as a Managerial State. Destroying the laissez-faire Capitalism that predominated in the past, the new economic system is a unique blend of German-inspired corporatism and Soviet-inspired economic planning. And though Japan presents itself like a democracy with its' formal structures, it stands upon a web of alliances, favors, corruption, and shady dealings. Nobuo lies at the top of this pyramid, but he has empowered a bureaucratic caste, one that has much more influence than he could ever imagine.\\\

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Kishi is popular amongst right-wing media for his anti-liberal views, and single-handedly contributed to the revival of the Reform Bureaucrats.

* PuppetKing: {{Downplayed}}. Kishi's postwar bio compares him more to a Caesar surrounded by conspirators than a puppet king, however, it's also clear that he is unable to do anything about what is going on around him anymore.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: If Kishi wins the Civil War, he will realize too late that his whole political career has empowered a managerial caste that can dispose of him at any moment. His bio states that he is likely to be assassinated soon, with his death covered up as a suicide.

* InternalReformist: Invokes this trope often in reference to himself and the IJN when dealing with the public and the Emperor, but ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] it.

* TheGoodKing: {{Invokes}} this in criticism of Shirai. Karatani shares his goal of building a true communist democracy, but wants no one man or even the JCP to act as its paternalistic protector; he wants to give power directly to the workers.

* LightIsGood: Invoked by the reformist "Party Of the Light" that Kyonje organizes following the civil war, which aids Kyonje in his mission to turn Japan into a progressive country with a federalist system.

* PuppetKing: Downplayed. Kishi's postwar bio compares him more to a Caesar surrounded by conspirators than a puppet king, however, it's also clear that he is unable to do anything about what is going on around him anymore.

! Tropes pertaining to the rework
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]]
->'''Official Name:''' Empire of Japan

* DemocracyIsFlawed: The Heisei Democracy is one of contradictions and setbacks, with various governments between 1991 and 2017 going back and forth on the issue of reform. Even after the 2017 elections, Japan's record of political freedoms is highly dubious.
* LetNoCrisisGoToWaste: Should a civil war break out in China, some of the more hawkish Japanese Prime Ministers will seize the port city of Dalian.
* AllohistoricalAllusion: Japan's seizure of Dalian mirrors Russia's invasion of Crimea.
* BlatantLies: Japan claims ownership over Dalian by insisting it was awarded to Japan through legitimate means via the Kwantung Leased Territory, even though the treaty that established it was immediately abolished as part of the peace negotiations at the end of the Great Asian War.

!!Potential Prime Ministers
[[folder:Shoji Nishida]]
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shoji_nishida.png]]
->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (2017 Elections)
->'''Ideology:''' National Conservatism[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]], Aristocratic Conservatism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]] (Wartime Powers)

* EvilReactionary: Nishida is easily the most traditionalistic out of all potential Japanese prime ministers, holding political positions that are so reactionary they seem alien to the rest of the Japanese right.
* RedScare: Nishida views the fringe left-wing parties in the Japanese political spectrum as "tools of international Marxist jewry" and works to outlaw them after taking power.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: Nishida is openly opposed to further liberalizing the Japanese political system, and should he be elected, Japanese democracy will undoubtedly backslide. His rise to power tells the world that something is terribly wrong with Japan.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Nishida is antisemitic and socially reactionary, blaming all of Japan's faults on the United States, liberalism, and Jews.
* ConspiracyTheorist: Nishida believes Japan lost the Great Asian War due to an international Jewish conspiracy to destroy Japan's position as a global power.
* PuppetKing: If Tamogami's plot succeeds and Nishida invades China, he will effectively become nothing more than a puppet for the ultranationalists in Tamogami's circle.
* PlausibleDeniability: In the path where Japan loses the war with China and Nishida is overthrown, he is able to deny his role in Japan's saber-rattling and wartime atrocities and instead blame it all on Tamogami and his goons.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite being a Japanese nationalist, Nishida knows that invading China is unfeasible and would lead to hundreds of deaths for Japan, and will only do so if Tamogami's Plot succeeds and gives him no other choice but to invade.

! Japanese Civil War (Stage I)

[[folder:Japanese Opposition]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jpopposit.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Opposition Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Japanese Opposition, Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Hantai Undō[[note]]Opposition Movement[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Provisional Government[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]]

* TheAlliance: The Opposition is composed of the vast majority of pro-democracy groups, with the help of the far-left.
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: The pact between the liberal and socialist parts of the opposition, while strong at the immediate outset, is not without tension and [[spoiler:may collapse if Naoto's government proves unable to bring the war to a conclusion]].

!! Naoto Kan
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naoto_kan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kan) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naoto_kan_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Opposition Leader (Civil War Stage I)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister[[note]]Head of State[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Party:''' Hantai Undō - Jiyūshugisha[[note]]Opposition Movement - Liberals[[/note]], Minshutō[[note]]Democratic Party[[/note]](Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Provisional Government[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]], Liberalism (Post-war)
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Naoto Kan was born in 1946, the son of an executive, and, following the tradition of soon-to-be Japanese politicians, he sought a career in the field of law. From early on, he participated in grassroots student movements, interacting with progressives like Ichikawa Fusae and flirting with left-wing politics. He sought to formally enter politics in the 70s but was barred from doing so due to the Muto Coup and the political chaos that followed the end of the Great Asian War.\\\
When the chaos ended following the Emperor's intervention, Naoto finally entered politics. He and his colleagues used their credentials as veterans of the Japanese New Left to gain several posts. A member of the Democratic Party, Naoto's political career itself was rather disappointing. He became embroiled in two different scandals as a minister and lost his popularity with progressives. It seemed like the last nail on the coffin came with Shintaro Ishihara's election, as liberals were ejected from government posts and forced out of the Diet by IJA military police.\\\
But surprisingly, Naoto decided to cooperate with the ultranationalists. But he was not a traitor, and, when the time came, he and Ichiro Ozawa launched a parliamentary coup, triggering the civil war. Now, Naoto hopes to redeem himself, and be seen as something more than a backstabber...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]When Naoto Kan stood next to Ichiro Ozawa and proclaimed the return of democracy to Japan, he didn't expect he and his comrades - in that wide alliance of pro-democracy groups - would be able to stand up to the might of the IJA. He did not expect the Opposition would hold together, and the Emperor's words remained more ambiguous than ever, in such a time of uncertainty. Thankfully for them, the storm has passed.\\\
During the last days of the civil war, he and his allies were able to draft a proper constitution for tomorrow's Japan. With peace arriving at the islands and Naoto's emergency powers suspended, democracy has returned. But democracy is not established through a signature on a piece of paper - there's much work to be done. The country has been destroyed by war, and Naoto hopes to rebuild it as fast as possible in a bid to eradicate instability. Politically, he hopes to strengthen the institutions to counter the increasingly militant radicals to his left. Naoto's popularity aside, the people of Japan have found some degree of peace and solidarity under his leadership. Moderate politicians are working together to advance his agenda, exiles are returning to the nation to aid in its reconstruction, and volunteers are flocking to citizen's committees to aid their local communities and help the government to reestablish proper controls. Clearly, good days are yet to come...[[/labelnote]]

* AllohistoricalAllusion: Naoto will manage to create a strong democracy in Japan post-war, compared to OTL where Naoto Kan resigned from his position as Prime Minister in the wake of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_nuclear_disaster Fukushima nuclear disaster.]]
* TheAtoner: Naoto wants to make up for two scandals that afflicted him while a minister, which led to him losing credibility with progressives. He also wants to regain the trust lost to his CooperationGambit.
* CooperationGambit: Naoto collaborated with the Ishihara government in order to subvert it and eventually enable him to launch TheCoup that started the Civil War.
* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler:If the Opposition fails to win the civil war in the first stage and begins to crumble, Naoto will be ousted by his closest friend and political ally, Ozawa.]]
* PacifismBackfire: {{Downplayed}}. After reunifying Japan, Naoto defangs the IJA and demobilizes the liberal democratic militias, even though their leftist counterparts don't follow suit. However, they're still far from a major threat to the democratic government, and moderation still reigns.
* RebelLeader: Naoto is the initial leader of the democratic resistance to the southern Japanese junta.

