This is my first fanfiction.
- Ishiwara
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August 1945
The Empire of Japan was defeated.
Japan, placed under the control of the GHQ as in our timeline, saw an acceleration in events following the Treaty of San Francisco Peace in 1951. Under GHQ rule, the Allied forces, while some earnestly worked, many acted aggressively, contributing to deteriorating domestic security. Moreover, the atrocities of military trials such as the Tokyo Trials, and the poor treatment of prisoners of war held across the country, were beyond description, leaving everyone appalled.
With the dissolution of the GHQ, Japan returned to the international stage, giving rise to factions advocating for the expression of anger and dissatisfaction accumulated during the occupation. Under the slogan of "Restoration of the Dignity and Pride of the Japanese Nation," they established the Japanese National Party (JNP), comprised of people who had witnessed firsthand the Japanese people's hardship, the occupying forces trampling them, those involved in malfeasance amidst the post-war chaos, and those who had extended a helping hand.
With this background, they successfully garnered widespread support nationwide from the outset, launching into the political arena from the 1953 election campaign initiated by the dissolution of the Bakayarō faction.
IOTL, the emergence of the Hatoyama faction, which began to rise from the previous year's snap dissolution, splitting the Liberal Party, ended up benefiting both the socialists and the right-wing, leading to the establishment of the 55-Year System with the subsequent birth of the Democratic Party and then the Liberal Democratic Party. However, with the intervention of the JNP which absorbed a significant portion of the seats that should have rightfully belonged to the Socialist Party and the Hatoyama faction, they transformed the three parties into fringe parties.
Winning over 100 seats in the first election and leapfrogging the Reformist Party to become the second-largest party, the JNP played a significant role in subsequent Japanese politics. While the Liberal Party, which fell to a minority government due to the dissolution of the Bakayarō faction, regained momentum with the support of the JNP, it pursued various policies.
However, it did not form a coalition.
Although both parties advocated conservatism, their principles differed.
While the Liberal Party, prioritizing the reconstruction of the country, was a moderate faction emphasizing international cooperation, the JNP, valuing the dignity of the nation, was an extremist faction advocating thorough resistance against domestic subversion and foreign aggression. While various measures for reconstruction were deemed positive, they vehemently opposed issues such as the presence of the US military presence in Japan and the lack of military capabilities. However, given the understanding of the dire situation domestically, these issues were of low priority among them and were temporarily put on hold. As domestic reconstruction progressed, the discord between the two parties remained unresolved.
A significant reason for this was the rise of communists within the country. These repeat offenders, advocating radical actions, were precisely the targets to be eliminated by the JNP, which advocated a policy similar to the anti-communist fervor in the United States. Furthermore, they also advocated tightening control over the mass media, which strongly supported communist forces while hiding the truth, leading to serious misunderstandings between the ruling Liberal Party and the JNP. Ultimately, a significant portion of the proactive Liberal Party members and the JNP formed an alliance, leading to the establishment of the Liberal National Party (LNP), which began to wield its influence as a replacement for the Liberal Party in government.
Their policy was (relatively) moderate diplomacy combined with radical domestic policies. Liberal Party members with experience on the international stage functioned as stoppers against the radical claims of young legislators, educating them well on how poorly Japan had handled such matters before the war. They fostered a cooperative attitude in diplomacy while also cultivating balanced sensibilities in other areas.
On the domestic front, various entities were stirring within the country. The existence of those who turned a blind eye to situations that failed to protect national interests irked them, leading to an uncompromising stance. The major point of contention was constitutional revision. The LNP, seeking to eliminate domestic troublemakers and pursue national interests through legal means, diligently prepared for it leveraging its position as the sole ruling party.
In response, opposing forces banded together to thwart the LNP. Initially, negative campaigns through the media were prevalent, but as the legislation approached fruition, tactics became more extreme. Parliamentary brawls, threats against supporters and legislators, attacks on offices, and more...
