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Description

Rising Sun

The main points of divergence are a failed 1893 coup in the Kingdom of Hawaii and the safe return of the USS Maine after investigating the Cuban Revolution in 1898. Without the success of the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt is only barely elected in 1900, and decides not to interfere in the Russo-Japanese War negotiations. The stunted growth of "yellow paper" journalism combined with Woodrow Wilson's firm anti-interventionist stance keep America out of the Great War, despite the Lusitania and the Zimmerman telegram. Without the blatantly racist Wilson present, Japan's "Racial Equality Proposal" is able to pass at the Paris Peace Conference, despite some disgruntled rumbling from the Australian delegation. European acknowledgment of equality, the absence of American imperialism in the Pacific and the success of democracy in Hawaii all contribute to the Taisho Constitution in the 1920s, an event that very much did not occur in OTL.

Nations and Lore:
Japan becomes a free, capitalist, democratic, constitutional monarchy during the Taishō Era. Japan invades and liberates all European colonies with help from locals and establishes independent kingdoms and republics, also helping them rename many places to more oriental names (The Philippines is named after Jose Rizal) They keep lots of islands and port cities within their domain as military and trade outposts, similar to a Pointillist Empire, called the Imperial City System. Japan also has control over Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands after their victory in the Russo- Japanese War and incorporates Karafuto as a prefecture in the 1940s. The Chishima islands are split between Hokkaido and Karafuto.

After the Paris Peace Conference and the success of Japan at becoming a recognized major power and the passing of their Racial Equality Proposal, the Japanese people rejoiced. The 1920s would usher in an era of democracy and prosperity as the economy flourished and politics became increasingly open.

Emperor Taishō, who would be a weak monarch due to sickness, allowed politics to undergo significant changes under his rule. The Japanese populace become calling out for democratic reforms, such as universal suffrage and an end to Genro politics. The conservative Seiyūkai party fought these changes significantly, and the shady practices they used to maintain their majority in the legislature under Hara Takashi become public, leading to a scandal and his resignation in 1920. After this, the Seiyūkai would crumble from lack of leadership, and the liberal Kenseikai party to take control. With their new power, the party enacted a series of massive governmental and political overhauls that changed Japanese politics completely. The new Japanese government would be a constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage and a powerful legislature. The government was largely based on Britainʼs parliamentary model and party system. Massive civil liberties and rights were implemented and Japan changed forever. Additionally, public attitudes shifted from racial hierarchy and imperialism to racial equality and liberation. Japan would soon begin to slowly decolonize Korea and Taiwan, eventually granting them independence in the 1940s as the Kingdom of Joseon and the Republic of Formosa. Though attitudes of locals were still resentful over Japanese rule, they came to see Taishō democracy as a liberating force in Asia and accepted Japan as their ally. Japan would also pull out of Siberia and abandon their colony in Qingdao in 1921, as part of an effort to rebuild relationships with their Asian neighbors during the era of Taishō democracy. When Emperor Hirohito was crowned and Japan entered the Shōwa Era, little changed in Japanese politics and foreign policy, as the Crown had been largely reduced to a figurehead position in the Taishō Era.

Hawaii remains an independent kingdom with an extremely liberal constitution and racial equality. The nation remains largely Asian and Native Hawaiian as most white colonists and land owners fled after the failed 1893 coup and the subsequent turbulence. Democracy is a massive success in Hawaii and this has a profound effect on the Japanese, who see the success of Asian democracy as a tangible goal. Eventually, Hawaii renegotiates the unequal treaties imposed on it by the US and is able to regain Pearl Harbor.

Britain, desperate to retain its massive empire, becomes an increasingly aggressive nation abroad. Americaʼs silence on the global stage led to a drastic and disastrous war in the 1940s, after almost a decade of economic downturn. While France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain gave up their colonial empires with minimal fighting, Britain fought hard to maintain certain key islands and ports, building a Pointillist empire to compete with Japanʼs. While Japan dominated East Asia, Britain was able to retain the island of Penang, named “Prince of Wales Island,” off the coast of Malaya, as a Crown Colony. This became their new base of operations for trade and military exercises in East Asia, competing heavily with the Japanese hegemony. Britain would, however, dominate the rest of the world, controlling key areas in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Domestically, British politics became increasingly reactionary, and the rise of nationalism led to more aggressive imperialist policies. Despite this, Britain lost almost all its major colonies in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (including India) by the late 1960s. As with most of Europe, Asian and Middle Eastern colonies were the first to break off, with African colonies breaking off a while later. Itʼs former dominions even began distancing themselves until they broke off completely. Canada became a fully independent republic and entered the US sphere, while Australia became a union modeled off of the United States and carved out its own sphere of influence in Oceania, mostly out of former British holdings, including New Zealand.

America never expands past the continental US, Caribbean and Pacific are left alone. Spain holds on to its empire instead of losing it to the US. The United States goes full isolationist but maintains a strong hegemony over Central America and the Caribbean. Puerto Rico remains in the Spanish Empire until the late 1970s when it becomes independent. Cuba gains its independence during the 1899 Revolution, several months after the USS Maine left Havana and returned to the United States unharmed. The Cuban Republic is established and the US is the first country to extend its congratulations and open up trade, as well as an embassy in Havana.