!! Ichirō Ozawa
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_ichiro_ozawa.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Ozawa) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_ichiro_ozawa_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Opposition Leader ([[spoiler:Civil War Stage II]])[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister[[note]]Head of State[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Party:''' Hantai Undō - Shukyuuha[[note]]Opposition Movement - Conservatives[[/note]], Minshutō - Kyōken-teki[[note]]Democratic Party - Authoritarian[[/note]](Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Civilian Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Controlled Democracy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]](Post-war)
->'''Biography:''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Ichiro Ozawa was born to a moderately well-to-do family as the Second World War raged on. During the 1950s, his father founded a Keiretsu - and his family enriched itself, especially during the Economic Wars, where Keiretsus began to expand. His father sought a political career, and encouraged young Ichiro to do so - paving the way for the young man to take up his father's torch after the latter died in 1969. His initial career, however, would be short-lived.\\\
Following the IJA Coup, he remained in jail for four years, before being set free. Even though he was free, he would be prevented from participating in politics for almost ten years. He would finally return in the 90s, and built an intricate web of intra-parliamentary alliances. Through this power, he ensured stable democratization for Japan. But even that didn't stop the butchers of '87 from seizing power. Ichiro was allowed to remain in the Diet as a lowly politician reduced of his true value. But he did not accept it. When the time came, he and his best friend, Naoto Kan, brought an end to the far-right government. But that only created further chaos. Naoto's incompetence and the traitorous reds brought the Opposition to its knees. In a painful decision, he stabbed his friend in the back and seized power. Now, he hopes to put back the pieces of Japan's hopes for democracy...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]There are few words that can be said for Ichiro Ozawa's trajectory. Filled with bleak fates, he ensured Japan's democratization, only to have it taken away by the people he himself put his entire trust in. He tried to bring back what was lost, only to drive his country to ruin. Once again, he fought for what he believed was right, but saw his allies fall to incompetence, petty infighting, and lack of spirit. But no longer will he subject himself to such humiliation.\\\
Taking matters into his own hands, he will no longer be a mere backroom politician or a pawn in a game of radicals. Now, he wll be the architect of Japan, to rid it of its terrible, blood-stained past, and bring hope and freedom to a land accustomed to authoritarianism and ultranationalism. According to his ideal of "constructive democracy", in order for Japan to build a stable basis for liberal democracy, a period of constitutional authoritarianism is necessary. After all, were the nationalists not brought to power through the vote? And so, Ichiro thinks, to hell with them all. The communists, the nationalists, and even the liberals. Until the people of Japan are saved from the destruction caused by their own choices, dreams of equality, greatness, and democracy must come second. And so, a man who was once rich with willpower and courage is reduced to a cold, gloomy personification of disillusionment and betrayal.\\\
Two things Ichiro has felt far too much.[[/labelnote]]

* TheCoup: He was the co-leader of the attempted pro-democracy coup that started the Civil War and established Opposition control in northern Japan along with Naoto. [[spoiler:Ozawa will launch another one if the conflict drags on for too long, which also causes the Opposition's communists to defect]].
* CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler:The defection of the communists from the Opposition coalition is this for Ozawa.]]
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: As much as it pains him to do so, Ozawa views [[spoiler:his coup against Naoto's government and degradation of civil liberties as necessary to guarantee the survival of Japanese democracy in the long term]].
* JadeColoredGlasses: [[spoiler:Naoto's failure to manage the Opposition and the war effort in such a way as to prevent the Civil War from lasting long enough for the communists to defect leads fellow democrat Ozawa to take over the government and institute authoritarian "constructive democracy".]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Ozawa is not exactly wrong about the Japanese people being the ones responsible for voting in the ultranationalists.]]
* RedBaron: Like in real life, Ozawa's acumen as a backroom politician has led to him being dubbed the "Shadow Shōgun".

[[folder:IJA Government Forces]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ijawarflag.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (IJA Gov Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_flagedit.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Imperial Japanese Army Government Forces, Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Gunji Seiken - Hoshukeikai[[note]]Military Junta - Conservative Faction[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Military Junta[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Oligarchy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]] (Post-war)

* DefectorFromDecadence: The Kyoto junta was originally formed after its future leaders, who watched as they were replaced with ultranationalist sycophants, forced Ishihara's resignation and took over the government in his place.

!! Kōji Yamazaki
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_koji_yamazaki.png]]
->'''Role:''' IJA Junta Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Gunji Seiken - Hoshukeikai[[note]]Military Junta - Conservative Faction[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Military Junta[[note]]Despotism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kōji Yamazaki belongs to the "third generation" of IJA officers, those who graduated in the aftermath of the Great Asian War. His generation is one of interventionist officers who wished to preserve their grip over Japan at all costs. The same men who shouted "Open fire!" during the Meiji Shrine Incident and frowned at the Emperor's intervention.\\\
But Kōji had no interest in politics. He aligned himself with a conservative wing of the army that opposes both the liberals and the ultranationalists. During Ishihara's rule, he was barred from rising to the Army General Staff as the Prime Minister filled the top brass with his allies. And so, Kōji participated in the "Greater East Asia Unification War", and returned home in defeat. Ishihara tried to placate him and other neutral generals for the loss, but this only helped to sour their opinion of the Prime Minister. With ill health and most of Japan against him, Ishihara resigned. Even then, the country was in chaos. A power struggle erupted between Ishihara's former allies, the economy was in shambles, and people took their rage to the streets. What other choice did they have but to restore order?\\\
With this in mind, he organized a coup. But the memories of the Mutō Regime are still fresh in the minds of the people. Now, Kōji hopes for a quick victory, especially as cracks slowly appear in his Junta. Victory rests on a knife's edge...[[/labelnote]]

* TheDissenterIsAlwaysRight: The Yamazaki clique's concerns about Ishihara's military plans were easily proven right, prompting Ishihara's embarrassed resignation and the military takeover.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Yamazaki is many things - mainly "anti-democratic military strongman" - but ultranationalist is not one of them. He is the leader of a moderate clique in the military that held just as much disdain for Ishihara as it did for the liberals.
* IgnoredExpert: Yamazaki was sidelined in the run-up to the war with China in favor of [[YesMan Yes-Men]].

!! Hidehisa Otsuji
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_hidehisa_otsuji.png]]
->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Kokubō Kyōkai - Antei Seisakukai[[note]]National Defense Association - Stable Policy Group[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Oligarchy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Hidehisa Otsuji is a product of Japan's postwar history. His father commanded the Yugiri, a Fukubi-class destroyer, and returned home from the Greater East Asia War as a victor. As such, his family was granted with several social benefits and Hidehisa grew up to follow in the footsteps of his dad. But instead of joining the Navy, he joined the Army. Graduating from the IJA Academy, he later fought in the Great Asian War as a Shōsa, the equivalent of a Captain. But unlike his father, he returned home from the war in disgrace. Japan, the once indomitable master of Asia, had lost. Retiring from the IJA, Hidehisa entered politics and gained a seat in the lower house. He would witness the downfall of the IJA Junta, and, creating firm alliances with other ex-IJA legislators from the "second generation" of post-war servicemen, he formed a clique that represented the old guard of the IJA, one that longed for the days where all was said and done by the protectors of the empire. He endorsed Ishihara, being rewarded with the post of Chairman of the House of Representatives. But as it all came crashing down, his clique demanded the PM's resignation, triggering the events that led to the civil war. But with the IJA triumphant and Yamazaki dissolving his provisional junta, Hidehisa and his allies have rallied and organized a new government. His faction, the Stable Policy Group, now hopes to entrench the IJA in Japanese politics - forever.[[/labelnote]]

* EvilReactionary: Otsuji longs for the Mutō days, when the IJA enjoyed paramount influence in Japanese society.
* StatusQuoIsGod: He wants to cement the IJA's role in Japanese society for good.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Imperial Court]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_the_japanese_emperorsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:IJN Flag]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naval_ensign_of_the_empire_of_japansvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Kanpaku Flag]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/japan_sessyo_flagsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Imperial Court Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Imperial Court in Tokyo, His Imperial Majesty's Supreme Government (IJN Coup), Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Kyūtei[[note]]The Court[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Semi-Constitutional Monarchy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]]

* ArtShift: The Imperial Court is one of the only statelets that uses non-photographic artwork for its reunification image, let alone for all of its three paths, reflecting their Meiji-esque spirit.
* ChoosingNeutrality: The Kantō region, and by extension Tokyo, is (at the start of the Civil War) voluntarily neutral in the conflict between the IJA and Opposition forces.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:The superevent audio that accompanies the Kazoku taking over the Court and then Japan has an unidentified person commit {{Seppuku}}, with an agent of the Kazoku [[OrderedToDie presumably supervising to ensure that it is done]].]]
* NeutralNoLonger: One way or another, the Imperial Court will break its neutrality either through submission to a non-republican government and the installation of Naruhito as its figurehead or by fighting outright.
* PraetorianGuard: While the IJN handles the task of fighting for the Court largely independently, the Imperial Guard answers directly to the Emperor alone - [[spoiler:even if the Emperor himself answers to someone else]].
* SemperFi: With the near-entirety of the IJA fighting under the southern Japanese junta and Japan's farthest-flung Pacific territories under Imperial control, it is Navy troops that serve as the Imperial Court's main fighting force, though the Court still retains control of the [[PraetorianGuard Imperial Guard]].
* StandardRoyalCourt: Without Yokusankai-type particrats or (as many as usual) military men constraining them, Naruhito's and the Kazoku aristocrats' powers are stronger than usual in Kantō, leading to this trope being played straight for the first time since the Meiji Restoration.

