Application [History] [Time Period]
Please give us a personal history of your character's life and explain to us in detail how they grow and develop over the course of their canon:
When Japan was first established as a country is technically unknown, but the people and the island nation has existed for almost 30,000 years in some form or another. In Hetalia canon, Japan’s first chronological appearance is when he was discovered by a young China in a bamboo forest. Aching from political unrest in his own country, China took Japan under his wing even though the young country was a bit rude at their first meeting. He greeted China by saying China was the land where the sun set and Japan was the country where the sun rises. Nevertheless, China raised Japan and with the cultural exchange between the two countries, the younger nation grew rather quickly. Illiterate at first, Japan only drew pictures to represent what he wanted to say until China taught him the kanji writing system. Japan quickly adapted that system to hiragana and used that instead, keeping kanji only as a phonetic approximation of the syllables he needed. Japan would later develop the kanji on his own, fitting it to the Japanese language and grammar rules. Of course, China wasn’t very pleased with Japan for mutilating his writing system.
Japan and China actually had a very good relationship for a very long time as he developed and grew older. The only problem being Japan’s distaste for China’s tendency to boast about Japan as his little brother, lording things over him and generally being a bit of a pain when it came to behaving in a proper Chinese tradition. They often clashed over the ownership of the new Korean nation, but usually went back to having good cultural exchange after that. They exchanged literature and writing systems, gave gifts back and forth, and shared much of their culture with each other. Especially during the Heian period where aristocratic culture, with deep ties to China as the bastion of cultural elegance, reigned supreme.
Japan maintained relations with China even when their countries were at odds, like in the 1590s when Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Japan’s so-called boss at the time) invaded Korea and China defended Korea from Toyotomi’s unsuccessful raids. However, by this time, Japan was growing tired of China’s attitude, especially toward the West. One day while sitting together on the veranda Japan expressed his belief that at some point, the Western powers were going to come to Asia and wreck havoc on them. Japan wanted to become stronger so he could protect his people. He planned to fight to the death to defend his lands, but China dismissed him and said he was being difficult. Japan realized at this point that his ties with China were weakening as his own country went through significant changes and that perhaps staying with China was not such a good idea.
While dealing with China and Korea abroad, Japan was also seeing his feudal states at home begin to unify. After the Heian period ended came the Kamakura bakufu and a move away from the imperial palace and the courtiers holding power to the samurai class serving as political and military rulers. This time eventually gave way to the Muromachi Period, the latter half of which was consumed by the Warring States Period. Compared to the relatively peaceful days of the Heian, the Warring States Period brought a time of great change and upheaval to Japan, but came to an end as first Oda Nobunaga and then Toyotomi Hideyoshi attempted to unify the Japanese feudal states under one banner.
Japan was merely a witness to these wars as his feudal states had representations of their own that fought among themselves. They remained even after the country was unified and certain domains are shown in the comics as working at Japan’s house when he later came under the Mito domain’s political rule. Once Toyotomi Hideyoshi died and his son was defeated, the Mito Province’s powerful Tokugawa house took over, establishing the Tokugawa period. At the time when Mito Province took over, Japan had several other countries clamoring at his doors just as he’d predicted in his conversation with China. In an effort to keep them out, to maintain the so-long sought after peace that came with the Tokugawa reign, and to preserve his culture as it was, Japan made a decision that changed the course of his history.
He became a hikkikomori, or a shut-in.
For over 200 years, Japan shut himself in his house and stayed locked in his room, refusing to come out into the sunlight or even talk to many people. Not only was he afraid of being overrun by the Westerners who were clamoring for bits of Asia, he was simply tired of dealing with people. He went into near complete seclusion, refusing visits from even his boss on certain occasions, and remained rolled up in his futon bedding for most of the Edo Period. The few exceptions to his seclusion were the other feudal domains (Osaka is seen at Japan’s house as a sort of servant or housekeeper), one port in Nagasaki that was left open (but all foreigners were restricted to a man-made island called Dejima), and the nation Holland. Holland was Japan’s only connection to the outside world and the two countries had friendly relations during this time. It was Holland, in fact, who brought the warning that America was coming and that he would not take “no” as an answer to his boss’ demands that Japan open their ports to American whale trade. He recommended that Japan acquiesce to America’s request, but even after America arrived, Japan didn’t want to come out. All of his feudal domains gathered at his house to discuss what they should do now that America’s black ships were in port, and when asked his opinion, Japan stated that he would rather die than go outside.