During the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, Japan saw an opportunity to exert greater control over the region of Manchuria. Having won full economic rights to Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War, political control seemed the next likely goal. Emboldened by its complete victory over the Russians and a growing contempt for European interference in Asia, Japan invaded Manchuria just as the Qing were overthrown. They claimed to be protecting the Qing Dynasty from the anti-imperialist revolutionaries. Europe was embroiled in its own conflicts in Morocco and the Balkans, and war preparations took focus away from Asia. Though many European nations denounced the Japanese invasion, none tried to stop it. A few statesmen from Europe even endorsed the invasion, hoping to see the Qing dynasty and its unequal treaties remain standing. Once the invasion had reached the Luanhe river, the Qing had already been overthrown. Seeing a terrific opportunity, Japan invited the Qing to Manchuria to continue their rule. Being ethnic Manchus, the offer made sense, and having no other option, they agreed. In 1912, the Kingdom of Manchuria was established with Emperor Puyi as its leader, and the Qing Dynasty flag was hoisted over the new capital of Changchun. In addition to inviting the Qing, Japan also made Manchuria a safe haven for all ethnic Manchus. Intense persecution of Manchus and their essential extinction through assimilation and eradication, largely stemming from anti-Qing sentiment, made this an enticing offer. Millions of Manchus from all over China emigrated en masse to Manchuria over the next few decades, with the greatest period being 1911-1914. Here, they began to rebuild their language and culture, distinguishing themselves from Han Chinese. Years of intermarriage and assimilation had nearly extinguished Manchu identity, but a massive cultural revival occurred in the Kingdom of Manchuria during the 1910s and 20s. In addition to this, millions of Han Chinese fled Manchuria fearing persecution from the Manchus and Qing, hoping for a better life in a Han Chinese state. Much of this migration, cultural revival and political organizing happened under Japanese oversight, with heavy handed Japanese influence. Though Manchuria remained a mere puppet of Japan, it still held more autonomy and self-rule than Manchukuo did in OTL. After the Taishō constitution in the 1920s, Manchuria gained significantly more independence until it eventually became a partner of Japan on equal footing. Japan even returned most of the territory it had “leased” from the Qing following the Russo-Japanese War and the Triple Intervention, however Japan still retained Port Arthur (or Ryojun). By the 1930s, the majority of its population identified as Manchu, with a significant Han minority. Europe accepted the new status of China, as growing anti-imperialist sentiment and a new commitment to non-interference in China swept over Europe. The Manchu-dominated government successfully resurrected Manchu cultural, language and identity, standardizing both education and politics in the process, a feat they could never have accomplished in China. In the end, anti-Manchu sentiments and Han nationalism led to the rebirth of Manchuria.

The proclamation of Manchuria had a simultaneously significant and insignificant effective on China. For the first fews years, the Beiyang government functioned much as it had in OTL. However, Japanese interference in Manchuria and the mass migration of the century led to some major differences in battles, warlord rivalries, and political conflicts between statesmen and generals. However, the trend of chaos, corruption and confusion in the Beiyang government was very much the same as in OTL. Additionally, the famous “Five Races Under One Union” became only four races, with the exclusion of the Manchus. This was reflected in their flag, which did not include a yellow stripe for the Manchus and instead featured only four stripes, each slightly thicker to fill the empty space. By the 1920s, the Anhui clique under Duan Qirui had retained immense power in the government. The Fengtian clique which had applied northern pressure simply did not exist, and the Zhili clique which defeated them in OTL had itself been crushed by Duan, largely due to secret loans obtained from the Japanese. These loans were kept hidden from the public, but were able to fuel Duanʼs armies. The Kuomintang, which had established itself under Sun Yatsen in Guangzhou (as it did in OTL), remained a persistent threat to Duan. After Sunʼs death in 1925, Dean launched an invasion of the south and defeated both local warlords and the KMT. The two leaders competing for power at the time, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei, each fled to different places. Chiang fled to the International Zone in Shanghai, as he had done before, while Wang fled to Japan. The populations of the south, which had always held cultural and linguistic differences from the north, felt betrayed. They watched as northern soldiers poured into their lands as invaders, pillaging their cities and looting their homes. Thousands of civilians died, and southern separatism grew. In the late 1920s, Duan was suddenly assassinated in a coup attempt by a rival warlord, who was in turn killed while attempting to take control of the Anhui clique. This created a massive power vacuum, and Chiang was ready. For years he had been gaining the allegiance of warlords, the criminal underground, and the Chinese populace. He launched his revolution from Shanghai and quickly swept through the Yangtze River valley and up to the seat of the government in Peking. In the south, Wang had secretly returned to Guangzhou and had been building a revolution of his own. While Chiang wished to create a dictatorship with him at the head, Wang was more interested in creating a republic. Seeing Duanʼs government falling and Chiang picking up the reigns, Japan panicked. They were about to lose influence over the biggest nation in the world. They quickly threw their backing behind Wang in an attempt to retain some influence in China, and supplied him with guns and funding. However, by the time Wang had garnered enough soldiers and popular support, Chiang had taken Peking and proclaimed a new National Republic of China, moving the capital to Nanking. Disappointed, Wang decided to set up a rival government, just as Sun had done against Duan in the late 1910s. Wang declared the Democratic Republic of China that same year, and put its capital in Guangzhou. The warlords of Guangdong and Guangxi quickly joined Wangʼs new government, and were offered high positions in the new government. War between the Chiang and Wang governmentʼs seemed inevitable, until Japan announced its recognition of Wangʼs government as the legitimate government of China. The looming threat of Japanese intervention was the only thing that kept Chiang from crushing the fledgling government in the south. Wang, born in Guangdong, became a national hero of the Liangguang region. As time went on, the separation and the distinction between the two Chinas only grew. While Chiang quickly crushed warlord after warlord, raising himself up as the supreme autocrat of China, Wang began the slow and tedious process of democratization. Chiangʼs China continued to be a truly united China, with most ethnic Han Chinese living within its borders. Even after Chiangʼs death, Chiang continued to be a one- party state ruled by the KMT, with a different autocrat cycling every generation or so. Sinking and Tibet where pacified after several wars during Chiangʼs reign, but they remained independent puppets within Chinaʼs sphere of influence, due to pressure from the Soviet Union. Additionally, Mongolia and a section of Chinese Inner Mongolia were annexed by the Soviet Union as a new SSR. Chinaʼs weakness against Russia would continue to plague its existence until the fall of the Soviet Union. Wangʼs China, however would soon became a fully democratic republic, largely under Japanese guidance. Liangguang would remain under Japanese influence and protection, but retained its full independence as a nation. As time went on, Liangguang would soon see itself as unique from the northern Han Chinese. While most northerners spoke Mandarin, the people of Liangguang spoke Yue. This process of cultural separation and democratization is very similar to OTL Taiwan, but much more accelerated without Chiang in charge for so long. By the 1940s, two new nations had been carved out of China, each with a language, culture and people different from traditional Han-Mandarin dominance. Though Europe was not thrilled with these proceedings, they accepted them. Once again, they were too busy with brewing conflict, a spiraling economic crisis, and growing anti-interventionism. By 1954, The DRC is a close ally of Japan and a founding member of the GEACPS. A proposal is currently in the works to change the country fundamentally from a rival of the NRC to an independent nation with a new national identity. Their ideas of democracy and Yue distinction have also spread into Macau, Guangzhouwan and Hong Kong, helping with the overthrown of European empires. Though many in Macau, Guangzhouwan and Hong Kong would like to join the DRC, most value the independence they receive under the Imperial City System. Similarly, the DRC would like to see the integration of the three cities, but also recognizes their value as Imperial Cities for the CPS to share. The NRC continues to hold a bitter hatred for Japan and is their primary rival in East Asia. They continue to claim sovereignty over all of China, including Manchuria and the DRC.