!! Naruhito
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naruhito.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Naruhito) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_naruhito_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Emperor[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Kyūtei - Ten'nō[[note]]The Court - Emperor[[/note]], Teikoku Saiken Iinkai[[note]]Imperial Reconstruction Board[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Semi-Constitutional Monarchy[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Naruhito, the Reiwa Emperor, is the 126th monarch of the Imperial House of Japan. Being born during Hirohito's reign, the young Naruhito grew up with a fascination for basketball and the history of transportation. Perhaps, both served as an escape from the isolated and pampered life of the royals. When his father rose to the throne and did away with the restrictions placed upon the royal family, Naruhito was allowed to travel overseas. He wrote about his travels, gleefully detailing the personal independence given to European royals. To him, they stood in sharp contrast to Japan's royals, who were subjected to complete isolation. This belief in personal freedom would mold his dream of a better Japan, one designed like the constitutional monarchies of Europe. But during the Heisei era, Naruhito witnessed his father bend to unfair compromises that skewered Japanese democracy. He privately protested, but his father insisted that he remain silent. As Emperor, he ignored his father's warnings and made political statements about Japan and the world. For this, he paid dearly. After Ishihara's election, Naruhito was silenced. Once again, he was isolated. But as the world moved around him, this would change. When the chaos ensued, Naruhito and his allies took ownership of the Kantō region and the distant Pacific colonies. But the Emperor now has to contend with the opportunists of the Court, seeking to turn him into a mere puppet...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Japanese history is adorned with tails of great emperors. Giants who saved their nation from harm, or brought it out of the darkness. Naruhito may never reach the level of enlightenment these men had, but like them, he has a deep love for his people. And unlike them, he will not rule on behalf of his people, but instead, he will rule with them.\\\
From the very beginnings in the Imperial Court, Naruhito was surrounded by wicked "advisors" who sought to derail his righteous goals. Be it the snobbish aristocrats or the silver-tongue admirals, he was surrounded by snakes. Yet, he overcame this challenge - putting the Navy in its place, and purging the Court of the Kazoku's influence. Afterward, he glanced towards his external enemies - and reclaimed his birthright as the one true leader of all of Japan. Just like Meiji routed the Shōgun and the Bakufu, he routed the insurgents and the warlords.\\\
And now, the Emperor has begun to take the first steps toward carrying out his grand plan. What he dreamed of for so many years - a truly democratic Japan. Reorganizing the Parliament and a special commission known as the "Imperial Reconstruction Board", composed of several pro-democracy figures and moderate activists. The rising sun, the same that once stood for hatred and death, will soon shine brightly with the glory of a wonderful Japan.[[/labelnote]]

* GildedCage: Like his grandfather before him, the Emperor Shōwa [[spoiler:(and his great-great-great-grandfather before him, the Emperor Kōmei), Naruhito after Matsudaira's soft coup will be, for all intents and purposes, a prisoner in his own Palace and a living rubber stamp for a renewed Tokugawa shogunate]].
* TheGoodKing: If Naruhito manages to reunify Japan himself, he will begin finish what his father started and bring democracy to Japan - and without old age, Shōwa Statists, or [=CLP=] hangers-on to plague him, he can do so [[TheUnfettered without compromising]] this time.
* PuppetKing: Of course, this does happen to a degree if any government not led by Naruhito himself takes over Japan and doesn't get rid of the monarchy, but this is especially apparent if [[spoiler:the Kazoku take over]].
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Ever since his father managed to break the isolation of the Imperial Family, Naruhito has been trying to build a constitutional monarchy where all of Japan's people can enjoy the freedom he briefly enjoyed until the Heisei establishment emerged.

!! Katsutoshi Kawano
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_katsutoshi_kawano.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kawano) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_katsutoshi_kawano_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Military Advisor, IJN Junta Leader (Civil War Stage II)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun[[note]]Imperial Japanese Navy[[/note]], Zenkoku Minshutō - Tekido[[note]]National Democratic Party - Moderates[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Military Junta[[note]]Despotism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]The son of a Rear Admiral in the IJN who served in the Second World War, Katsutoshi had always sought to follow in the footsteps of his father. Entering the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, he would graduate in the late stages of the Great Asian War, but would not see any action in the conflict. By the 90s, he would command the Ishikari, a destroyer, and rose through the upper ranks in the following decades. He had been seen as an incompetent officer throughout his career, thanks to a training accident in the late 200s and his perceived meagerness. But during the invasion of China, Katsutoshi commanded the Navy and ensured that, even in the late stages of the war, Japan remained dominant in the sea. Of course, the Chinese warlords didn't exactly have much of a navy other than shrimp boats, and Japan still lost, but the blame couldn't be assigned to him. Thanks to his long-time career and successes in the field, he was appointed head of the IJN General Staff. But as his terrible luck would have it, this would fall apart. In the confusion of the Civil War, he and his peers declared support for the Emperor. Almost accidentally, they found that the Navy was, for once, the strongest body in the armed forces, and a chance to hold onto that power emerged. So, portraying themselves as reformist admirals, they gained the Emperor's favor. With his permission, they couped the government and put the Kazoku in their place. Now, the IJN is here to stay...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Sometimes legends don't come by easily. Every now and then, they must write themselves into existence. This has been the case for Katsutoshi Kawano. Once treated like an incompetent swine by his colleagues, he not only outdid the Emperor himself but also the foxes, tigers, and bears roaming and feasting upon the carcass of the old Japan. Now, his name has been carved into the annals of Japanese history as their modern savior.\\\
But these romantic notions can't cover up his actions. Still keeping the veil of reformism that the IJN once took pride in, Kawano has entrenched his National Democratic Party and formed a de facto one-party state, with him at the helm as the Prime Minister. As the simplicity of his early rule is now outdone by the complexity of national governance, he has done away with the mass repression seen during the early stages of the Junta, to a more passively authoritarian, hierarchical system. The government remains dominated by IJN officers, and, enforcing this closed system with political suppression and censorship, his "Republic of Admirals" is set to hold onto Japan with a tight grip.\\\
His "Moderates" are currently the majority, but the Hardliners and Reformers are only expected to grow with time. Some hear echoes of a familiar story, and only the future will tell if their rule will be everlasting, or if they will be banished into the wind like their Army foes...[[/labelnote]]

* FullCircleRevolution: Kawano's big-tent "National Democratic Party" is implied to be little stabler than the very [[RightHandVersusLeftHand Yokusankai]] of old the military once toppled, with his Moderates risking losing power to the Reformers and Hardliners.
* InternalReformist: Invokes this trope often in reference to himself and the IJN when dealing with the public and the Emperor, but ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] it.
* InterServiceRivalry: Kawano defangs the IJA after taking over Japan, giving the IJN the last laugh in one of the most brutal and longest-running examples of this trope in the world.
* MythologyGag: Kawano's post-war bio indicates the onset of a "familiar story" of a power struggle between Hardliners, the ruling Moderates, and Reformers, much as with a good number of undemocratic political struggles (e.g. in Germany and Japan) in TNO proper.
* PragmaticVillainy: Rejecting the trappings of a traditional Japanese junta, Kawano instead opts to bring democracy to the Empire - albeit merely to legitimize his rule; democracy is completely dominated by the National Democratic Party, which is the Navy's political vehicle.
* TakeThat: One leveled at a common trope in media regarding Imperial Japan where if the IJA is acknowledged as being at fault, the IJN is a moral or strategic paragon; admirals and their underlings are usually depicted as [[InternalReformist Internal Reformists]], or the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Men]] in a room full of [[GeneralRipper Generals Ripper]] or [[GeneralFailure Failure]]. While the IJN certainly had its [[UsefulNotes/IsorokuYamamoto Yamamotos]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsumasa_Yonai Yonais]] and Navy personnel did indeed tend to be the saner people in the room, this distracts from the compliance of the Navy as a whole in an ultranationalist war machine, its own fair share of war crimes (when it had the chance to commit any, usually with prisoners captured at sea) and the influence of simply self-serving men like Kawano - who, indeed, feigns political reform to preserve his own power - within it.

