Post by japan on Sept 23, 2010 23:51:54 GMT -5
(((My Reflection)))
Nation: Japan/Nihon/Nippon/The Land of The Rising Sun
Name: Honda Kiku
Gender: Male
Appearance Age: Early to Mid 20s.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 125 lbs
Appearance:
Japan believes himself to be physically unremarkable. He possesses the same dark hair, eyes, and olive-toned skin common amongst people of his geographic location, and is rather short. Furthermore, he enjoys wearing simple things - fashionable but not extravagant. The result of this is that Japan often dresses in either a fitted business suit while attending meetings with other nations, or in a plain yukata or kimono while at home, neither of which do much to help him stand out in a crowd.
Moreover, Japan is a nation whose emotional state or opinions are very difficult to determine or understand simply through his outward appearance. His facial expression seems to be set at 'distant politeness' for most social situations, and even when pressed he is not the sort of nation that will show strong emotional responses easily. Unfortunately, this often results in difficulties and misunderstandings with other nations, who may see Japan as unfriendly or insincere.
(((Know Thyself )))
Personality:
Japan is a shy, quiet, reserved nation - so reserved, in fact, that even those nations who have known him longest still find his behaviour and motives to be at times inscrutable. While the rest of the world may find his island customs mysterious, to Japan they are quite normal.
Owing to the small, secluded area in which he grew up, Japan is very hard-working and disciplined. While proud of his own traditions, Japan is also intensely interested in the customs of other nations, and readily adopts those that he feels would be beneficial for himself and his people, changing them to fit his own lifestyle - changing them so much and so often, in fact, that Japan has been referred to as "a more terrible swamp than you can imagine... Whenever you plant a sapling in this swamp, the roots begin to rot..."
In general, Japan is very pragmatic, calm, and polite, to the point of seeming like an old man (and being referred to as such by his own people). He is very difficult to upset, although it is said that Japan's anger would be "the scariest". Due to the 250 years he spent in voluntary isolation from the rest of the world, Japan seems to find social or intimate situations intensely awkward. At the same time, Japan is also known to be something of a pervert and an otaku, having developed quite a few of his own unique and bizarre fetishes.
Likes:
★ Reading the atmosphere and refraining from speaking, or at least refraining from committing to anything
★ Cute things, especially little animals like cats and guinea pigs
★ Electronics, technology, and industry
★ The history, culture, and habits of other nations, especially of the West
★ Order, simplicity, routine, the observance of proper social behaviour
★ Fishing, manga, gardening, tea, etc
Dislikes:
✖ Improper or shameless behaviour
✖ Russia. Just Russia.
✖ Discussion of the events of WWI and WWII
✖ Overt displays of emotion or sentimental attachment
✖ The encroachment or influence of foreigners on either himself or his neighbours
Fears:
☣ Cockroaches
☣ Moths
☣ Russia. Again.
Secrets:
♦ Tends to be a bit racist, against Westerners but just as frequently against the citizens of other Asian nations. This proclivity is very often counterbalanced by his sense of pragmatism, however, and clashes the rest of the time with his sincere love of foreign culture. It is therefore very rarely seen or suspected by others.
♦ Is something of a masochist, taking pleasure in self-denial and submissive behaviour, although not necessarily humiliation. Does not generally enjoy dominating or commanding others except for the purposes of enforcing cultural and social etiquette, which he is willing to do through force (see: Annexation of Korea).
♦ Secretly desires to be closer to his 'family' on a personal level, even though he refuses to give any hint of this publicly, and his pride and own uncertainty keep him from being able to apologize for his past actions in a direct manner - on one hand he hates to make emotional displays, and on the other hand he believes there is little chance his apologies would be accepted, as there is no possibility Japan could ever fully atone for all the wrongs that have occurred between he and his 'family'.
Strengths: An astute and knowledgeable individual concerning world affairs, Japan can always be counted on to properly assess a situation and bring to the floor only the suggestions he feels are absolutely necessary. Despite his physical appearance and the transition of Japan's considerable discipline from military to economic matters, Japan nevertheless remains a skilled armsman, practicing regularly with the Japanese bow(kyudo), katana, naginata, and in unarmed martial arts such as jujutsu, karate, and judo.
Weaknesses: Despite his ability to assess the political and personal relations between other nations, Japan often finds himself perplexed or confused when directly faced with their customs and practices. His reactions to this shock are two-fold: he will withdraw from the intrusion entirely until such a time as the external pressure from it can no longer be ignored, at which time he will attempt to copy and incorporate it immediately into his own culture. The result of all this being that Japan is a nation very reluctant and slow to face change - but once it is apparent that the change is necessary, then Japan suddenly reveals himself to be extremely flexible and accommodating. Unfortunately, Japan is also very stubborn, and so actually acknowledging that there is any sort of issue to be faced can take him decades or even centuries.
Furthermore, Japan is not a nation who expresses emotion easily or will openly admit faults - it was Japan, after all, who first ritualized the act of suicide in the face of defeat or shame. Because of this stubborn and secretly superior attitude, Japan often finds it difficult to interact on a personal level with his fellow nations.
