Rising Rays of the New Century: Tale of the Japanese Empire

Part 2: Overseas

"...In order to make this 22nd century a century of happiness, we cannot allow ourselves to go backward. To protect the Japanese Empire and our beautiful planet."

Japanese space immigration is sometimes accused of "national abduction" by other governments. They fear that if the situation continues as it is, all of their country's citizens will be carried off into space. However, this accusation is misplaced, as even in this era, the freedom of individual migration is guaranteed. However, their fears were right on target. Human space migration was steadily advancing toward its goal of 100 years from now.

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April 1, 2102

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, Japanese Empire

On this day, the staff of the Foreign Ministry, which is in charge of Japan's diplomatic affairs, were gathered in a room. Their eyes were focused on the documents placed in front of them and on the explainer standing in front of the screen. Not only Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff members but also members of the House of Councillors were present at the meeting.

"The final meeting will be held to prepare for the departure of the site visit for the construction of the railroad transportation line, which finally started in January this year after repeated negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party Government and the Changsha's Ban Clique."

The moderator began to explain with his back to the screen. On the screen where the participants of the meeting were staring, a map of mainland China was first shown. Speaking of which, in this era in Japan, world maps were removed from textbooks and teaching materials used in elementary, junior high, and high school education. Unless one majored in geography or world history at university, he or she was more likely to grow up without ever seeing a world map. As part of the effort to maintain a semi-closed country policy, the government has made it impossible for underage children to develop an interest in foreign countries.

"First, let us review the basics of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese Communist Party Government, with its capital in Chongqing, now officially declares a vast territory that includes the East Turkestan Republic, Tibet, the Republic of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Manchuria, as its official territory. However, the Communist Party actually exercises effective control over only a few cities, including Chongqing, and their surrounding areas, and continues to depend on the United States and the international community for security."

The People's Republic of China, the world's second-largest economy, quickly fell as a result of the Chinese Civil War in 2019 and the East Asia War that broke out shortly thereafter. The collapse of China had a profound impact on the world economy as it was, and the transference of Japan that occurred shortly after that led to the complete collapse of the world economy and order. China, which has since been plagued by civil strife and upheaval, has accepted the intervention of the US and the International Federation to maintain security, but the collapse has not stopped. The vast land of China is now descended into another Warring States Period, with influential warlords roaming the land.

"We enter Shanghai, where the American military is stationed, by plane and stayed there before entering Changsha by land. In Changsha, we will meet and exchange views with the local warlord, Ban Kunming, and after making contact with Japanese companies related to yen loans, we will head for the capital city of Chongqing. In Chongqing, we will exchange views with Li Jiande, Deputy Director of the Communist Party Government's Ministry of Transportation. After that, we will return to Japan from Chongqing to Haneda Airport. The itinerary is scheduled for 7 days and 6 nights."

The moderator roughly stated the schedule and itinerary from departure to return. Next, the moderator gave some precautions regarding the dispatch of the investigation.