!! Munetoshi Matsudaira
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_munetoshi_matsudaira0.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Matsudaira) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_munetoshi_matsudaira_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Political Advisor, [[spoiler:Chief Advisor (Civil War Stage II)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]]] ([[spoiler:Kazoku Coup]])
->'''Party:''' Kyūtei - Kanpaku[[note]]The Court - Chief Advisor[[/note]], Kokutai - Matsudaira-shi[[note]]The Kokutai - Matsudaira Clan[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Aristocratic Conservatism[[note]]Despotism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Munetoshi Matsudaira was born as the fourth child of one of the heads of the Tokugawa clan, the same that had been deposed with the Meiji Restoration. He would marry into the Matsudaira Clan, the parent clan of the Tokugawa family and historic rulers of the Fukui Domain. By doing so, he earned the title of Marquess and a seat in the House of Peers. There, he would make several useful connections. His influence would only grow in the 90s, when his clan and others aided an inexperienced Akihito in ruling Japan - using the opportunity to push for a more conservative agenda. Outside of politics, he participated in several prestigious events and was seen as an important figure in the upper echelons of Japanese society.\\\
Of course, the situation he finds himself in is the same as it was 30 years ago. A country in chaos, an inexperienced Emperor, and the military threatening to shut it all down. Only in this case, it is worse. And the situation required...drastic measures. By convincing the Emperor into mobilizing the Imperial Guard to arrest the IJN conspirators, Munetoshi used the opportunity to placate liberal reformers and allies of the Emperor as participants in the plot. In the ensuing power vacuum, Munetoshi became the chief advisor, the Kanpaku. But can he outsmart his external enemies, and take control of Japan...?[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)[[labelnote:Click to Show]]Intelligence and cunning are two traits that, if mastered, brings individuals to the heights of power. Munetoshi Matsudaira knows this very well. Officially, Japan is a regime where the Emperor's word is the word of god. But behind the doors of the Imperial Palace, there is another truth.\\\
They call him the "Invisible Regent", the one who decides what the Emperor's orders are. The one who rules on his behalf and turns him into a prisoner in his own castle. All for the greater good.\\\
The upper echelons of government are dominated by the Matsudaira and Tokugawa clans, with "lesser" clans being relegated to lower, often legislative functions. In the military, the state, and the economy, one's position is dictated by clan affiliation. As for the commoners, they must contend with being loyal subjects and work for the good of the Empire. They know that going against the interests of the nation is to offend the Emperor - and to fight against the Emperor means death. And for the outsiders, Matsudaira sums up his isolationist stance with a single phrase: "No nation shall harm us, and we shall harm none." With the realm secured and their legitimacy gained, the so-called "Matsudaira Period" is only beginning. So long as men like Munetoshi exist, and so long as men like him rule over this nation, no harm will come, and Japan will only grow in its sacred glory...[[/labelnote]]

* AristocratsAreEvil: [[spoiler:By restoring the power of the Kazoku aristocrats, Matsudaira effectively undoes all the political development Japan has undergone since Emperor Meiji died. The Matsudaira-Tokugawas eventually become so powerful - and their rule so feudalistic - that they undo everything since Meiji ''reclaimed power from them''.]]
* TheChessmaster: An influential nobleman with a long history of manipulating Emperors still finding their political feet, Matsudaira [[spoiler:manipulates the Imperial Guard into shutting down the IJN's brewing coup, allowing him to establish rule by the courtiers and the Tokugawa clan with grateful reformists and Imperial loyalists out of the way]].
* EvilChancellor: [[spoiler:After leading a soft putsch of the Kazoku aristocratic families, Matsudaira - ostensibly just Naruhito's "Chief Advisor" - rules Japan as its ''de facto'' Shōgun with the Emperor as his puppet, isolated from the rest of Japan Hirohito-style.]]
* EvilReactionary: [[spoiler:Matsudaira returns Japan to pre-Taishō stratification, with the Tokugawa clan restored and all challenges to the "Emperor"'s reign being ruthlessly put down. The fact that his title is "Kanpaku" hearkens back as far as the ''Heian period'', when the traditional holders of that title, members of the Fujiwara clan, were at their strongest in terms of using that position to act as [[TheManBehindTheMan The Men Behind The Men]].]]
* FeudalFuture: [[spoiler:Matsudaira drags Japanese society back into the Edō era, complete with isolation (of the Emperor from the country and the country from the world), rule of the Tokugawa, and one's clan (if any) determining where one will go in life.]]
* HiddenElfVillage: {{Downplayed}}. While Matsudaira [[spoiler:hearkens back to the Meiji and Tokugawa eras in most areas and does embrace isolationism, his foreign policy is still a far cry from puritanical ''Sakoku'' and is more based on mutual non-interference]].
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Matsudaira exploits Naruhito's inexperience to effectively become Japan's shadow ruler while the Emperor is moved away from the public eye.]]
* OminousLatinChanting: Well, [[https://youtu.be/NIjnCNtOiP0 Ominous Japanese Chanting]], anyway. This accompanies the superevent that marks [[spoiler:what is ostensibly]] the "[[BlatantLies Reiwa Restoration]]".
* RedBaron: Matsudaira is known as [[spoiler:the "Invisible Regent" for his backstage control of the supposedly absolute monarchy]].
* TakingUpTheMantle: A member of the closely related Tokugawa and Matsudaira clans, Matsudaira follows in the footsteps of his forefathers to [[spoiler:essentially become a modern Shōgun, with Naruhito as his PuppetKing]].

[[folder:Karafuto Prefecture]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_karafuto_prefecturesvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Karafuto Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Karafuto Prefecture, Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Karafuto Kenritsu Seifu[[note]]Karafuto Prefectural Government[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Civilian Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]], Paternalistic Conservatism[[note]]Conservatism[[/note]] (Post-war)

* ButtMonkey: Karafuto as a whole has been this for a long time. Its many prewar woes have ranged from apathy from the central government to abysmal employment brought about by the Zaibatsus being free to exploit cheap Korean labor (and the few Karafuto locals they do employ). Things were looking up during Tatsuya Hori's governorship [[HopeSpot until the Civil War broke out and the Soviet Union took advantage of the situation to try and reclaim Sakhalin]].
* DarkHorseVictory: Forced to foot it alone by dint of distance and suffering persistent military harassment by the Soviet Union, few expect the insignificant (though not tiny) prefectural government of Karafuto to establish control over all of Japan.
* DirtyCommunists: From the outbreak of the Civil War, Karafuto is plagued with Soviet attacks and military operations launched with the goal of subsuming Sakhalin. This comes back to bite the Soviet Union if Karafuto unifies Japan, implementing ''highly'' intense anti-communist foreign policy.

!! Tatsuya Hori
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_tatsuya_hori.png]]
->'''Role:''' Governor of Karafuto[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Karafuto Kenritsu Seifu[[note]]Karafuto Prefectural Government[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Civilian Dictatorship[[note]]Despotism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]If there's one man who's ever cared for Karafuto, it's Tastsuya Hori. Born and raised in Karafuto, he would transform an abandoned, backwater, colonial frontier into a respectable Prefecture. Though Karafuto had been integrated into Mainland Japan, it was treated like a colony. Funding cuts, indifference from Tokyo, cheap Korean labor for the Zaibatsus and a revolving door of failed governments were the norm. Hori lived through those days where Karafuto was forgotten, and swore to change everything. So when he assumed the post of Governor in 2002 as an independent, Hori stood up to the Zaibatsus with regulations and laws to protect workers from exploitation. He reorganized the bureaucracy and uncovered a corrupt scheme organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs, targeting the Northern Territories. This event single-handedly led to the fall of the Nakagawa Cabinet and allowed Hori to clean up the mess in his own government, with Tokyo's blessing.\\\
But everything he went through as a Governor did not prepare him for this. Right now, Japan is in shambles, and Karafuto is alone - too distant from the conflict to claim allegiance to whatever side. This lone prey is perfect for the Soviet bear, who wishes to exploit Japan's peril to steal Karafuto's resources - and maybe Karafuto as a whole. The future is dim, but so long as Hori is in charge, he will do what he must to ensure Karafuto survives.[[/labelnote]]

* FishOutOfWater: Hori's biggest problems as Karafuto's governor went from unemployment and dealing with Tokyo's standard corruption to having to fend off the Soviet Union completely alone while all of Japan south of his prefecture is in chaos.
* HopeSpot: Just as two decades of Hori working hard for the common Karafuto citizen were going to pay off, Japan collapsed.
* InternalReformist: Hori has been this since he became the Governor, working for many years to bring the level of development seen virtually everywhere else in the Home Islands to Karafuto.
* PassingTheTorch: If the Karafuto governments successfully takes over Japan, Hori has his protégé and successor as Governor, Kosei Nakajima, appointed Prime Minister.
* ReluctantRuler: It's not like Hori ''accidentally'' became the governor of Karafuto - indeed, he actively pursued the governorship for Karafuto's sake, and has held it since 2002 - but he never expected to have to rule it ''independently''.
* UltimateAuthorityMayor: Was thrusted into this role with the outbreak of the Civil War.