The Philippines and the Spanish East Indies remained under Spanish control until 1939. During this time, Spain crushed rebellion after rebellion in the Philippines and it took a heavy toll on Spainʼs economy and military. The southern island of Mindanao, which had a Muslim majority in the early 20th century, was given complete self government in 1914, to ease some of the burden of colonial management for the local colonial office. This region, called Moroland, would expand considerably in the 1920s and 30s, with Muslim Moros colonizing the mostly uninhabited hinterlands. In OTL, the Americans essentially brought Christian Filipinos in to colonize this island, making Muslims a minority in their own land. In this timeline, the autonomy given to Moroland allows them to prevent Christian migration and promote Muslim expansion. When the Philippines breaks off from Spain in 1939, they rename themselves Rizalia after the nationalist Jose Rizal and become a liberal democratic republic. The culturally distinct Moroland would also become an independent nation, under a highly conservative Islamic Sultanate. The two nations would be constant enemies, fighting over political differences, trading rights in the Sulu Sea, and the rights of the Christian minority living on the north shore of Mindanao. The Spanish East Indies would be annexed by Japan in the 1940s after the minuscule Spanish presence there was dislodged.

Ho Chi Minh and his Socialist Revolutionaries took advantage of the chaos of the Asian Revolution to launch a socialist revolution in French Indochina. While Japan was focused on Indonesia and Malaysia, the Viet Minh dislodged what remained of the battered and broken French army and established the socialist republics of Vietnam and Laos. Minh turned to the USSR for guidance and support, building

both Vietnam and Laos along the Soviet model of communism. Cambodia set up a constitutional monarchy but growing nationalism and demand for the return of the Vietnam controlled Mekong delta created tension between the government and the public. Japan, busy with the Indonesia archipelago, safely ignored Indochina and let Minh and Cambodia do as they pleased. Eventually, Cambodia would fall to ultranationalists and the Khmer State was founded in the late 1940s. Over the last half-decade Khmer has been building up its military in preparation for an all out war with Vietnam and Laos. Japan has denounced both sides of the conflict for their extreme stances and dangerous ideologies, and has decried neutrality in the impending conflict. Siam has built up its border defenses but also has decreed neutrality. Nationalist China, seeing similarities between Khmerʼs nationalist, one party state and its own nationalist dictatorship, has been supplying Khmer with arms and training. The NRC is hoping to destabilize and destroy its historical enemies Vietnam and socialism, once and for all. It is rumored that the NRC may even join the war to gain control over the Tonkin region around Hanoi, giving them much needed access to the South China Sea and completely encircling the DRC.

The island of Sumatra and its environs are swept by reactionary Islamism and they form an Islamic republic, with the capital and most of the power centered around the Aceh region. Significant resistance from non-Muslims and modern moderate Muslim groups, especially in the south of the island, persists. The island of Borneo is divided largely along ethnic lines, with British North Borneo, Brunei and the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan becoming the Federal Republic of Borneo, and the remaining provinces of Kalimantan becoming the Republic of Kalimantan. The former has a substantial Malaysian population and is extremely diverse in its religious and ethnic makeup, leading to an increase in secularism and the federalization of the republic into constituent states, with the exception of Brunei which remains an autonomous Sultanate. The latter is largely Banjur with many native groups living in the hinterlands, leading to a Banjur dominated unitary government with the capital in Banjurmasin. Australia invades the crumbling Dutch East Indies and annexes the completely unguarded province of West New Guinea. Eventually, in the 1970s, Papua New Guinea is released as an independent nation from Australia comprising of the island of New Guinea and all itʼs associated islands. Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda islands, and the Maluku islands form the Indonesian Federation and, with Japanese military support, dislodge the Dutch. In a later campaign, the Indonesian and Japanese forces attack East Timor, remove the Portuguese and have the region annexed. Indonesia, as its commonly called, is a semi-democratic republic built largely along the lines of OTL Indonesia, with many administrative divisions and broad representation. The widely diverse and separated ethnic, religious and linguistic groups each have extreme autonomy, with the federal government acting as a bridge and source of authority between regions. The island of Java becomes an independent republic with autonomous regions of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and the Sunanate of Surakarta. They rename the capital from Batavia to Jakarta. Java, being incredibly dense, diverse and resourceful, becomes much like Borneo, a secular and democratic republic with constituent states and autonomous, modernized Sultanates inside.