Eventually, however, he did go out and after one unsuccessful attempt at turning the Americans away by claiming they only knew Dutch and Japanese (the Americans had, unfortunately, brought their own Dutch translator rendering that plan a failure), Japan eventually received America into his home for a visit. This quickly devolved after America stated he came to make friends with whales, making Japan demand he go home out of irritation - only to be translated in a much more polite manner by the Dutch translator. After several unsuccessful attempts (and the Emperor of Japan trying to get the gods to chase the foreigners out), America convinced Japan to open his doors so he could meet other countries. Japan saw the way the American ships were equipped and realized that the world was moving on without him, so he considered opening his ports, but before he could decide, things were decided for him. He was forced into several unfair treatises with America leaving Japan with the impression that America, while a good person at heart, was extremely immature. It also resulted in a short stint where Japan again wouldn’t come out of his room because he was afraid all the new nations would force him into more stupid treaties. His bosses eventually coaxed him out again - possibly because France brought a really cute cat with him and it was likely his boss wouldn’t bring it to him, so he had to go to it.
After a great deal of political unrest (the Meiji Revolution), Japan fully opened itself to Westernization and began to learn about the world. As Japan worked tirelessly to catch up to the Western world, he ran into quite a few problems - number one being China and Korea again. A Prussian general brought Korea’s defensive and offensive strategic importance to the attention of Japan’s bosses and Japan resolved to take Korea in order to ensure his own people’s safety. Unfortunately, Korea was under China’s protection and thus Japan had to betray China’s trust after so many years. At the time, China was weakened from the Opium Wars and unable to stop Western intervention. Afraid that China’s weakness would lead to his own downfall and allow the Westerners to take all of Asia, he arrived at China’s house late at night and, after muttering a ‘forgive me,’ cut China across the back, severing his ties to the other Asian nation. After that and the events leading up to and during World War II, China has never completely forgiven Japan; although later on they resumed diplomatic and economic ties.
Following that, Japan modernized with fervor, going so far as to try and learn Western ways by copying France’s movements and sayings. That didn’t work so well, but his maintained relations with America and other Western powers helped Japan grow to become a major world power. One alliance in particular helped him, even if the alliance displeased his bosses (the fledgling Japanese government) somewhat. In the early Meiji period, Russia was clamoring for a warm water port and further power in Asia. This made Japan nervous as he never trusted Russia, but his bosses wanted to create an alliance with him since he was so close. Incidentally, at the same time, England was looking to end his splendid seclusion and was searching for allies. After being rejected in other places, England ended up visiting Japan since he’d shown such growth over such a short time. Unfortunately, Japan’s bosses wanted to form an alliance with Russia since he and his bosses were looking for ports in Asia. Japan, however, hated Russia with a passion and wanted anything but a working relationship with him. Against his bosses’ wishes, Japan went to England’s home and struck up the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, an almost unprecedented independent move. No matter what, Japan didn’t want to be allies with Russia and so he did what few nations ever did and opposed his people, going by what he wanted. England taught Japan English and helped him economically while Japan showed England around his country. While at Japan’s house, England saw all the old spirits that Japan had to leave behind in order to modernize, showing that in some ways, Japan was willing to give up a lot of his old culture (what he tried so hard to preserve in his 200 years of seclusion) in a very short period of time for the sake of competing with the world.
Not only England, but also America often came to visit Japan in the years prior to World War II. In one such visit, America brought a turntable with him in hopes that he could use it to play a prank on Japan. He told Japan that by using this turntable, he could divine the future and Japan (experiencing a boom in occult interest) believed him. However, when America tried to pull information on Japan’s worries out of him using this technique, it backfired a little and Japan told America about his deepest worry: whether or not he would be able to get along with everyone in the world. Japan recognized that as an island nation, as well as one of the older nations, he was severely behind the times. He knew that he had put his people in a very tenuous place and he was worried about whether or not he could protect them, and still make friends with a people he didn’t fully understand. Things had changed so quickly around him that he wasn’t sure he could keep up. America assured him it would be fine by forcing the answer of the prank turntable and Japan wholeheartedly believed him. And in just 10 years, for better or for worse, Japan was able to catch up to the Western world. However, due to this rapid growth, Japan really felt his age when confronted with the younger, more vital America. At one time, America tried to invite Japan out to celebrate with the humans after a day of work, but Japan cited a previous engagement and escaped home. This was nothing but a lie because in truth, Japan was just tired and wanted to go home, changing into his kimono and relaxing on the porch as he reminisced about the old days and now wondering not if he could become friends with the West, but whether or not he could keep up with them and compete with them on the world stage.