!! Kōsei Nakajima
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_kosei_nakajima.png]]
->'''Role:''' Prime Minister (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Nihon Han'eitō - Hattenkai[[note]]Japan Prosperity Party - Developmentalist Faction[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Paternalistic Conservatism[[note]]Conservatism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to Show]]In many ways, Kosei Nakajima would be nothing if not for Tatsuya Hori. Born in Karafuto, he would be raised in Toyohara, and would join the local city hall after graduating from university. Appalled by the state of the Prefecture, he, alog with citizens and local government officials, would form the Karafuto Representation League, advocating for government reform between Karafuto's diverse communities. The organization would be shut down by the IJA in 1988, but would be reorganized in 1991 as the Karafuto Citizens' Association.\\\
Having dedicated manay years to local politics, he would later become mayor of Toyohara in 1995, where he caught the attention of Tatsuya Hori. The two would form an unshakeable alliance, with Hori governing Karafuto and Nakajima governing the largest city in the island. Having served three terms, Nakajima decided to join Hori in Prefectural politics, and was destined to become his successors. And indeed, Hori has gifted him not with the office of Governor, but that of Prime Minister.\\\
Nakajima's rule has mostly been a continuation of Hori's with Nakajima continuing to enforce Hori's statist economic programs, welfare policies, and anti-Soviet foreign policy. With the state of emergency being lifted, Japan is on the road to freedom and prosperity. The reds can try to rock the boat as much as they like, but the ship of liberty has sailed, and it will never sink again.[[/labelnote]]

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Since 1995, when Nakajima became Toyohara's mayor, Nakajima and Hori have been inseparable.
* NumberTwo: Nakajima has been this to Hori for a long time, going from mayor of the biggest city on Karafuto to his deputy and successor.
* TakingUpTheMantle: After being made Prime Minister by Hori, Nakajima implements Hori's policies on the national level.
[[/folder]]

! Japanese Civil War (Stage II)

[[folder:Revolutionary Japan]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/revolutionaryjapanflag.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Shirai/Kasai Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/postrevolutionaryjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Karatani Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/proletarianjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Shigenobu Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maoistjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Revolutionary Japan, Japanese People's Republic (Shirai/Kasai Post-war), Proletarian State of Japan (Karatani Post-war), Democratic Republic of Japan (Shigenobu Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō[[note]]Japanese Communist Party[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Communism (Shirai), Left Communism[[note]]Ultra-leftism[[/note]] (Karatani), Bolshevism[[note]]Communism[[/note]] (Kasai), Mao Zedong Thought[[note]]Communism[[/note]] (Shigenobu)
----
* DefectorFromDecadence: The communists split from [[spoiler:the Opposition if the Civil War war drags on past 2023]].
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: The JCP isn't the most unified political entity. Its leaders span the full gamut of democrats and authoritarians, all squabbling over the best path in which to take the party and Japan.

!! Satoshi Shirai
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_satoshi_shirai.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shirai) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_satoshi_shirai_2.png[[/labelnote]]]]

->'''Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō - Rōnō-ha[[note]]Japanese Communist Party - Worker-Farmer Faction[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Communism
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]] Satoshi Shirai grew up witnessing Japan's chaotic political climate following the end of the Great Asian War. Along with other leftists, he immigrated to the Soviet Union and became a member of the "Muscovite Left". There, he studied Leninism, Japanese imperialism and geopolitics, forming the base for his most notable work; the theory of "Perpetual Imperialism", citing Japan's refusal to abandon its' colonial ties and refusal to admit its' defeat in a post-Japanese Asia.\\\
But his break with Bukharinism came after he read the works of Hitoshi Yamakawa. Interested by Yamakawa's pragmatic, direct-action-based approach, he began to contest the predominant views of the Muscovite Left. Clashing with Fukumotoists, he grew frustrated with traditional Leninism and left the [=USSR=], moving to Taiwan. There, he wrote books criticizing Bukharinism, instead proposing a "party of the masses" and greatly emphasizing the need for democracy. And when Japan's young democracy failed at the hands of Ishihara, Shirai gained a large following of reformist-turned-revolutionary Marxists, who still maintained a humanistic view of political issues and held doubts about the Soviet Model. After Japan collapsed into civil war, he and other Japanese communists put their differences aside to fight for a red Japan. Though his new generation of dedicated Yamakawists form the majority, will their views thrive amidst a sea of hostility...?[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]From the very early days of the Revolution, Satoshi Shirai and his comrades held the dream of constructing a worker's democracy in Japan. After many internal squabbles, pragmatic moves and sacrifices, what they once thought was a dream is now the reality of the Japanese People's Republic. Seeking a synthesis of general Leninist structures with grassroots democracy, Shirai refused to suppress the bottom-up system that was born with the revolution. Though it cost them efficiency and party unity, when the dust finally settled, it was all worth it. With proper laws and structures to prevent any further democratic backsliding, the people of Japan now enjoy the privilege of having a voice in their government - to recall their representatives and vote for those who they truly wish to see in power. As for the opposition, non-party members are as diverse and divided as the JCP itself. What both camps agree on is their mutual opposition to each other's policies, and while some radicals may point to the independents as counter-revolutionaries, Shirai knows that, as Rosa once said, freedom only for the supporters of government is no freedom at all. Outside of the state, the people rebuild their country and settle down. All over Japan, solidarity thrives. Yet, this is only the beginning of a new chapter of Japanese history. Whatever sacrifices, whatever road Japan must take to ensure their survival, the torch of Yamakawa will guide them onwards and onwards.[[/labelnote]]

* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: Shirai essentially advocates a synthesis of the Ultra-Leftists' ideas on governance with standard Leninism and some elements of Bukharinist economics, and WordOfGod confirms that Shirai is simply the middle path between the two.
* ChummyCommies: Shirai is the leader of a faction of the JCP that rejects authoritarianism and embraces a truly free worker's democracy.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Other than being one of the many leftists who split from [[spoiler:an Opposition unable to quickly defeat the government forces]], Shirai also broke ties with the [=USSR=] out of dissilusionment with orthodox Leninism and Bukharinism.
* TheGoldenRule: While an adherent to Lenin's ideas to an extent, Shirai tolerates independents raising genuine opposition to JCP policies as Rosa Luxemburg instructed: "Freedom only for the supporters of the government, only for the members of one party – however numerous they may be – is no freedom at all."
* MythologyGag: The focus for Shirai after founding the Japanese People's Republic is called "The Unthinkable", in reference to the starting focus for Japan's Communist subtree in vanilla [=HOI4=] ("The Unthinkable Option").
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Embodying a compromise between Ultra-Leftist commitment to democracy and the existing success of Leninism, Shirai works to bring the Japanese people freedom from above.

!! Kojin Karatani
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_kojin_karatani.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Karatani) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_kojin_karatani_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō - Sai Sayoku[[note]]Japanese Communist Party - Ultra-left[[/note]], Chūōrōdō-sha Gikai - Sayoku[[note]]Central Workers' Assembly - Left[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Left Communism[[note]]Ultra-leftism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kojin Karatani earned his credentials in the student movement of the 60s. Back then, he witnessed the repression of the Japanese new left, the fall of Ikeda's government, and the failures of nonviolent methods. Fearful, he fled to the Soviet Union in the 1970s. In the public libraries of Vladivostok, he studied Marxism and Kantian philosophy - and proudly began to call himself a Communist.\\\
But there too he witnessed the degeneration of the USSR into a brutal dictatorship under Sergey Akhromeyev, culminating in his disillusionment with Marxism-Leninism and departure to Taiwan in 1983. Working with other Japanese authors on philosophical works, Karatani would later become a voice for Libertarian Marxism within the confines of the Japanese left.\\\
As Japan backslid into Fascism once more, Karatani became a complete radical. He had not only rejected Leninist methods but reformist ones as well. At that point, Karatani began to advocate for a "third path" within the Communist movement. With the civil war in full swing, he hesitantly returned to Japan - where he was disgusted at the "passivity" of the Japanese left. He contested for the leadership of the JCP - and, against all odds, he, a mere intellectual with no political background, won. Now, perhaps, he can guide the revolution to an enlightened path...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Kojin Karatani has witnessed several events that shaped his life - but none of them had been created by his own hands. Karatani's rule was initially shaped by confusion and strife, as he made the transition from intellectual to a politician. But of course, he wouldn't be a benevolent king like Shirai, nor a Soviet puppet like Kasai. He would be the worker's man.\\\
Kojin empowered the worker's councils and decentralized the Japanese state as much as it was viable. He decreased the influence of the party and emphasized transparency. Of course, the latter didn't come without drama. Kojin had to get his hands dirty and purge some Vanguardist voices from his own party. But in the end, with the dissolution of the JCP and the creation of a non-partisan socialist democracy centered on the Central Workers' Assembly, The revolution marches on.\\\
His relationship with the Soviets wasn't so great. Both sides constantly took potshots at each other through accusations of revisionism and opportunism. Now that Japan is red, the rift has finally occurred. Kojin is ready to pass the torch to his young successor, Kohei Saito. But before he does so, he will take the first steps to ensure that not only Japan - but all of Asia - is saved from Capitalist and Soviet imperialism.[[/labelnote]]

* ChummyCommies: Karatani is a hardline left communist who seeks to radically implement direct democracy and negate statism, culminating in the JCP's outright dissolution.
* DefectorFromDecadence: Even more so than Shirai. Karatani also moved into self-imposed exile in the Soviet Union after Mutō's coup, but became disgusted by Marxism-Leninism after witnessing the evils of the Akhromoyev dictatorship.
* GoodIsNotSoft:
** Karatani's disdain for reformist socialism stems from [[ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer the failure of peaceful methods]] to counter the Mutō dictatorship and from his disregard for Japanese leftist "passivity".
** Karatani's Japan founds the East Asian Worker's Pact to forcefully challenge both the West and the authoritarian Soviet Union.
* PassingTheTorch: Explicitly stated in his bio. After setting Japan on its first steps towards liberating all of Asia "from Capitalist and Soviet imperialism", Karatani will allow his mentee, Kohei Saito, to take his place.