Members of the GEACPS: Japan, Joseon, Manchuria, Formosa, DRC, Malaya, Borneo, Siam, Rizalia, Hawaiʼi, Java, Indonesia, Kalimantan
Other groups in Asia: Oceanic Commonwealth (Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, all former British holdings in the Pacific), Sino-Khmer Alliance (unofficial, NRC and Khmer State), Southeast Asian International (Vietnam, Laos), Islamic Alliance (unofficial, Moroland and Samudra)

Imperial Cities:
The Imperial City System was founded in the 1940s after the Great Asian Liberation (or the Asian Revolution). Japan wanted to maintain its hegemony in East Asia but knew that colonialism was both morally wrong and economically difficult. Instead, Japan opted to create a “Pointillist Empire,” an empire consisting of small points on the map. These points would be militarily and economically strategic islands, port cities, and peninsulas that would provide all the benefit of empire with none of the cost. Japanese political and cultural influence would permeate from these cities through trade, naval power and proximity to foreign nations. All of these cities would be Japanese sovereign, however itʼs laws and government would be completely delegated to the native inhabitants. These cities would essentially act as independent city states underneath Japanese overlordship. A colonial office would be placed in every city with a headquarters in Tokyo but this office was mainly to keep things running as usual. Some of these cities retained their unique cultural identities and rejected most Japanese influence, while other became flooded with Japanese immigrants and were thoroughly converted. Regardless of local populations, Japanese became the lingua franca of East Asia over the decades with most Asians knowing at least key phrases. Economically, the Imperial Cities would be open to any members of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS, or CPS for short). Trade would be free and open between nations within the CPS in these cities and any nation could stockpile or dock ships there. Militarily, the cities would be exclusive to the Japanese military. Other nations in the CPS could not dock military ships or planes there without Japanese consent, and the cities themselves were forbidden from building up any sort of military. Japan wanted to maintain both the image and the actual practice of them being the savior and protector of Asia.

Labuan had long been a sparsely populated but financially important island off the coast of Borneo and held by Britain. When Japan liberated British Malaysia in the 1940s, they recognized the immense potential of Labuan as a center for commerce and a strategic naval base location. The island and its environs were annexed as an Imperial City and renamed Nanju, meaning “Southern Pearl” in

Japanese. The largest city on the island, Victoria, was renamed Nanju-shi, meaning Nanju City, while the island itself was Nanju-to, meaning Nanju island. Great Britain still uses its old colonial names. Immediately, Japan sought to transform Nanju into a “second Singapore,” and began a series of expensive infrastructure and settlement projects. Ports and naval bases were built, as well as railroads, highways, parks, resorts, offices, houses and all manner of constructional development. Additionally, Japan began enticing settlement programs that encouraged East Asians to move to the island and bring their businesses with them. Japanese became the primary settlers, with significant populations of Koreans, Manchus and Chinese. Despite having a population of under 10,000 in 1941, by 1954 Labuanʼs population had exploded to well over 35,000. The demographics shifted considerably too. Muslim Malays and other natives had made up almost the entire population in 1941, but by 1954 they made only about a third of the population. The other two thirds were East Asians, with Japanese being the largest group.

Singapore, known as the Gibraltar of the East, fell to local revolutionaries and Japanese invaders in the 1940s. Being one of the most vital port cities in Asia, it was soon incorporated into the Imperial City system, much to the dismay of the large Chinese, Indian and Malaysian populations there. Though protests and rioting were common in the early days of occupation, an exponentially increasing degree of autonomy began to dissuade even the most staunch nationalists. Singapore was a small country, and one that strongly valued its history of autonomy, but it was not powerful enough to defend itself from the prying Union of Malaya or the vengeful British Empire. Under Japan, it found all the autonomy it could ask for, so long as it hosted Japanese naval bases and supported Japanese commerce, small prices to pay for complete military protection. Over time, Singaporeans began to accept Japanese rule and even began adopting Japanese language and customs, however more out of necessity than choice. The lack of Japanese settlement found in other Imperial Cities was also appealing, and Singapore still received considerable financial aid to construct infrastructure and buildings. Natives have even began calling the city by its Japanese name, Syonan.

Hong Kong is similar to Singapore.

Ryojun (Port Arthur) remains in Japanese hands but is given significant autonomy. The population remains small and largely Manchu over the years, with a small but notable migration of Koreans and Japanese, mostly shipyard laborers. A constant military base is kept there and the peninsula is heavily fortified. Additionally, Japan pays a lease on the territory to Manchuria, however this is more of a show of good faith, as the territory is firmly Japanese.

Makao (Macau) was taken by Japan from Portugal in the 1940s and, like its neighbor Hong Kong, became very autonomous. The continuation of casinos and gambling proved extremely controversial in Japan, but very popular in Macau, who had established themselves as the Monte Carlo of Asia. Eventually, Macau became an extremely popular destination for Japanese and Korean vacationers, much like Las Vegas. A growing prostitution industry also came out of Macauʼs autonomy, and while it officially remained illegal it was de facto allowed, with authorities often turning a blind eye and fines being comical at best. Many Japanese migrated to Macau over time, eventually constituting a significant part of the cities population.

Koshuwan (Guangzhouwan) was invaded by the Japanese in the 1940s as part of their campaign against European empires. The French presence in their own colony was minimal due to the war in Europe and Japan cleared what remained of them with ease. The territory is small, and largely unpopulated, but serves as an important port and strategic naval location, much like Port Arthur. Its function and history as an Imperial City is almost identical to Ryojunʼs, without the paid lease.

Bali would become the physically largest of the Japanese imperial cities. Because of its position in the center of the Indonesian archipelago and its relatively small population, Japan found it to be ideal for Imperial City status. The Hindu majority on the island was unique in an archipelago of Muslims and Christians, and Japan took advantage of this by promising protection of the Balinese culture religion and language from neighboring countries seeking to take the island for its optimal geographic position. Though this propaganda was controversial and eventually discontinued, it proved somewhat effective. Bali joined the Imperial City System (mostly) willingly. Of all the Imperial Cities, Bali would have by far the most autonomy and the least Japanese influence, though it would be an immensely important point of access into the western islands of Indonesia and a key naval base of war ever came between Japan and Australia. The Japanese name for the island, Bari, would almost never be used outside of Japan proper.

