Japanese Imperial State

The Japanese Imperial State (JIS, or simply Japan) is the most powerful nation on Earth, not measured in military might (which is substantial) but in terms of finance, media, and overall influence, and has been for over half a century. The food riots that destabilized the world at the turn of the twenty-first century were well-contained there, and as the United States faltered, Japan (the second-wealthiest nation at the time) quickly stepped up to fill that void. Japan’s scientific advances, such as the discovery of fusion power, genetically modified foodstuffs, and bleeding-edge medical care, kept them growing by leaps and bounds. While the United States turned inward, Japan’s industrial strength and massive media presence revved up, propelling them into a stronger position that they have never relinquished. The moment that the great dragon Ryumyo was seen on December 24, 2012, is often seen as the moment when Japan’s Century began. National pride swelled, the economy boomed, and the world seemed to lay itself at the feet of Japan, which grew proud and powerful. The national constitution was rewritten, allowing the military to be deployed in support of the growing financial empire, leading to the reformation of Japan as the Japanese Imperial State, a nation that harkened back to an earlier era of expansion. The fact that the nation quietly shuffled its metahumans off to Yomi, an island prison, in order to keep the nation “clean” was simply a price for this great success. This constant growth was maintained for fifty years, ending only with the arrival of Halley’s Comet. When the comet drew near, the Ring of Fire blew, setting off catastrophic damage across the entire Pacific, but nowhere so badly as in Japan itself. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and more rocked the island nation, inflicting hundreds of billions of nuyen in damage, thousands upon thousands of lives lost, and the ending of the reign of beloved Emperor Kenichi, who perished along with most of his family during the eruption of Unzen Volcano. The lone survivor was his fourteen-year-old grandson Yasuhito, an only child who became the new emperor at the start of 2062, heralding the start of the Gen-Yu Era. Military forces were recalled worldwide to help in the reconstruction of the homeland, but the damage to the national mindset was arguably greater than the physical cost of reconstruction. For the next fifteen years, the JIS lived in what is now called the Ghost Decade, where the people lost their drive, the nation was wracked by self-doubt, and the booming economy turned to bust. Were it not for the noble spirit of the young emperor, and later his bride Hitomi Shiawase, it is likely that the nation would have been trapped by depression for generations. In recent years, a new outlook has spread across the Imperial State, one of hope and a reaffirmation of Ja- pan’s special place in the world. This great belief of uni- ty and possibility is called Yamato Damashi (meaning the Spirit of Japan), starting roughly at the same time as the birth of Yasuhito’s first child, his son Nashihito. It has continued unabated to this day. Reconstruction of the nation has finished, and the island emerged in a greater state than it began. Yomi Island is no more (by imperial decree), and the population has been reintegrated into Japan as a whole, acceptance of technomancers is growing, the economy is booming, and once again Japan looks to guide the world, now under the benevolent hand of the emperor.