These direct acts of violence led to a rapid reduction in the size of the rebellious faction without the LNP needing to intervene. Driven to the brink, they finally launched a large-scale uprising. Armed uprisings, self-styled as the Japanese Liberation Army, organized primarily by communist forces, began in Kyūshū and Hokkaidō.
The weapons they possessed were not makeshift but genuine. As the first responders, the police suffered significant casualties and retreated. As a result, the mobilization of the Self-Defense Forces was decided upon, and they were deployed. The uprising, which escalated into a full-fledged armed conflict, would later be recorded as Japan's last civil war since the Satsuma Rebellion.
After six months of clashes, the Self-Defense Forces emerged victorious. Subsequent investigations revealed that the forces in Kyūshū were supported by China, while those in Hokkaidō were supported by the Soviet Union. Domestic forces functioning as recipients of this support were also revealed one after another, leading to the expulsion of a considerable number of troublemakers.
As a result of this uprising, ongoing legal reforms were adapted to a more pragmatic form, and significant weaknesses in the organization and equipment of the Self-Defense Forces were exposed, which served as valuable lessons. After the completion of legal reforms, further measures were taken, including the elimination of additional troublemakers, the reorganization of the Self-Defense Forces into a national defense force, the strengthening of domestic intelligence, and educational reforms, which accelerated Japan's recovery and development. The diplomatic policy aiming at cooperation was compelled to undergo slight adjustments.
In particular, the stance towards China and the Soviet Union, which triggered the civil war, became more stringent, and the faction advocating reconciliation with both countries completely lost momentum. Furthermore, simultaneous with the completion of legal reforms was the commencement of disputes with South Korea over Takeshima.
The Japanese government, after coordinating with the US government, initially proposed negotiations stating, "If immediate return of Takeshima is conducted, actions taken during that time will be overlooked," infuriating the South Korean government with this demand.
At the negotiation table, they vehemently denounced Japan and, as a retaliatory measure, stationed fleets around Takeshima and mobilized the air force to repeat provocative acts. Furthermore, they attributed these actions to Japan and demanded an apology and compensation.
In response to these moves, Japan froze all assistance to South Korea and demanded immediate repayment of the paid portion of the post-war reparations and compensation for the fishermen detained during the occupation of Takeshima, as well as for the firing upon the patrol boats that intervened. Simultaneously, in response to the movements of the South Korean military, the National Defense Forces were mobilized, preparing for the possibility of armed retrieval. Although the US government intervened and efforts were made to reach a settlement through negotiation, it ultimately broke down, and the situation worsened until both armies were glaring at each other up close.
The South Korean government, greatly disappointed even with the US government supporting Japan, issued a stern warning, stating, "If you do not acknowledge our sovereignty over Dokdo, we will have no choice but to consider measures including the detention of Americans in South Korea, freezing of assets, and in the worst case, cutting off diplomatic ties." This enraged the US government as well, and they announced the dispatch of the Seventh Fleet.
Panicked by this, the South Korean government launched a preemptive strike to settle the matter before the fleet's arrival, entering into a state of conflict with Japan without a formal declaration of war. As a result, the South Korean forces around Takeshima were entirely ousted, and the territory was reclaimed by the National Defense Forces.
Simultaneously, the South Korean military began landing operations on Tsushima. The forces deployed on Tsushima were scarce, and despite valiant resistance, their efforts were in vain, resulting in casualties among civilians. Furthermore, a situation arose where Japanese nationals in South Korea were successively detained by the South Korean government and exposed to the South Korean public, resulting in a considerable number of deaths.
Ultimately, the situation did not settle before the arrival of the Seventh Fleet, and the conflict in the region was resolved by the overwhelming firepower of the US military. Subsequently, the conflict between Japan and South Korea ended when the US forces headed to the Blue House and detained the South Korean leadership. Afterward, peace negotiations were conducted with the South Korean government, now replaced by the United States, and Japan received substantial reparations.