(((The Pages of History )))
History:
Asuka Period - 530 to 710
Japan came into being in the year 660 BC, on February 11th.
During this time Buddhism was introduced to Japan, originally by Korea, but eventually spread primarily through the influence of China. China likewise influenced much of Japanese court life, and indeed the idea of an Emperor was derived, in part, from China's example, although in the transition the idea of a Mandate of Heaven was lost, to eventually be replaced by the divine descent of the Emperor from a pantheon of Goddesses and Gods.
Nara Period - 710 to 793
Struggles over political power began between the court, influential Buddhist priests, and the military clan of Fujiwara. Historical writing was prevalent during this time, with the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki establishing the mythological origins of Japan as the domain of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu.
Heian Period - 794 to 1185
The Fujiwara Clan established its predominance in the Imperial Court. The oldest Japanese literature was written and compiled during this time, including Genji no Monogatari and Kokin Wakashu. By the end of this period, four powerful clans, including the Fujiwara Clan, had begun to vie for power.
Feudal Japan - 1185 to 1603
Political power in Japan became dominated by regional, feudal families (daimyo) the military might of the ruling warlord (shogun), and the legal and social pre-eminence of the samurai. Between 1274 and 1281, the Mongol invasions of Japan (actually a mixture of Mongolian and Korean soldiers) were twice repelled by typhoons, thereafter referred to as kamikaze or divine wind by Japan. During this time the Emperor and his Imperial Court were relegated to mere figureheads, and power changed hands several times as one warlord was defeated by another.
Edo or Tokugawa Period - 1603 to 1866
Japan was successfully united by the Tokugawa Clan following the Battle of Sekigahara into a powerful, centralized government. The longest lasting period of peace in Japanese history, many artistic developments occurred, among them the emergence of ukiyo-e, kabuki, and geisha. In the early part of this period, Christianity spread amongst the peasantry. The new and still-fragile Tokugawa shogunate viewed this new religion and its missionaries as the forerunners of a Western invasion of Japan. It violently expelled priests, forced Christian peasants to renounce their religion through torture, and placed increasingly restrictive laws on foreigners in Japan.
This eventually resulted in the peasant-led Shimabara Rebellion, and in order to curb any further revolts, Japan adopted a policy of nearly complete seclusion from the outside world which would last almost 250 years. This seclusion was only reversed with the arrival of Commodore Perry, who forced the Tokugawa shogunate to sign several unequal trade agreements with his superior military display.
Meiji Period - 1868 to 1912
Viewed as a profoundly humiliating experience, the 'opening of Japan' forced the nation to make abrupt changes to both society and government in order to protect himself against any further Western imperialism. Only 14 years after the United States' arrival in Japan, the Tokugawa Government was forced to resign from power and a parliamentary constitutional government was adopted in its place. Japan's military was modernized and industry, under the guidance of the new government, took hold throughout the state.
Seeking to establish a 'line of advantage' beyond his borders from which Japan could draw resources and maintain military advantage against Western encroachment, Japan would become involved in battles both with China (Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895) and Russia (Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905) over, respectively, the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. Following the end of the conflict with China, the little island of Taiwan came to live with Japan. Korea was also formally annexed by Japan in 1910, although allowed to remain in his own home.
World War One - 1914 to 1918
In accordance with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance signed into treaty in 1902, Japan entered WWI on the side of the British Empire. Fighting against the German presence in East Asia, Japan's influence quickly spread throughout the region. Japan also became quite prosperous during this period of time, establishing colonies in formerly German-held areas and maintaining a military presence in Russian-held Outer Manchuria well into 1925.
World War Two - 1937 to 1945
In 1931 Japan gained control of Inner Manchuria and from there, beginning in 1937, fought against China in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Following a Pact entered with Nazi Germany to coordinate efforts against the Soviet Union, Japan formed the Axis Pact with Germany and Italy in 1940. When Japanese assets in the United States were frozen in response to the violence occurring in China, Japan, who relied on international trade and resources, was forced to retaliate despite the knowledge that a war against America would almost certainly not end favorably. In December of 1941, Japan successfully attacked Pearl Harbor.
At the same time, Japan gained control of British-held Hong Kong, who would live in Japan's home for 4 years. In addition, Japan liberated Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos from French control, Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore from British control, and Indonesia from the Dutch. Japan also entered into an alliance with Thailand, and occupied Burma.
Despite these accomplishments, the Japanese Navy was eventually crippled by the United States Navy, and daily air raids on Japan by the United States Air Force resulted in the destruction of nearly every major city. Japan was forced to accept unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, then, 3 days later, of Nagasaki, which saw the loss of over 200,000 lives within 4 months of the attacks.
Post-War Japan and Occupation - 1945 to 1952
Following defeat, the Empire of Japan was dissolved. Taiwan and Hong Kong were returned to China and Great Britain, respectively. Korea was taken under the wing of the fledgling United Nations. The USSR, which had declared war on Japan only one day prior to the bombing of Nagasaki, retained control over southern Sakhalin and the Kuril islands.