One event that helped him do just that was his war with Russia. In the end the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was a fortunate one because Russia and Japan ended up clashing over opposing imperialistic aims over China and Korea soon after the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed. The clash known as the Russo-Japanese War saw Japan launch his first large scale war since opening his borders against an established world power. For a small country with little to work with, Japan fought with everything he had in order to win against Russia. And win he did, earning recognition from other world powers, but at a great loss of life and over five years of the country’s total budgets, leaving Japan poor. On the other hand, Russia had only sent his extraneous troops and hadn’t thought much of the battle, caring little when he ended up losing. For how hard he fought, Japan was extremely upset that Russia thought little of it and that, combined with the memories of the war and his previous mistrust and dislike for Russia festered and eventually led to Japan hating Russia more than any other country.
After winning against Russia, Japan soon began to eye other countries as areas of expansion. With his population booming and Russia always looming above him, Japan decided he needed more land in order to better compete on the industrial, economic, and military stages. While in World War I, he stayed mostly to the background, he came to the forefront in the Pacific War in World War II. Following World War I, Japan began to grow friendly again with Germany (he formerly had good relations with Germany’s brother, Prussia) and when Germany launched his campaign against Europe Japan took it as a sign to do the same in Asia. Both countries started imperialistic campaigns, Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia. Japan annexed Korea as a Japanese territory and expanded into China and Southeast Asia. In order to present a better front against the Europeans, Germany joined with Italy (mostly because Italy was too weak to do anything by himself) and Japan was soon called to join the alliance.
Initially, Japan was quite excited to meet Italy since he had heard much of Italy’s culture - the Renaissance and the old Romans - from his days of Westernization. He much admired Italian paintings and architecture and was honored that he’d be able to meet such a cultured person. Unfortunately for Japan, his first sighting of Italy was seeing the country hitting on all the women at a party. Needless to say, he was a little disappointed and Germany empathized with him.
Regardless of their first meeting, however, Japan, Italy and Germany signed an alliance treaty in Berlin while they were all tucked under a kotatsu (Japanese heated table with a blanket over it to keep warm in the winter - it shouldn’t have been there, but in the strip there was one) in 1940. They all agreed to protect each other in their respective wars should any of the Allied Powers attacked them and with this, The Pact of Steel was formed.
And this is where Hetalia deviates from actual historical timeline a little. According to history, Germany and Russia signed the Russo-German Non-Aggression Treaty in 1939 (and dissolved it when Germany invaded in 1941) in order to divide up Poland. At this point in time, Japan should not have been in Germany’s house or even cared really if Germany had a pact with Russia. However, in Hetalia canon, Japan is already part of the Pact of Steel and at Germany’s house when Russia comes to call as part of the treaty discussions. Japan, still sore about the Russo-Japanese War where he won at heavy losses of men and funds, was uncharacteristically and vehemently opposed to Germany becoming friends with Russia. He becomes visibly angry and warns that Russia is a monster like Godzilla, created from nuclear fallout (which isn’t around yet), and will manipulate Germany and then breathe fire on his cities. When Germany states that it is his duty to befriend Russia because it is his boss’s order, Japan flips out and declares that he’ll dissolve his nation (in reality, the Japanese actually dissolved their parliament in protest, although no one understood why).
Eventually, Russia comes to call upon Germany and Japan disappears for a bit only to reappear dressed as a ninja as he tries to kill Russia by planting tacks on his chair, attempting to stab him with a throwing weapon, and later on trying to poison him with inedible things mixed into Japanese sweets. He calls it preventative surveillance, but really, he just tries to kill him the entire time Russia is at Germany’s house. Germany and Russia do manage to sign their treaty though, much to Japan’s chagrin. Following this, the war starts in earnest, returning to the actual timeline with England and France declaring war upon Germany and Russia returning home to partition Poland. After the signing of the treaty, Italy and Japan decided to make a team name and, once Italy consults Germany, the name Axis is chosen in the hopes that someday the entire world will revolve with them at the axis of it all. Following this, the manga shows the war starting in earnest, with Germany and Italy taking on Europe and Japan continuing his conquests in Asia.