!! Akira Kasai
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_akira_kasai.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Kasai) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_akira_kasai_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō - Mosukuwaha[[note]]Japanese Communist Party - Moscow Faction[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Bolshevism[[note]]Communism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Akira Kasai in Suita, Osaka, in 1952. Like many other Japanese leftists, his political life began with the student movements of the 60s. But as the movements were repressed further and further, Akira moved to the Soviet Union, where he would finish his education, getting a degree in Economics. He would then translate several essays on Marxian Economics into Japanese, later writing his own works. But of course, he wouldn't be relegated to a petty existence.\\\
Akira was regarded as a respected intellectual. After Emperor Akihito issued several pardons and released political prisoners, Akira was allowed to return to Japan. There, he joined the Labor-Farmer Mass Party and became a member of the House of Representatives. But secretly, Akira was spying on his party and internal Japanese politics for the Comintern. When it was clear that it was too risky to continue his task, he returned to Vladivostok.\\\
But with the civil war raging on and a golden chance to turn Japan red, Akira returned to Japan. He was chosen by the Comintern as their preferred candidate for leadership of the JCP. Akira and other returning Japanese Marxist-Leninists, the so-called "Muscovite leftists", were viewed with suspicion. But thanks to some dirty work, Soviet meddling, and a little bit of luck, Akira may now lead Japan towards their own Red October...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]What is the taste of victory? To Akira Kasai, it is bitter.\\\
Japan has faithfully implemented the Soviet Model, with centralized planning and limited market mechanisms. Because of the current state of the Japanese economy, the country is dependent upon the USSR. Politically, Akira faced incredible resistance against fully implementing Leninist structures inside of the JCP, forced into justifying his ban on factionalism and meddling within the councils with promises of stability and unity. The people of Japan are indifferent to a regime they have no input over, only hoping to escape the pit of chaos they've found themselves trapped in for the last few years.\\\
Before, Akira believed that his actions would lead to a better future for Japan. Now, his opinions have changed. He has come upon the stark realization that he was merely a pawn in a game of chess between world powers. He has realized what his opponents were fighting to prevent, in the worst moment possible. Perhaps it's too late to salvage what was lost. But so long as he has a say on what happens in Japan, he will ensure that the worst doesn't fall upon his people - and keep the Soviets at a comfortable distance.\\\
To vindicate himself in the eyes of history, it is the least he can do...[[/labelnote]]

* HeelRealization: After reuniting Japan under an authoritarian, Soviet-esque, and Soviet-dependent system for the supposed betterment of Japan, Kasai realizes that he's little more than a tool for Soviet interests and starts to work to minimize their influence on his country.
* ThePuppetCutsHisStrings: Starts to try working towards this after realizing he's just a Soviet stooge.
* PuppetKing: Part of a faction of Japanese communists who not only gained prominence in the Soviet Union but also stuck with it and didn't move to Taiwan, Akira is the primary representation of Soviet and Comintern interests in the JCP.

!! Fusako Shigenobu
[[quoteright:156:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_fusako_shigenobu.png]]
[[caption-width-right:156:[[labelnote:(Shigenobu) Post-war portrait]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/portrait_japan_fusako_shigenobu_postwar.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Role:''' Revolutionary Leader[[note]]Head of State[[/note]], Chairwoman (Post-war)[[note]]Head of State[[/note]]
->'''Party:''' Nihon Kyōsan-tō - ZANCHŪKYOKU[[note]]Japanese Communist Party - Interim Central Directorate[[/note]], Nihon Kyōsantō - Mou-ha[[note]]Japanese Communist Party - Maoist Faction[[/note]] (Post-war)
->'''Ideology:''' Mao Zedong Thought[[note]]Communism[[/note]]
->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Fusako Shigenobu was born into a military family. Her father served in the war, being deployed to Manchukuo. Her rebellion against everything she knew began in the halls of Meiji University. Becoming involved in the Japanese New Left during its' heyday, she and her colleagues began to radicalize. When the IJA took power, they left it all behind and moved to the USSR. There, they formed the Japanese Red Army; vowing to start a worldwide revolution with their own hands.\\\
The JRA fought during the Oil Wars of the 70s, later carrying out terrorist attacks in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Though the Soviets denied aiding the JRA, whenever Fusako and her comrades found themselves in trouble, they were always welcomed in Moscow. But, due to internal disputes and disagreements, the group would split in half. By the 90s, the JRA had gone silent. But in Vladivostok, their remnants waited, quietly biding their time, resorting to subversive methods and propaganda. They knew that when the next decade of chaos came, they would drop their pens and raise their weapons once more. And surely, When the civil war began, Fusako was welcomed as the grandmother of the Revolution, and was allowed to train the inexperienced Mountain Village Operation Units. With the JCP in disorder, she has couped the government, and is now the true heir to red Japan...[[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Fusako Shigenobu stands as the first lady of the Japanese revolution. For decades, she dreamed of the day she would stand in front of the ruins of the Imperial Palace and proudly raise the red flag, claiming victory upon the reactionaries. It seems like that day has finally come.\\\
Abandoning the shameful politicking of the old JCP, Fusako and her proud Maoist Faction have toiled for the working class. Indeed, Fusako's land reforms and social programs have begun to pay off. But Fusako is no saint. She understands that in order to bring a deep social revolution, blood must be spilled. And so, the proud militiamen of the Mountain Village Operation Units, now outdone by the reformed Red Army, have been turned into tools for Fusako's political biddings. Their ranks filled with veterans, fanatical students, ex-cons and party youths, the populace have begun to refer to the MVOU as "Fusako's Gangs". But her militias are not pitchfork carrying mobs. Indeed, they are organized, and propped up by the state. Their main concern is to maintain order in the streets with popular justice - sending dissidents to show trials in popular courts and using capital punishment to deter criminals. Of course, the terror is only a temporary measure. Japan is currently weak, and though the reactionaries have been routed, the stench of counter revolution is still present. One thing is certain; when these days come to pass, the Empress of Terror will never be forgotten.[[/labelnote]]
----
* DirtyCommies: A Shigenobu government is more or less the worst ending for Revolutionary Japan, with Red Guard-esque "Mountain Village Operation Units" purging dissidents to enforce Maoism on Japan.
* TheDreaded: Shigenobu is known as the "Empress of Terror", and not just because of her past as a Maoist terrorist.
* EvilOldFolks: Is, in her late 70s, the oldest and most brutal potential leader of the JCP.
* OldSoldier: Shigenobu is a veteran of the left-wing volunteers during the Oil Crisis.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hokkaido Government]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hokkaidoflag_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Fukushima/Suzuki/Koike Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Inoue Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/republicofjapanflag.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Hokkaido Government, State of Japan (Fukushima Post-war), Republic of Japan (Inoue Post-war), Empire of Japan (Suzuki/Koike Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Yotōrenritsu - Josei Shinpotō[[note]]Ruling Coalition - Women's Progressive Party[[/note]] (Fukushima), Nihon Jiyūtō[[note]]Japanese Liberal Party[[/note]] (Inoue), Jinmin Seikatsu tō[[note]]People's Life Party[[/note]] (Suzuki), Zenkoku Kaikakutō[[note]]National Reform Party[[/note]] (Koike)
->'''Ideology:''' Progressivism
----

----

But Kubota held strong. Like throwing a bone to the dogs, he put an end to the laws and regulations that limited Japan's businesses, turning all territories under his jurisdiction into a haven for free market capitalism. Of course, Kubota has cared little for the mistreatment of workers, suppression of smaller businesses, and lack of accessibility for the poorer strata. To protect this new order, he strengthened the military and police, counterbalancing the power of the PMCs and the Yakuza and ensuring capital is defended by a single body.\\\

And then came the civil war. The hardships caused by the civil war were exacerbated by the rigid social structure of corporate rule, sending droves of men to the Yamaguchi-gumi's arms. The [=CEOs=] fought amongst themselves, and the PMCs had their loyalties split by corporate interests. Tsukasa saw this opportunity, playing the [=CEOs=] against one another and swiftly taking over. Now, the path to victory begins...[[/labelnote]]

! Japanese Civil War (Stage I)

[[folder:Japanese Opposition]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jpopposit.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Post-war (Opposition Victory)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flag_of_japan_borderedsvg.png]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Official Name:''' Japanese Opposition, Empire of Japan (Post-war)
->'''Ruling Party:''' Hantai Undō[[note]]Opposition Movement[[/note]]
->'''Ideology:''' Provisional Government[[note]]Paternalism[[/note]]