For the first time in his history, Japan was occupied by a foreign power - the United States. Upon surrender, Japan was forced to ratify a new constitution, one which forbid him from maintaining armed forces, introduced universal human rights, suffrage for women, abolished Shinto as the state religion, established an elected Japanese Diet which answered directly to the Japanese people, as well as introducing various liberal political and economic policies designed to strengthen democratic values and economic stability in Japan.
Post-Occupation and the Heisei Period - 1952 to Present
Japan benefited from not only the Korean War but also the United States' involvement in the Cold War. Fearing regional domination of East Asia by the USSR, the United States facilitated and supported Japan's recovery to a high degree, using the nation as a foothold in Asia as well as a military base and supplier of goods. Some degree of political autonomy once again took root in Japan, with its two major parties - the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and the more liberal Democratic Party of Japan - forming in 1955 and 1998 respectively.
Economically, Japan made great progress in a relatively short period of time, with the most rapid period of economic growth occurring between 1989 and 1991. During this period of time, Japan's economic might was so great that even the United States began to feel threatened. Although economic growth has since stagnated, Japan, on the brink of destruction only decades earlier, today remains the third largest economy in the world.
Japan managed to re-establish ties with the Republic of China following WWII, and although initially it maintained relations with the nationalist government of Taiwan, Japan officially recognized the Republic of China in 1972. In modern times, Japan's relationship with his Asian neighbours is very delicate - despite apologies issued by several Japanese Prime Ministers, nations such as China and Korea see Japan as insincere concerning his actions during WWII. The re-emergence of conservative politics and the push for further military presence abroad - even if only for the purposes of humanitation and non-military aid to other nations - has only exacerbated these long-standing issues. The recent emergence of China as a real global economic power has likewise made Japan uneasy, and more eager than ever to assert himself internationally.
Allies: Today Japan cooperates with many different nations on a variety of economic and cultural issues, including nations such as The United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Greece, Egypt, Nigeria, Spain, and Iran. Japan also shares significant population dispersement with Turkey, Brazil, Hawaii, Korea, and the Philippines.
Enemies: Japan continues to experience periods of cultural progress and political setback with his neighbouring nations, especially China and both North and South Korea, and in recent times relations with the former have become even more strained as the two nations have begun to bicker over fishing and territorial rights within the East China Sea. Most recently, Japan detained and arrested the captain of a Chinese fishing boat, sparking an ongoing international argument between the two nations.
Relations with Russia are little better, with disputes continuing to arise over the rightful ownership of the Kuril Islands. Most recently, Russia fired upon two Japanese fishing vessels for 'fishing illegally in Russian waters', although a previous concession from Russia to Japan granted Japanese fisherman the right to do so. Furthermore, there has also been talk by the Russian Head of the Kuril Islands to disallow visa-free trips for Japanese citizens to the islands.
Sample Post:
First meeting between England and Japan, Osaka Castle, 1600, Following the shipwreck of William Adams
Japan paused for a few moments, studying the foreign nation with a critical, serious eye - which no doubt still seemed out of place when paired with his otherwise child-like appearance - before finally nodding, at least satisfied enough by what he saw to take England with him into the city.
As always, the little island nation seemed quite confident, leading England from their shared-bedroom-turned-sitting-area through innumerable hallways, down steep, darkly polished wooden stairs, past dim corridors which broad daylight did not quite illuminate, all with his back to the obviously-armed England, and without a single servant once being glimpsed the entire time. The cause of this was obvious, for the fragile chime of bells once again sounded in time with the movement of Japan's slippered feet; a strange quirk of the young land's, that he would wish to keep away from his own people - though seeing as how the servants and soldiers fell to the floor and prostrated before him, perhaps it was not so strange after all. Perhaps the young nation merely wished to spare their knees.
Japan led them out of the castle by a wide path, past moats spanned by gently arching bridges and framed by trees strewn at their bases with petals delicately coloured pink and white. The path itself was set with large blocks of mountain stone that had been worn flush with the dirt and grass by constant travel.
As Japan had said they would, the two emerged by the Southern Gate with the afternoon sun rising high in the sky at their sides, the gate itself beautifully and simply carved from what appeared to be a single piece of white, smooth wood - though it was more likely that the skill of the craftsmen was such that the seams and joinings were simply undetectable with the naked eye.
The air was warm and faintly sweet as the palanquins appeared ahead of them - or, rather, palanquin, as it seemed that only one had been dispatched for the two nations. What was there was quite beautiful, in the same delicate, understated way that much of Japan's artistry seemed to be. Black lacquered wood was inlaid with yellow, red, green and pearl-coloured shells that all formed a repetitive, almost geometric design of chrysanthemum blossoms, their fallen petals being born away by the breeze - once again, the very same flower that had adorned the doors of Japan's rooms and even much of his clothing. The dobuku he wore now was evidence enough that the flower held some significance for Japan and his people - though, like so much else, what that significance might be was a complete mystery.
Did you read the rules and Dark Reflections Canon? Look! Up there, in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's -- ITALIAN PASTA!
Random fun fact about yourself: I was born four months premature, but have no side-effects as far as my health besides poor eyesight. True story!