With the countries now in an alliance, Japan often took the time to visit the others, usually spending most of his time when not engaged in wars in the Pacific, visiting Italy or Germany’s houses. Since both of his allies were in Europe, Japan actually spent most of his free time there whenever his physical presence wasn’t needed in the Pacific War. Since most of their meetings usually took place either at Italy or Germany’s houses anyway, it was more conducive for Japan to stay over when there was much to discuss. While staying at Germany’s house, he usually did the cooking and cleaning (he did the same for his boss, too) and Japan is often shown out of his military uniform and instead wearing his usual kimono with an apron and handkerchief over his hair. He looks much the part of the maid and it seems he functions as one, even though Germany says he doesn’t need to do that. For Japan, doing such things appears to be second nature and, since he hates being idle anyway, probably helped him a good deal in the times between meetings.
While at Germany’s house, Japan often participated in training sessions. Although the training was usually derailed by Italy’s special brand of silliness, Japan tried his best to keep up as he learned via training and living with the others that European ways were sometimes very, very strange. For example, they ate garden snails as a delicacy and had no problem wearing little to no clothing (swim trunks with no shirts and such) when it was hot out. Their gifts, as well, were often strange: Italy sent him a pillar from Pompei after Japan expressed his interest in Italian architecture when visiting Rome. As for the actual training, Germany often drilled them on what to do when they came up against their enemies - like what to do if they met England or France on the battlefield, or if they were ever interrogated. At one point, they did in fact get captured and taken prisoner, and Japan attempted to commit seppuku (honorable suicide), but was stopped when Italy started singing a song to pass the time since the singing utterly destroyed his serious atmosphere. Soon after that, Germany announced he’d dug a hole out of the prison and they escaped.
One very important piece of training that Japan underwent was following his birthday one year. When the other countries asked him how old he was, Japan admitted he’d stopped counting his age a long time ago because the years just blended together. He also admits that he is far older than both of them, and has backaches and high blood pressure, and tends to take walks in the morning just to wander around aimlessly in order to get exercise (which is representative of the senior citizen population in Japan). Soon after Germany goes on a health kick and prohibits Japan from eating too much salt, which is like a death sentence to him. Japanese foods are extremely salted with much of it being pickled or seasoned in salt, and so Japan was understandably upset when Germany announced this. But, for his health and because Germany was a bit of a slave-driver when it came to training, Japan acquiesced and soon began a strict diet of tomatoes and other healthy foods. But mostly tomatoes. He is also forced to run longer than the rest, and he unexpectedly complies to all requests even though it upsets him. Italy eventually discovers what’s going on when Germany refuses to drink a beer (since Japan is trying his best, he figures he should, too) and Prussia ends up blabbing it to Italy. Italy tries to convince both Japan and Germany to give up their strict regiment, but they refuse because it simply isn’t done - giving up is not what the Germans or the Japanese do.
But they do give it up after awhile.
Japan realizes that pushing himself too far is just silly and unhealthy in the long run. He didn’t want to give up and he wanted fast results (to lower his blood pressure and make him feel less like an old man), which is why he went along in the first place, but once Germany bent, he did the same. And while Germany thought they should consciously change their lifestyles bit by bit, Japan immediately fell back into his old ways and started eating salty foods again (he’s shown in the comic strip eating a whole thing of salted salmon).
Still, his running and other training continued in the background, and the war moved on. Or tried to. At some point, the three countries are shipwrecked on a supposedly deserted island. While Italy spends much of his time playing in the water, Japan tries to secure food for them and Germany actually works on trying to get an SOS out. Unfortunately for them, the Allied Powers are on the other side of the island and they often came to attack them in their stint on the shore. Also, China apparently has a summer home on the island (Chinatowns are everywhere after all), which saves them from starvation at one point. However, while everyone else is satisfied with having food, Japan finds it strange and eventually tells them all that if China can get on and off the island so easily, maybe they should ask him how so they could get off the island, too. Apparently this is a revelation for everyone else, and Germany is a bit reluctant to go since he has free beer on the island. Eventually, however, they do escape - although the manga has yet to say how.
Canon has yet to deal with the end of the war, but anyone who studied any history knows how the war goes from there. After losing the war to America, the younger country began the Occupation of Japan while Japan’s government was forced into unconditional surrender. With the Americans at the helm, Japan adopted a new pacifistic constitution and gave up all forms of war save for self-defense. After a period of economic depression, Japan rebounded from postwar hardships by the 1960s, focusing on the creation of electronics and export businesses. He also began to submerge himself further in his otaku-like hobbies, creating anime and manga and video games along with cars, computers and robots. Since he saw the world as a video game anyway (when he first joined forces with Germany and Italy, little bubbles popped up that announced “Germany has entered your party” among other things), it was a natural leap for him to start producing the RPG games for which he would later become famous.