Description

Rising Sun

The main points of divergence are a failed 1893 coup in the Kingdom of Hawaii and the safe return of the USS Maine after investigating the Cuban Revolution in 1898. Without the success of the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt is only barely elected in 1900, and decides not to interfere in the Russo-Japanese War negotiations. The stunted growth of "yellow paper" journalism combined with Woodrow Wilson's firm anti-interventionist stance keep America out of the Great War, despite the Lusitania and the Zimmerman telegram. Without the blatantly racist Wilson present, Japan's "Racial Equality Proposal" is able to pass at the Paris Peace Conference, despite some disgruntled rumbling from the Australian delegation. European acknowledgment of equality, the absence of American imperialism in the Pacific and the success of democracy in Hawaii all contribute to the Taisho Constitution in the 1920s, an event that very much did not occur in OTL.

Nations and Lore:
Japan becomes a free, capitalist, democratic, constitutional monarchy during the Taishō Era. Japan invades and liberates all European colonies with help from locals and establishes independent kingdoms and republics, also helping them rename many places to more oriental names (The Philippines is named after Jose Rizal) They keep lots of islands and port cities within their domain as military and trade outposts, similar to a Pointillist Empire, called the Imperial City System. Japan also has control over Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands after their victory in the Russo- Japanese War and incorporates Karafuto as a prefecture in the 1940s. The Chishima islands are split between Hokkaido and Karafuto.

After the Paris Peace Conference and the success of Japan at becoming a recognized major power and the passing of their Racial Equality Proposal, the Japanese people rejoiced. The 1920s would usher in an era of democracy and prosperity as the economy flourished and politics became increasingly open.

Emperor Taishō, who would be a weak monarch due to sickness, allowed politics to undergo significant changes under his rule. The Japanese populace become calling out for democratic reforms, such as universal suffrage and an end to Genro politics. The conservative Seiyūkai party fought these changes significantly, and the shady practices they used to maintain their majority in the legislature under Hara Takashi become public, leading to a scandal and his resignation in 1920. After this, the Seiyūkai would crumble from lack of leadership, and the liberal Kenseikai party to take control. With their new power, the party enacted a series of massive governmental and political overhauls that changed Japanese politics completely. The new Japanese government would be a constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage and a powerful legislature. The government was largely based on Britainʼs parliamentary model and party system. Massive civil liberties and rights were implemented and Japan changed forever. Additionally, public attitudes shifted from racial hierarchy and imperialism to racial equality and liberation. Japan would soon begin to slowly decolonize Korea and Taiwan, eventually granting them independence in the 1940s as the Kingdom of Joseon and the Republic of Formosa. Though attitudes of locals were still resentful over Japanese rule, they came to see Taishō democracy as a liberating force in Asia and accepted Japan as their ally. Japan would also pull out of Siberia and abandon their colony in Qingdao in 1921, as part of an effort to rebuild relationships with their Asian neighbors during the era of Taishō democracy. When Emperor Hirohito was crowned and Japan entered the Shōwa Era, little changed in Japanese politics and foreign policy, as the Crown had been largely reduced to a figurehead position in the Taishō Era.

Hawaii remains an independent kingdom with an extremely liberal constitution and racial equality. The nation remains largely Asian and Native Hawaiian as most white colonists and land owners fled after the failed 1893 coup and the subsequent turbulence. Democracy is a massive success in Hawaii and this has a profound effect on the Japanese, who see the success of Asian democracy as a tangible goal. Eventually, Hawaii renegotiates the unequal treaties imposed on it by the US and is able to regain Pearl Harbor.

Britain, desperate to retain its massive empire, becomes an increasingly aggressive nation abroad. Americaʼs silence on the global stage led to a drastic and disastrous war in the 1940s, after almost a decade of economic downturn. While France, Portugal, the Netherlands and Spain gave up their colonial empires with minimal fighting, Britain fought hard to maintain certain key islands and ports, building a Pointillist empire to compete with Japanʼs. While Japan dominated East Asia, Britain was able to retain the island of Penang, named “Prince of Wales Island,” off the coast of Malaya, as a Crown Colony. This became their new base of operations for trade and military exercises in East Asia, competing heavily with the Japanese hegemony. Britain would, however, dominate the rest of the world, controlling key areas in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Domestically, British politics became increasingly reactionary, and the rise of nationalism led to more aggressive imperialist policies. Despite this, Britain lost almost all its major colonies in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (including India) by the late 1960s. As with most of Europe, Asian and Middle Eastern colonies were the first to break off, with African colonies breaking off a while later. Itʼs former dominions even began distancing themselves until they broke off completely. Canada became a fully independent republic and entered the US sphere, while Australia became a union modeled off of the United States and carved out its own sphere of influence in Oceania, mostly out of former British holdings, including New Zealand.

America never expands past the continental US, Caribbean and Pacific are left alone. Spain holds on to its empire instead of losing it to the US. The United States goes full isolationist but maintains a strong hegemony over Central America and the Caribbean. Puerto Rico remains in the Spanish Empire until the late 1970s when it becomes independent. Cuba gains its independence during the 1899 Revolution, several months after the USS Maine left Havana and returned to the United States unharmed. The Cuban Republic is established and the US is the first country to extend its congratulations and open up trade, as well as an embassy in Havana.