However, Japan-South Korea relations deteriorated severely, and all Japanese nationals in South Korea, including embassy personnel, were evacuated, and direct travel from Japan became impossible. The course of the Japan-South Korea conflict deeply ingrained in the minds of the citizens the threat of war existing right near their country and prompted an improvement in national defense awareness. As a government, this conflict provided numerous lessons for reflection, including the underestimation of enemy actions, failures in deploying forces, inadequacies in attack capabilities, and the difficulty of protecting nationals abroad.
As a result of this incident, significant efforts were made to strengthen the National Defense Forces alongside information capabilities. With the growing economic power as a backdrop, defense spending continued to increase annually, maintaining the second-largest budget in the world, trailing only behind the United States.
One of the achievements obtained in this process is the existence of special forces. The "Special Tactical Deployment Unit," which was based on the British SAS, was formed in reflection of Japan's lack of means to rescue its nationals during the Japan-Korea conflict. Their maiden deployment occurred in response to North Korea's abduction incidents.
Unlike OTL, Japan lost direct channels with North Korea due to the removal of disruptive elements. However, a significantly strengthened intelligence network detected this scheme. With the cooperation of South Korea (effectively the United States), they successfully rescued Japanese nationals.
This incident served as a sobering reminder for the entirety of Japan, showering cold water on its prosperity, and reaffirming its position as the frontline of the East and West. Moreover, the fact that Japanese special forces infiltrated another country elicited a vehement response from the North Korean government, prompting a response from China and the Soviet Union, akin to the Cuban Missile Crisis, escalating tensions. Later dubbed the "Far East Crisis," this tension, like the Cuban Missile Crisis, was resolved through cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union.
China, already overstretched due to domestic failures, yielded to Soviet movements. Furthermore, the Korean Peninsula, which incited turmoil twice, came under strong control by both the US and the Soviet Union, effectively losing its status as a sovereign state. Subsequently, despite ongoing development without significant issues, the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1991.
Japan, regardless of government or private entities, executed large-scale food aid. Upon the establishment of the Russian Federation government, the Japanese government took the opportunity to push for the final resolution of the territorial issue. Unlike South Korea, facing off against a dominant Eastern power in Russia, the US government strongly opposed, and Japan had no choice but to endure.
Seizing the collapse of the Iron Curtain as an opportunity, Japan demanded the return of the Northern Territories and priority rights to the oil and gas fields in Sakhalin from the Russian government in exchange for further food and economic aid and offered to purchase all the Kuril Islands abandoned due to surrender and the weapons deployed there. While Russia initially balked at this proposal, the return of the four islands was eventually realized. Regarding the resources in Sakhalin, an agreement was reached to actively develop them through joint investment by both countries. The purchase of the Kuril Islands was flatly rejected, and only the purchase of small arms was permitted. Thus, with Japan's support, the Russian Far East region somewhat recovered and quickly stabilized the situation within the East-West border.
Subsequently, while the historical records indicate the rise of China and Korea, due to the extreme deterioration of relations caused by past disputes, seeking support from Japan was an impractical option. Domestically, Japan continued under the dominance of the ruling party, and there were no signs of the remarkable economic growth coming to an end. However, the US, which was troubled by Japan's rapid rise, finally began overt interference with the end of the Cold War marking the beginning of the Japan-US trade friction lasting for ten years.
With Japan having established a system to pursue national interests, it tenaciously resisted against the United States. At times, even military intimidation was employed, but due to the significant downsizing of the US forces in Japan through the reinforcement of the National Defense Forces, most of which were repurposed for South Korean control, little effect was expected. Moreover, with the shipbuilding industry being dominated by Japan, effectively placing maritime transportation under Japanese control, mere naval intimidation did not suffice, becoming a significant factor in the prolonged friction.
Ultimately, by placating the US government through the expensive use of American-made weapons (while also actively executing technology purchases), and by establishing an active cooperation framework in space development, Japan invested time to resolve the issue as a form of investment for the next stage.
As the world was focusing on space development as the next frontier...
In the year 2015 AD, the Japanese archipelago disappeared from the face of the Earth.
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Truly a fantasy. If only things could have gone so smoothly...
- Ishiwara