Technology

The century leading up to the current time has seen massive and exponential leaps in technology that have compounded on each other to radically transform life for the Japanese people. All of this is thanks to the industrial revolution, which is a term used to describe this era of major breakthroughs and inventions that have revolutionized many aspects of human life. Below are many of the most important changes  

Indoor Plumbing

One of the biggest combatants in the fight against rising sanitation problems due to urban migration is the increasing proliferation of indoor plumbing, which allows sanitary waste removal  

Internal Combustion Engine

Replacing the steam engine as the primary type of engine, the internal combustion engine uses fossil fuels as its source of power, and is more efficient and powerful than steam.  

Electric power and the light bulb

Electrical wiring, battery storage, and electrically powered devices like light bulbs have become increasingly common place within cities, and have revolutionized the practicality of taming the night.  

Telegraph and Telephone

The telegraph is the primary way to send textual messages over long distances through the use of electrical pulses across wires between telegraph stations. The telephone on the other hand sends sound in the form of electrical signals to the receiver. Both of these technologies have radically revolutionized the speed and efficiency of communication. What was once only possible by the rich and powerful through means of a powerful magic user is now in the hands of an increasing number of common people.    

Automobiles and Aircraft

  Automobiles have become increasingly prolific but not fully adopted by all people. Aircraft technology has moved fromt biplane technology during the great war towards single wing designs. Japan is a leader in air design  

Dynamite

A much more potent alternative to using gunpowder that uses nitroglycerin as an explosive agent. Dynamite has allowed for much more efficient destruction of rock for the purposes of mining or clearing out an area for infrastructure.  

Photography and Cinematography

Photography has allowed light capturing cameras to inscribe images they capture onto paper in black and white. This technology has become popular for the masses who are not wealthy enough to afford paintings. Pictures can be small and portable as well, making them very practical. Movies and theaters have become refined mainstream entertainment, but still stuck in black and white silent movie form.  

Typewriter

A great alternative to the slow and inconstant quality of hand writing, the typewriter standardizes and makes efficient the process of inscription. This device is standard for secretaries, and anyone else who finds themselves writing often.  

Factories, Machinery, and the Assembly Line

A factory is a building that is dedicated to manufacturing, often using machinery and a streamlined process. The machinery invented during the industrial revolution, like textile mills, allowed for a mechanized process of the creation of products. Large buildings full of these machines operated routinely by employees allows for efficient output on a scale not before seen in the prior era of individual artisans who worked by hand. A further advancement of this process is the assembly line, which standardized a single stage of the creation process for each employee. In other words every employee will be responsible for one simple task, and will become very good at that one stage, as opposed to employees engaging in every stage of the process.  

Modern Medicine and Science

With the discovery of microorganisms, scientists and doctors were finally able to start understanding the fundamentals of microbiology and disease. Specific bacteria were able to be identified under microscopes, and the effects of certain treatments tested, leading to the genesis of modern scientific medicine and antibiotics. Its not just biology though, chemistry and physics have seen extraordinary breakthroughs. The concept of atoms, their structure, and preliminary studies into radiation have opened up the ability to create new molecular compounds.  

Concrete and Modern Roads

Modern concrete has become an essential rugged material used in the foundations of infrastructure and some roads. Asphalt as well is a common, though less rugged, option for road pavement. These options allow for a more durable and less messy road than dirt, which composed most roads of the past.  

Food Preservation and Canning

Food preservation became an important priority for growing agricultural companies who lose profit with the decay of their produce, as well as a general demand from the public and government for food that can be stored for longer. The canning process allows for food to be sealed into tin containers that protect the contents from decay that comes from outside pathogens. This means storing, keeping, and transporting food has become much easier and more efficient.  

Radio

Radio as a technology has become an extremely popular way for the average person to receive news, or militaries to transmit information and command  

Gramophone

A machine that uses a needle and a record disc to play music and other recordings out of a speaker. The ability to inscribe sound for relatively cheap and be able to replay it allowed the common man to bring music into his own home.  

Trolley/Cable Car

A bus like vehicle that runs along a fixed track, and is pulled by a moving cable that is moved by a powerhouse away from the trolley car. The trolley is a common form of public transportation within cities, and will often move right along with horse and pedestrians on the major roads of these cities.  

Automated Elevator

Using hydraulic power, elevator technology has reached the point of automation, and allows for convenient and swift passage up and down buildings with many floors.  

Refrigeration

As electric power became more widespread, refrigeration technology became more widespread and convenient. Now food and other things is able to be kept cold without the need for an ice house or other old ways of cooling.  

Atomic Research

Scientists have been able to greater understand the nature and properties of the atom and radiation. This research has profound implications for the field of chemistry and nuclear research.  

Weaponry and Tactics

• Military application of balloons and airships for observation and transport purposes
• Creation of the machine gun
• Steam powered armor plated battleships
• Defensive trench warfare strategy
• Bolt Action Rifles and Telescopic Sights
• Long range indirect fire artillery
• Poison Gas and Gas Masks
• Time Fuse Hand Grenades
• Railway Logistics
• Steel Helmets to protect against shrapnel
• Rapid Communication (Still lagged behind in regards to communications with the very front lines)
• Submarines for military application
• Artillery and Mortars - Indirect fire high explosive ordinance cannons of various sizes
• Flamethrower - device for ejecting and igniting flammable oil in a stream
• Concrete Fortifications
• Military application of dynamite
• Dedicated front line medical personnel