During the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, Japan saw an opportunity to exert greater control over the region of Manchuria. Having won full economic rights to Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War, political control seemed the next likely goal. Emboldened by its complete victory over the Russians and a growing contempt for European interference in Asia, Japan invaded Manchuria just as the Qing were overthrown. They claimed to be protecting the Qing Dynasty from the anti-imperialist revolutionaries. Europe was embroiled in its own conflicts in Morocco and the Balkans, and war preparations took focus away from Asia. Though many European nations denounced the Japanese invasion, none tried to stop it. A few statesmen from Europe even endorsed the invasion, hoping to see the Qing dynasty and its unequal treaties remain standing. Once the invasion had reached the Luanhe river, the Qing had already been overthrown. Seeing a terrific opportunity, Japan invited the Qing to Manchuria to continue their rule. Being ethnic Manchus, the offer made sense, and having no other option, they agreed. In 1912, the Kingdom of Manchuria was established with Emperor Puyi as its leader, and the Qing Dynasty flag was hoisted over the new capital of Changchun. In addition to inviting the Qing, Japan also made Manchuria a safe haven for all ethnic Manchus. Intense persecution of Manchus and their essential extinction through assimilation and eradication, largely stemming from anti-Qing sentiment, made this an enticing offer. Millions of Manchus from all over China emigrated en masse to Manchuria over the next few decades, with the greatest period being 1911-1914. Here, they began to rebuild their language and culture, distinguishing themselves from Han Chinese. Years of intermarriage and assimilation had nearly extinguished Manchu identity, but a massive cultural revival occurred in the Kingdom of Manchuria during the 1910s and 20s. In addition to this, millions of Han Chinese fled Manchuria fearing persecution from the Manchus and Qing, hoping for a better life in a Han Chinese state. Much of this migration, cultural revival and political organizing happened under Japanese oversight, with heavy handed Japanese influence. Though Manchuria remained a mere puppet of Japan, it still held more autonomy and self-rule than Manchukuo did in OTL. After the Taishō constitution in the 1920s, Manchuria gained significantly more independence until it eventually became a partner of Japan on equal footing. Japan even returned most of the territory it had “leased” from the Qing following the Russo-Japanese War and the Triple Intervention, however Japan still retained Port Arthur (or Ryojun). By the 1930s, the majority of its population identified as Manchu, with a significant Han minority. Europe accepted the new status of China, as growing anti-imperialist sentiment and a new commitment to non-interference in China swept over Europe. The Manchu-dominated government successfully resurrected Manchu cultural, language and identity, standardizing both education and politics in the process, a feat they could never have accomplished in China. In the end, anti-Manchu sentiments and Han nationalism led to the rebirth of Manchuria.

The proclamation of Manchuria had a simultaneously significant and insignificant effective on China. For the first fews years, the Beiyang government functioned much as it had in OTL. However, Japanese interference in Manchuria and the mass migration of the century led to some major differences in battles, warlord rivalries, and political conflicts between statesmen and generals. However, the trend of chaos, corruption and confusion in the Beiyang government was very much the same as in OTL. Additionally, the famous “Five Races Under One Union” became only four races, with the exclusion of the Manchus. This was reflected in their flag, which did not include a yellow stripe for the Manchus and instead featured only four stripes, each slightly thicker to fill the empty space. By the 1920s, the Anhui clique under Duan Qirui had retained immense power in the government. The Fengtian clique which had applied northern pressure simply did not exist, and the Zhili clique which defeated them in OTL had itself been crushed by Duan, largely due to secret loans obtained from the Japanese. These loans were kept hidden from the public, but were able to fuel Duanʼs armies. The Kuomintang, which had established itself under Sun Yatsen in Guangzhou (as it did in OTL), remained a persistent threat to Duan. After Sunʼs death in 1925, Dean launched an invasion of the south and defeated both local warlords and the KMT. The two leaders competing for power at the time, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei, each fled to different places. Chiang fled to the International Zone in Shanghai, as he had done before, while Wang fled to Japan. The populations of the south, which had always held cultural and linguistic differences from the north, felt betrayed. They watched as northern soldiers poured into their lands as invaders, pillaging their cities and looting their homes. Thousands of civilians died, and southern separatism grew. In the late 1920s, Duan was suddenly assassinated in a coup attempt by a rival warlord, who was in turn killed while attempting to take control of the Anhui clique. This created a massive power vacuum, and Chiang was ready. For years he had been gaining the allegiance of warlords, the criminal underground, and the Chinese populace. He launched his revolution from Shanghai and quickly swept through the Yangtze River valley and up to the seat of the government in Peking. In the south, Wang had secretly returned to Guangzhou and had been building a revolution of his own. While Chiang wished to create a dictatorship with him at the head, Wang was more interested in creating a republic. Seeing Duanʼs government falling and Chiang picking up the reigns, Japan panicked. They were about to lose influence over the biggest nation in the world. They quickly threw their backing behind Wang in an attempt to retain some influence in China, and supplied him with guns and funding. However, by the time Wang had garnered enough soldiers and popular support, Chiang had taken Peking and proclaimed a new National Republic of China, moving the capital to Nanking. Disappointed, Wang decided to set up a rival government, just as Sun had done against Duan in the late 1910s. Wang declared the Democratic Republic of China that same year, and put its capital in Guangzhou. The warlords of Guangdong and Guangxi quickly joined Wangʼs new government, and were offered high positions in the new government. War between the Chiang and Wang governmentʼs seemed inevitable, until Japan announced its recognition of Wangʼs government as the legitimate government of China. The looming threat of Japanese intervention was the only thing that kept Chiang from crushing the fledgling government in the south. Wang, born in Guangdong, became a national hero of the Liangguang region. As time went on, the separation and the distinction between the two Chinas only grew. While Chiang quickly crushed warlord after warlord, raising himself up as the supreme autocrat of China, Wang began the slow and tedious process of democratization. Chiangʼs China continued to be a truly united China, with most ethnic Han Chinese living within its borders. Even after Chiangʼs death, Chiang continued to be a one- party state ruled by the KMT, with a different autocrat cycling every generation or so. Sinking and Tibet where pacified after several wars during Chiangʼs reign, but they remained independent puppets within Chinaʼs sphere of influence, due to pressure from the Soviet Union. Additionally, Mongolia and a section of Chinese Inner Mongolia were annexed by the Soviet Union as a new SSR. Chinaʼs weakness against Russia would continue to plague its existence until the fall of the Soviet Union. Wangʼs China, however would soon became a fully democratic republic, largely under Japanese guidance. Liangguang would remain under Japanese influence and protection, but retained its full independence as a nation. As time went on, Liangguang would soon see itself as unique from the northern Han Chinese. While most northerners spoke Mandarin, the people of Liangguang spoke Yue. This process of cultural separation and democratization is very similar to OTL Taiwan, but much more accelerated without Chiang in charge for so long. By the 1940s, two new nations had been carved out of China, each with a language, culture and people different from traditional Han-Mandarin dominance. Though Europe was not thrilled with these proceedings, they accepted them. Once again, they were too busy with brewing conflict, a spiraling economic crisis, and growing anti-interventionism. By 1954, The DRC is a close ally of Japan and a founding member of the GEACPS. A proposal is currently in the works to change the country fundamentally from a rival of the NRC to an independent nation with a new national identity. Their ideas of democracy and Yue distinction have also spread into Macau, Guangzhouwan and Hong Kong, helping with the overthrown of European empires. Though many in Macau, Guangzhouwan and Hong Kong would like to join the DRC, most value the independence they receive under the Imperial City System. Similarly, the DRC would like to see the integration of the three cities, but also recognizes their value as Imperial Cities for the CPS to share. The NRC continues to hold a bitter hatred for Japan and is their primary rival in East Asia. They continue to claim sovereignty over all of China, including Manchuria and the DRC.