!![[center: [- [[Characters/ModernTNO Main Character Index]] -]]][[center: [- '''Superpowers:''' [[Characters/MTNOGermany Großgermanisches Reich]] | [[Characters/MTNOUnitedStates United States of America]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Major Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOChina Republic of China]] | [[Characters/MTNOSovietUnion Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]]-]]] [[center: [-'''Minor Powers:''' [[Characters/MTNOJapan Empire of Japan]] | [[Characters/MTNOItaly Kingdom of Italy]]-]]] [[center: [- '''Other Countries By Region:''' [[Characters/MTNOAfrica Africa (Northern Africa & East Africa)]] ([[Characters/MTNOWestAfrica West Africa]] | [[Characters/MTNOSouthernAfrica Southern Africa]] | [[Characters/MTNOCentralAfrica Central Africa]]) | [[Characters/MTNOAsia Asia and Oceania]] ([[Characters/MTNOSoutheastAsia Southeast Asia]] | [[Characters/MTNOSouthAsia South Asia]] | [[Characters/MTNOMiddleEast Middle East]] | [[Characters/MTNOCentralAsia Central Asia]]) | [[Characters/MTNOPacific Pacific Islands]] | [[Characters/MTNOEurope Europe]] ([[Characters/MTNOBritain British Isles]] | [[Characters/MTNOEasternEurope Eastern Europe]] | [[Characters/MTNOBalkans The Balkans]] | [[Characters/MTNONorthAmerica North America]] | [[Characters/MTNOCaribbean The Caribbean]] | [[Characters/MTNOSouthAmerica South America]]-]]] [[center: [-[[Characters/MTNOMisc Miscellaneous]]-]]]

* EvilOldFolks: Is, in her late 70s, the oldest and most potential leader of the JCP.

* DefectorFromDecadence: The communists split from the Opposition if the Civil War war drags on past 2023.

But his break with Bukharinism came after he read the works of Hitoshi Yamakawa. Interested by Yamakawa's pragmatic, direct-action-based approach, he began to contest the predominant views of the Muscovite Left. Clashing with Fukumotoists, he grew frustrated with traditional Leninism and left the [=USSR=], moving to Taiwan. There, he wrote books criticizing Bukharinism, instead proposing a "party of the masses" and greatly emphasizing the need for democracy. And when Japan's young democracy failed at the hands of Ishihara, Shirai gained a large following of reformist-turned-revolutionary marxists, who still maintained a humanistic view of political issues and held doubts about the Soviet Model. After Japan collapsed into civil war, he and other Japanese communists put their differences aside to fight for a red Japan. Though his new generation of dedicated Yamakawists form the majority, will their views thrive amidst a sea of hostility...?[[/labelnote]]

* DefectorFromDecadence: Other than being one of the many leftists who split from an Opposition unable to quickly defeat the government forces, Shirai also broke ties with the [=USSR=] out of dissilusionment with orthodox Leninism and Bukharinism.

A secessionist state from the Japanese Opposition in the later stages of the Civil War, with Progressives, Liberals, Conservatives and Nationalists vying for control not by blood, but by vote.

* FullCircleRevolution: Kawano's big-tent "National Democratic Party" is implied to be little stabler than the [[RightHandVersusLeftHand Yokusankai]] of old, with his Moderates risking losing power to the Reformers and Hardliners.

* TakeThat: One leveled at a common trope in media regarding Imperial Japan where if the IJA is acknowledged as being at fault, the IJN is a moral or strategic paragon; admirals and their underlings are usually depicted as [[InternalReformist Internal Reformists]], or the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Men]] in a room full of [[GeneralRipper Generals Ripper]] or [[GeneralFailure Failure]]. While the IJN certainly had its [[UsefulNotes/IsorokuYamamoto Yamamotos]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsumasa_Yonai Yonais]] and Navy personnel did indeed tend to be the saner people in the room, this distracts from the compliance of the Navy as a whole in an ultranationalist war machine, its own fair share of war crimes (when it had the chance to commit any, usually with prisoners captured at sea) and the influence of simply self-serving men like Kawano - who, indeed, feigns political reform - within it.

By the 2010s, Kubota had become President of the Gyoshinkai. His balanced approach to leadership would prove helpful when Japan fell into civil war. As the situation spun out of control, Kubota met with several business leaders and proposed a plan to create a separate government in the Keihanshin metropolitan region, built to protect their businesses from the chaos. Now, he leads the Board of Directors, in a proto-state where only the CEOs decide who gets to govern or not. All he has to do is play his cards right, and prove his worth...[[/labelnote]]

And then came the civil war. The hardships caused by the civil war were exacerbated by the rigid social structure of corporate rule, sending droves of men to the Yamaguchi-gumi's arms. The CEOs fought amongst themselves, and the PMCs had their loyalties split by corporate interests. Tsukasa saw this opportunity, playing the CEOs against one another and swiftly taking over. Now, the path to victory begins...[[/labelnote]]

The Yamaguchi-gumi is well-organized. Better yet, they have a leader who is ambitious to do what must be done. So Tsukasa went, and seized power in one of the longest nights in Japanese history, where Yamaguchi-gumi assassins took down PMC leaders and CEOs, essentially beheading the entire Directorate. Now, Tsukasa sits on the golden throne. His reward? A whole country.\\\

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Masahisa Satō is a third generation serviceman, one who is deeply devoted to Japanese nationalism.\\\

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Toshio Tamogami's military career began in 1971 when he graduated from the IJA Air Academy. Serving in the Great Asian War as part of a bomber squadron, he pioneered the destructive use of cluster bombs in air raids over Shanghai and Nanjing. He would be shot down by Chinese fighters and held in captivity for the rest of the war, later being released in a prisoner exchange. He would also briefly participate in the Suez Crisis of 1981, where the Italians, with help from the Japanese Air Force, stopped the Egyptians from taking the canal.\\\

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Nobuo Kishi is the son of Nobukazu Kishi, who in turn was the eldest son of Nobusuke Kishi, the Devil of Showa. However, his biological father is Shintaro Abe. Nobuo was unaware of his relation to the Abe family before his adulthood, being much closer to Kishi.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]The remnants of the Imperial Diet had little when it came to the fight to reunite Japan. Yet, with Kishi's leadership and a little bit of luck, Japan is now united under a legitimate government. Kishi has rebuilt Japan as a Managerial State. Destroying the laissez-faire Capitalism that predominated in the past, the new economic system is a unique blend of German-inspired corporatism and Soviet-inspired economic planning. And though Japan presents itself like a democracy with its' formal structures, it stands upon a web of alliances, favors, corruption, and shady dealings. Nobuo lies at the top of this pyramid, but he has empowered a bureaucratic caste, one that has much more influence than he could ever imagine.\\\

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Shinzō Abe bet his life on politics but has had to travel through hell to get here. The son of Shintaro Abe, an influential MP, Shinzō held a deep admiration for his grandfather, Nobusuke. But for most of his early life, Nobusuke was distant. Later in the 70s, when Abe was in university, Nobusuke left Manchukuo for Japan to "aid" Akira Mutō. Around this time, Shinzō finally met his distant brother, Nobuo.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Back during those days in the Diet, men like Shinzō were dismissed as mere blue-blood princelings. Individuals who entered politics simply because of their relatives. But unlike his younger brother, Shinzō had a natural skill for politics. He may not have had the same public support and prestige, but his success was almost guaranteed.\\\

