Time Slip Reiwa Japan

112 - Japan's Preliminary Actions - 1

The Sino-American War in Eurasia, not to mention the escalating conflict between the G4 and Germany in Europe, made Japan realize the growing tide leading toward a major global conflict (World War). In the alliances of yesteryears—G4/League of Nations and the United Greater European Reich (Third Reich) *1—where economic disparities were greater than those of the Allied and Axis powers, Germany's refusal to abandon its confrontation (hegemony) with the harmonious world order (under the Anglo-Japanese powers) was evident in its actions. For Japan, which desired peaceful prosperity, this was truly an extremely troublesome situation.

Having gained vast undeveloped territories as the Japanese Federation, there was a crisis of potentially losing the opportunity for economic development that had overcome past stagnation (the lost 30 years before the time slip) and regression (economic collapse due to the time slip). The Federal Intelligence Agency had published a research report warning that although Japan might not directly suffer greatly from the war due to the distance of the anticipated battlefields, the disruption of global logistics due to the war—especially the instability of maritime trade routes—would bring chaos to the Japanese economy, with its adverse effects likely to last more than ten years. This had created an atmosphere among the Japanese public where participation in the upcoming war seemed inevitable.

Though there were still surviving extreme leftist pacifists (isolationists) advocating against war under any circumstances, voters who had experienced two wars in this era (after the time slip) over the past twenty years no longer supported such arguments. Moreover, most of these people were elderly, lacking the physical strength to protest, and their main outlet for criticism was through the rebuilt social media networks (venting frustrations). Furthermore, the media, which would have zealously engaged in shaping public opinion (fabricating public opinion) under the banner of classic anti-war sentiment in the days before the time slip, remained inactive in supporting such movements.

The increase in individuals confronting reality in their daily lives post-time slip, coupled with the retirement of many stubborn extreme leftist pacifists (self-proclaimed liberals), led to a return to realism (being mere cheerleaders of public opinion rather than fabricating it). As a result, even those who once supported arguments contrary to the tide of national public opinion quickly changed their stance, as it didn't translate into profits (circulation figures). Thus, it became widely accepted in Japan that anyone delving into the treasury against the will of the people was considered an enemy and was therefore endorsing war. Therefore, agile opposition parties seized the moment in media debates to argue that efforts to end the war swiftly, if it were to occur, were the true embodiment of humanitarian pacifism based on peace.

Japan, as a capitalist and democratic Leviathan, found itself engaged in a war with Germany.

. . .

Against the Soviet Union

Regarding Japan's considerations regarding Germany, the border with the Soviet Union was seen as a potential second front. Japan had not forgotten the events of the latter stages of the Pacific War, nor had it forgotten subsequent history. Hence, among some Japanese government officials, there arose the suggestion that perhaps, prior to engaging in war with Germany, it would be advisable to incite an incidental armed conflict with the Soviet Union, and once their military power was compromised, destroy it entirely?

While annihilating the divisions and heavy equipment deployed by the Soviet Union against the Siberian Republic would be difficult, it was believed that disrupting the logistics network supporting these operations to the point of complete destruction, rendering them unable to engage in large-scale active operations for the next decade, would not be so challenging. *2 At the forefront of this action would be the newly deployed B-2 bomber squadrons, which continued to be assigned one after another, with two squadrons already on combat deployment. There was also one squadron of skilled B-52 bomber units (the "We Definitely Want to Bomb the USSR" squad). There was no shortage of firepower.