The Philippines and the Spanish East Indies remained under Spanish control until 1939. During this time, Spain crushed rebellion after rebellion in the Philippines and it took a heavy toll on Spainʼs economy and military. The southern island of Mindanao, which had a Muslim majority in the early 20th century, was given complete self government in 1914, to ease some of the burden of colonial management for the local colonial office. This region, called Moroland, would expand considerably in the 1920s and 30s, with Muslim Moros colonizing the mostly uninhabited hinterlands. In OTL, the Americans essentially brought Christian Filipinos in to colonize this island, making Muslims a minority in their own land. In this timeline, the autonomy given to Moroland allows them to prevent Christian migration and promote Muslim expansion. When the Philippines breaks off from Spain in 1939, they rename themselves Rizalia after the nationalist Jose Rizal and become a liberal democratic republic. The culturally distinct Moroland would also become an independent nation, under a highly conservative Islamic Sultanate. The two nations would be constant enemies, fighting over political differences, trading rights in the Sulu Sea, and the rights of the Christian minority living on the north shore of Mindanao. The Spanish East Indies would be annexed by Japan in the 1940s after the minuscule Spanish presence there was dislodged.

Ho Chi Minh and his Socialist Revolutionaries took advantage of the chaos of the Asian Revolution to launch a socialist revolution in French Indochina. While Japan was focused on Indonesia and Malaysia, the Viet Minh dislodged what remained of the battered and broken French army and established the socialist republics of Vietnam and Laos. Minh turned to the USSR for guidance and support, building

both Vietnam and Laos along the Soviet model of communism. Cambodia set up a constitutional monarchy but growing nationalism and demand for the return of the Vietnam controlled Mekong delta created tension between the government and the public. Japan, busy with the Indonesia archipelago, safely ignored Indochina and let Minh and Cambodia do as they pleased. Eventually, Cambodia would fall to ultranationalists and the Khmer State was founded in the late 1940s. Over the last half-decade Khmer has been building up its military in preparation for an all out war with Vietnam and Laos. Japan has denounced both sides of the conflict for their extreme stances and dangerous ideologies, and has decried neutrality in the impending conflict. Siam has built up its border defenses but also has decreed neutrality. Nationalist China, seeing similarities between Khmerʼs nationalist, one party state and its own nationalist dictatorship, has been supplying Khmer with arms and training. The NRC is hoping to destabilize and destroy its historical enemies Vietnam and socialism, once and for all. It is rumored that the NRC may even join the war to gain control over the Tonkin region around Hanoi, giving them much needed access to the South China Sea and completely encircling the DRC.

The island of Sumatra and its environs are swept by reactionary Islamism and they form an Islamic republic, with the capital and most of the power centered around the Aceh region. Significant resistance from non-Muslims and modern moderate Muslim groups, especially in the south of the island, persists. The island of Borneo is divided largely along ethnic lines, with British North Borneo, Brunei and the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan becoming the Federal Republic of Borneo, and the remaining provinces of Kalimantan becoming the Republic of Kalimantan. The former has a substantial Malaysian population and is extremely diverse in its religious and ethnic makeup, leading to an increase in secularism and the federalization of the republic into constituent states, with the exception of Brunei which remains an autonomous Sultanate. The latter is largely Banjur with many native groups living in the hinterlands, leading to a Banjur dominated unitary government with the capital in Banjurmasin. Australia invades the crumbling Dutch East Indies and annexes the completely unguarded province of West New Guinea. Eventually, in the 1970s, Papua New Guinea is released as an independent nation from Australia comprising of the island of New Guinea and all itʼs associated islands. Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda islands, and the Maluku islands form the Indonesian Federation and, with Japanese military support, dislodge the Dutch. In a later campaign, the Indonesian and Japanese forces attack East Timor, remove the Portuguese and have the region annexed. Indonesia, as its commonly called, is a semi-democratic republic built largely along the lines of OTL Indonesia, with many administrative divisions and broad representation. The widely diverse and separated ethnic, religious and linguistic groups each have extreme autonomy, with the federal government acting as a bridge and source of authority between regions. The island of Java becomes an independent republic with autonomous regions of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and the Sunanate of Surakarta. They rename the capital from Batavia to Jakarta. Java, being incredibly dense, diverse and resourceful, becomes much like Borneo, a secular and democratic republic with constituent states and autonomous, modernized Sultanates inside.