->'''Biography:'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Yoshihiro Murai takes pride in being a self-made man in Japanese politics. Born in Osaka Prefecture, Yoshihiro was conscripted into the IJA in 1980 and would stay in the Army up until 1991. Afterward, he settled down in Hiroshima with his family and would later be elected into the Prefectural Assembly as an independent. Steadily, he made his own connections in the Assembly, eventually joining the Constitutional Liberal Party and running for governor in 2007. His bid was successful, and he was elected as governor of Hiroshima.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Though Hiroshima held firm in the civil war, it needed much more to survive. Some dogmatists will certainly criticize Yoshihiro Murai for his cooperation with the OFN, but he was able to preserve the most important thing to him: the integrity of his nation.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]I Kyonje, also known as Takayasu Keisai, was born to Korean parents in Osaka, but grew up in Shimonoseki. His mother had long forgotten her language, and his father was, in a twisted kind of irony, relegated to toiling to construct the damned Japan-Korea tunnel. The two had long given up in preserving their roots, and as such, I grew up ashamed of his own identity, and tried to keep it hidden and assimilate into the Japanese populace. But he was still seen as alien. No matter how hard he tried to suck up to the Yamato, he was always punched down as a foreigner, even when he had been born and raised in the same land as them. Unable to pursue higher education or even find a job, he decided enough was enough. At just 18 years of age, he founded the Mukuge no Kai; what would later become the Mintohren in 1975. Over the next decade, the Mintohren resisted the IJA Regime and the injustices in Japanese society. I was arrested in 1983, and remained in jail until the junta fell.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]I Kyonje, like many other Zainichi Koreans, saw Japan's unrelenting nationalism as a poison. One that overtook everything, and destroyed humanity wherever it went. But I, like many other Zainichi Koreans, sees Japan as their home. And the fight waged by them over the last few months was to claim their right to be seen as equals.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Masakazu Kubota's history began when the old Japan ended. After the Yasuda Crisis, the Reforms of the 60s, the Great Asian War, and the subsequent economic crisis, the old "Big Four" Companies that sat at the top lost their status. Then came new competitors - Zaibatsus that sat at the periphery of the corporate world and emerging Keiretsus. In the aftermath of those disastrous decades, the Japanese business sector was in dire need of experts. And here is where Kubota steps in. From the 70s onwards, he served as an advisor to several companies, even holding senior posts. He forged ties with Big Four and played a minor role in founding the Gyoshinkai (Administrative Advisory Board) in 1985. The GSK was founded to represent and aid the entire Japanese business sector, but it later became the voice of the Big Four, who used it to push for the greater free-market reforms that shaped the Heisei Era.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Creating an entire statelet based on a business structure was a bold and dangerous idea. Masakazu Kubota knew that. He was the beating heart of the Board, an impartial leader who could easily maneuver between the corporations and ensure their interests were heard. But at any moment, the [=CEOs=] could vote him out and put one of their lackeys at the top, something that would escalate their everyday competition to outright hostility.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Shinobu Tsukasa, born Kenichi Shinoda, is the Kingpin of the largest Yakuza organization in Japan, and he has earned that title. Being the first Kingpin to be born outside of the Kansai region, his life in the criminal underworld began in 1962. Shinoda joined a minor organization related to the Yamaguchi-gumi. In 1971, he killed a rival Yakuza leader with a Katana and spent the next decade in jail. After returning to the real world, he and Kiyoshi Takayama, a long-time friend, founded the Kodo-kai. After the war against the Ichiwa-kai, his efforts began to bear fruit. He successfully expanded the Kodo-kai into the Kansai region and defied the Yakuza tradition of closely cooperating with the police. And these bold, unconventional antics were exactly what brought him here. When he took over, the Yamaguchi-gumi reached its' peak. But over time, business began to slow down, the cops started sniffing around, and the coffers were drying up. It seemed like their time was coming to an end.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Unlike other criminal organizations, the Yakuza has always had an intricate connection with Japanese society. As always, they were used by powerful forces to uphold order and do their dirty work. When the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu, a long-time "business associate", tried to employ the Yamaguchi-gumi to gain an edge over their rivals, they had no idea what kind of power they would unleash.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]The history of the Buraku liberation movement is shrouded in controversy. And there is no better example of this than Ryu Matsumoto. His grandfather, Jiichirō, was the founder of the National Levelers' Association, and later a member of the Taisei Yokusankai. During the war, Jiichirō enthusiastically supported Japan's Imperialism, but would align himself with the reformists when Tajo was removed from power. By speaking in favor of the Ikeda Reforms and granting funds to Buraku activists, he redeemed himself in the eyes of the Burakumin.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]When Ishihara took power and suppressed the BLL, it seemed like it would be another fad in the history of the Buraku liberation movement. A noble cause suppressed by the deeds of power-hungry men, a lesson to be learned for future generations of Burakumin activists. But the BLL wasn't dead. Because whatever evils the leaders of the BLL did, the IJA surpassed them. Whatever progress the BLL won over the last 30 years, it was wiped clean in a matter of weeks. Even the Burakumin who initially supported the Junta would turn against them. And in that mess, they couldn't find a better man but Ryu. At first, Ryu was despised. He was controlled by his subordinates, radicals who hoped to dispose of him when the time was right.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Nichinyo Hayase has dedicated his whole life to Nichiren Shoshu. He is the great-grandson of Nichio, the 56th head priest of the Taiseki-ji. It was only inevitable that he would follow the same path.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]In the countryside, armed peasants brandished their weapons and prepared to hold off another batch of bandits. In the pagoda, loyal servants handled bureaucratic affairs. In the barracks, cell leaders planned their next moves and dreamed of their own domain. All of these people answered to one man: Nichinyo Shoshu.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Minoru Harada got involved with the Soka Gakkai in 1953 after some of his colleagues introduced him to the movement. There, he would meet Daisaku Ikeda. Ikeda had been arrested for participating in a strike in 1948, and after meeting Jōsei Toda in prison, Ikeda would dedicate his life to rebuilding the Soka. The movement was reborn in 1955 as the Soka Gakkai. The Japanese state ignored the movement's existence in its early days, but as it grew, it began to clash with the ruling authorities. Harada himself was a left-wing radical back then, and he would live through an often-forgotten incident in 1959, overshadowed by silence and time. In the 60s, the Soka Gakkai rode the wave of reforms that were sweeping through Japan. Ikeda had become more vocal about his convictions, calling for democracy and openly criticizing Japanese imperialism. As a result, when the IJA took power in the 70s, the Soka Gakkai was outlawed. Fleeing to America, the movement expanded to an international scope. The Soka Gakkai was responsible for launching propaganda campaigns and aiding in the immigration of several Japanese refugees following the Great Asian War. In 1991, it was legalized as part of the Heisei Reforms, and the movement slowly began to return home.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Minoru Harada is no mighty general, no conqueror. He is simply a man who stood strong to his convictions and his mentor's ideals. Though his rule was surrounded by controversy, especially as the Soka deepened its' involvement in politics through the Komeito, he showed to be a decent leader. Flocking to a small strip of land with hopes of aiding an armed uprising was far from what Ikeda advocated for in his humanitarian work, but to Harada, it was necessary.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Yamada Kazunari grew up despising the state of Japanese society and politics. He was shaped by the difficulties his country faced after the Great Asian War. In his mind, while his country fell into ruin, another nation was prospering: Germany. So, in university, he and a few friends established a "National Socialist Studies Club" to discuss Nazi ideology and Japanese politics. The small club would become an echo chamber for fascist ideology, and soon, it turned into "Der Kreis", a secret nine-man terrorist cell. In 1993, the group attempted to assassinate the head of the Soka Gakkai with a makeshift bomb, in what went down as a massive failure. As their leader, Kazunari took the brunt of the punishment, spending the next fifteen years in jail.\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Many things seem impossible, but are, in truth, destiny. This is how Yamada Kazunari views his victory. From Nagasaki to Tokyo and then Sapporo, the swastika flies high. Many men have sacrificed their lives to get here - willingly or not.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Ryūhō Ōkawa, born Takashi Nakagawa, was raised in an ordinary, but deeply spiritual environment. His entry into the spiritual world came thanks to his father, who supported him in his journey from day one. Ōkawa was versed in both spiritual and secular topics, including Kantian philosophy, with which he was fascinated for. Unable to find employment because of the crisis brought by the Great Asian War, Ōkawa sunk into depression. But around this time, he had a vision, claiming to have come in contact with Nikkō Shōnin and later Nichiren, two Buddhist priests. He would then dedicate his life to founding a new religion. After founding what would later become Happy Science in 1989, he wrote three books that would outline the organization's beliefs. In 1990, Ōkawa declared that he was "El Cantare", a god whose other self was the Buddha,\\\

->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]][[cinnamon:El Cantare is the one righteous god. Japan's reunification is proof. One man destroyed army after army of heretics, burning down their false idols and saving them from nothingness. The road to the sun has been established - and the people who march towards it glimmer with the hope of salvation. All religions will unite into one, and the dharma wheel will finally turn.\\\

->'''Biography:''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]]Shōkō Asahara was born to a poor family, and went from a visually impaired man with few prospects of success to the most controversial religious man in Japan. Forming the Aum Shinsen no Kai in 1984 (later renaming it Aum Shinrikyo), his new religious movement exhibited a mixture of esoteric Buddhism and Christianity with yoga and meditation. The group would grow steadily over the years, taking in members from middle to upper class backgrounds. But after Asahara declared himself to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, the group rapidly turned into a fanatic cult. Asahara believed the world would end in 1997, and the only ones to be saved would be he and his followers. When Japanese society caught on, controversy began to surround the cult. Asahara retorted with aggression: ordering the assassination of an anti-cult lawyer and his family, as well as Daisaku Ikeda, head of the Soka Gakkai, and a sarin attack in Matsumoto. The group faced a trial in early 1995, but surprisingly, Shōkō got away with all of it: the murder of the Sakamoto family remained inconclusive, the death of Ikeda was pinned on a minor nazi group, and a local resident of Matsumoto was mistaken for causing the attack. Even with this saving grace, their ranks dwindled over time. Asahara took his most loyal followers and sealed himself off in Kamikuishiki. Secretly, his cult has been preparing for the [[purple:Armageddon, and it seems like it is finally here...]][[/labelnote]]
->'''Biography (Post-war):''' [[labelnote:Click to Show]][[purple:The snow-coated Mount Fuji glimmers above the doomed Yamato landscape. Shōkō Asahara rules as a god living among his people, for he is the savior, the son of the lord, and the voice of enlightenment.\\\

!! Shinzo Abe

->'''Biography(Post-war):'''[[labelnote:Click to show]]Though Hiroshima held firm in the civil war, it needed much more to survive. Some dogmatists will certainly criticize Yoshihiro Murai for his cooperation with the OFN, but he was able to preserve the most important thing to him: the integrity of his nation.\\\