His specialty, however, was miniaturizing things to make them compact and easily transportable, as well as matching them to the seasons to stay fashionable. He soon rose to the esteem of world power via economic success and in 1956 was admitted to the United Nations, earning the right to participate in the World Meetings. Later, in the 1970s became an early member of what was to become the G8 Summit. Japan is often seen in the secretary type role at these meetings, calling things to order and taking roll (and forgetting about Canada because everyone does). When asked for his opinion, he’ll often side with whatever America says, no matter how ridiculous it is - like when America proposed a giant robot to protect the earth against global warming at the World Meeting. Japan readily agreed and Switzerland was quick to snap at him about being such a pushover. At the meetings, he also met with the fledging micronation Sealand and is one of the few nations to acknowledge his existence, albeit not as a true nation.
Since then, he has furthered his relations with America in particular (although he sometimes acquiesces too easily to America) and the two countries share a very close relationship. America loves Japan’s games and they boast a very rich economic exchange, while at the same time, Japan relies on America for protection on the military front. The two countries often talk and celebrate holidays together, like Halloween and Christmas. Of course, this has the negative affect that whenever America is sick, Japan gets sick, too. Conversely, when America (or even Russia) is cursed, it’s usually Japan who takes the brunt of the damage for some reason. Despite that, Japan has also expanded and deepened his relationship with other nations like Greece and Turkey. He still has a great deal of fear for Russia and is still at odds with the rest of Asia sometimes. He is none too pleased that China often copies his electronics and mascots, although he seems to be grudgingly willing to turn the other way about it most days. He even gave China a Hello Kitty plushie at one point, although China’s boss drew a mouth on it, turning it into Shinatty-chan instead. Over all, China and Japan have reconciled since the First Sino-Japanese War and World War II, although Japan still refuses to acknowledge Chinas as his ‘older brother.’ As for (South) Korea, Japan tolerates his strange behavior because he really has no choice. Korea actively seems to hate him at some points due to what Japan did during the war, but Japan has moved on and bears no more animosity or designs toward the other country. He even likes Korea’s dramas a great deal, although he is extremely annoyed at Korea’s insistence that everything in the world originated from him (China is, too). He’s also more than a little freaked out by Korea’s declaration that Japan’s breasts belong to him.
While Japan has gotten better in some respects about dealing with Western ways, he still refuses to say his true opinion and is often surprised by the cultures of the younger nations (America in particular). Blue foods, their frankness and energy, their private love lives and the like often shock him a great deal, although he tries to hide it behind his polite nature. The love life one especially seems to give him pause since Japan prefers 2-D company to 3-D company like a true otaku. Currently, Japan is at odds with America over the placement of the Okinawan Futenma base, but maintains good relations with the rest of the world.
What point in time are you taking your character from when he/she appears at Landel's and why?:
I’ll be taking Japan from the “current day” meaning contemporary times. I wavered a good deal on this decision, but decided to go with contemporary times so his personality is more stable and open to meeting new people. Postwar or other times in his history, he is still too new or with too many reservations against foreigners either because they forced him into unfair treatises or because they just finished bombing his country. Current day allows for him to have cooled from his imperialistic self and to be more aware of himself and his desire to meet new people.
He will also be less likely to try and kill Russia (but may run from him in terror) or attack America and will better be able to get along with Germany since they are from the same time period. Japan may be somewhat puzzled at Prussia being around, seeing the country again after they used to have good relations will be interesting to play out. Also, taking him from current times allows him to better enjoy the Institute since his otaku nature would clue him in a little that some of these people aren’t exactly normal human beings. The ghosts and supernatural creatures might cause him some discomfort since he no longer believes in them, but characters from RPGs and anime or manga will excite him (and disappoint him a little to see them in 3-D). To avoid fourth-walling, however, I intend to keep contact with the other muns or perhaps put up a permissions post to differentiate between those who want fourth-wall kept sacred and those who don’t mind it being broken a little. Also, Japan’s polite nature would restrain his fanboying to his head mostly, out of respect for the other person.
Japan will also be much more willing to help other people and provide support since that is his current military role anyway. I think it would be interesting to see him fighting again after living so long in peace, since it might bring up old memories and war wounds, leading to more character development. Currently, Japan is trying to force American military bases out of Okinawa, so he might try to speak to America about that, as well, which might lead to interesting discussions between the two characters, and with any of the other Hetalia characters.