Members of the GEACPS: Japan, Joseon, Manchuria, Formosa, DRC, Malaya, Borneo, Siam, Rizalia, Hawaiʼi, Java, Indonesia, Kalimantan
Other groups in Asia: Oceanic Commonwealth (Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, all former British holdings in the Pacific), Sino-Khmer Alliance (unofficial, NRC and Khmer State), Southeast Asian International (Vietnam, Laos), Islamic Alliance (unofficial, Moroland and Samudra)

Imperial Cities:
The Imperial City System was founded in the 1940s after the Great Asian Liberation (or the Asian Revolution). Japan wanted to maintain its hegemony in East Asia but knew that colonialism was both morally wrong and economically difficult. Instead, Japan opted to create a “Pointillist Empire,” an empire consisting of small points on the map. These points would be militarily and economically strategic islands, port cities, and peninsulas that would provide all the benefit of empire with none of the cost. Japanese political and cultural influence would permeate from these cities through trade, naval power and proximity to foreign nations. All of these cities would be Japanese sovereign, however itʼs laws and government would be completely delegated to the native inhabitants. These cities would essentially act as independent city states underneath Japanese overlordship. A colonial office would be placed in every city with a headquarters in Tokyo but this office was mainly to keep things running as usual. Some of these cities retained their unique cultural identities and rejected most Japanese influence, while other became flooded with Japanese immigrants and were thoroughly converted. Regardless of local populations, Japanese became the lingua franca of East Asia over the decades with most Asians knowing at least key phrases. Economically, the Imperial Cities would be open to any members of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (GEACPS, or CPS for short). Trade would be free and open between nations within the CPS in these cities and any nation could stockpile or dock ships there. Militarily, the cities would be exclusive to the Japanese military. Other nations in the CPS could not dock military ships or planes there without Japanese consent, and the cities themselves were forbidden from building up any sort of military. Japan wanted to maintain both the image and the actual practice of them being the savior and protector of Asia.

Labuan had long been a sparsely populated but financially important island off the coast of Borneo and held by Britain. When Japan liberated British Malaysia in the 1940s, they recognized the immense potential of Labuan as a center for commerce and a strategic naval base location. The island and its environs were annexed as an Imperial City and renamed Nanju, meaning “Southern Pearl” in

Japanese. The largest city on the island, Victoria, was renamed Nanju-shi, meaning Nanju City, while the island itself was Nanju-to, meaning Nanju island. Great Britain still uses its old colonial names. Immediately, Japan sought to transform Nanju into a “second Singapore,” and began a series of expensive infrastructure and settlement projects. Ports and naval bases were built, as well as railroads, highways, parks, resorts, offices, houses and all manner of constructional development. Additionally, Japan began enticing settlement programs that encouraged East Asians to move to the island and bring their businesses with them. Japanese became the primary settlers, with significant populations of Koreans, Manchus and Chinese. Despite having a population of under 10,000 in 1941, by 1954 Labuanʼs population had exploded to well over 35,000. The demographics shifted considerably too. Muslim Malays and other natives had made up almost the entire population in 1941, but by 1954 they made only about a third of the population. The other two thirds were East Asians, with Japanese being the largest group.

Singapore, known as the Gibraltar of the East, fell to local revolutionaries and Japanese invaders in the 1940s. Being one of the most vital port cities in Asia, it was soon incorporated into the Imperial City system, much to the dismay of the large Chinese, Indian and Malaysian populations there. Though protests and rioting were common in the early days of occupation, an exponentially increasing degree of autonomy began to dissuade even the most staunch nationalists. Singapore was a small country, and one that strongly valued its history of autonomy, but it was not powerful enough to defend itself from the prying Union of Malaya or the vengeful British Empire. Under Japan, it found all the autonomy it could ask for, so long as it hosted Japanese naval bases and supported Japanese commerce, small prices to pay for complete military protection. Over time, Singaporeans began to accept Japanese rule and even began adopting Japanese language and customs, however more out of necessity than choice. The lack of Japanese settlement found in other Imperial Cities was also appealing, and Singapore still received considerable financial aid to construct infrastructure and buildings. Natives have even began calling the city by its Japanese name, Syonan.

Hong Kong is similar to Singapore.

Ryojun (Port Arthur) remains in Japanese hands but is given significant autonomy. The population remains small and largely Manchu over the years, with a small but notable migration of Koreans and Japanese, mostly shipyard laborers. A constant military base is kept there and the peninsula is heavily fortified. Additionally, Japan pays a lease on the territory to Manchuria, however this is more of a show of good faith, as the territory is firmly Japanese.

Makao (Macau) was taken by Japan from Portugal in the 1940s and, like its neighbor Hong Kong, became very autonomous. The continuation of casinos and gambling proved extremely controversial in Japan, but very popular in Macau, who had established themselves as the Monte Carlo of Asia. Eventually, Macau became an extremely popular destination for Japanese and Korean vacationers, much like Las Vegas. A growing prostitution industry also came out of Macauʼs autonomy, and while it officially remained illegal it was de facto allowed, with authorities often turning a blind eye and fines being comical at best. Many Japanese migrated to Macau over time, eventually constituting a significant part of the cities population.

Koshuwan (Guangzhouwan) was invaded by the Japanese in the 1940s as part of their campaign against European empires. The French presence in their own colony was minimal due to the war in Europe and Japan cleared what remained of them with ease. The territory is small, and largely unpopulated, but serves as an important port and strategic naval location, much like Port Arthur. Its function and history as an Imperial City is almost identical to Ryojunʼs, without the paid lease.

Bali would become the physically largest of the Japanese imperial cities. Because of its position in the center of the Indonesian archipelago and its relatively small population, Japan found it to be ideal for Imperial City status. The Hindu majority on the island was unique in an archipelago of Muslims and Christians, and Japan took advantage of this by promising protection of the Balinese culture religion and language from neighboring countries seeking to take the island for its optimal geographic position. Though this propaganda was controversial and eventually discontinued, it proved somewhat effective. Bali joined the Imperial City System (mostly) willingly. Of all the Imperial Cities, Bali would have by far the most autonomy and the least Japanese influence, though it would be an immensely important point of access into the western islands of Indonesia and a key naval base of war ever came between Japan and Australia. The Japanese name for the island, Bari, would almost never be used outside of Japan proper.