Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun

[WotanArgead]

Korea may take a liking in puppetising Chinese warlords in a cutthroat diplomacy as revenge for this war and the assassination of their king.

However, Korea is still sandwiched between China and Japan - which is still the problem of the peninsula - everything around is stronger and richer.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Yeah I think we'll start seeing Alaskan way stations by the end of the 17th century, and Japan could probably claim all of the mainland they found before they meet the Americans moving westwards lol. Mss movements of ppl/settler colonialism is quite different than building trade networks.

If we get to that point in the TL ye. A severely weakened china would be very useful to both Joseon and Japan, as Japan would attempt to colonise the south coast by establishing pro Japanese warlords there too.

Especially if the Ming fall earlier like in the 1800s, and we see Japan and co carve out their own spheres of warlords that allow these Chinese states to develop beyond the imperial system.

Hmm that's true, I just think the Chinese success is temporary considering the various emperor's involved, and that eventually they would fall off as most of the court favoured isolationism, and would slowly cut off their understanding of the modern world until they just stagnated and fell apart from their own hubris. I think I'm overestimating how quickly it would occur tho.

China is going to be in far better shape, ittl. One of the problems the Qing had was being foreigners. This meant they had somewhat less legitimacy with their subjects. Also the fact that the core of their armies was restricted to Manchus meant the pool of available soldiers was much smaller.
The other big problem they had was being so insular, not paying attention to the outside world.

Both those problems are gone ittl. Even if China retreats in on itself again, as is entirely possible, there's now a major force in the Court that has seen the military advances of the Joseon and of Nippon. Also, they're much more active with foreign trade (even if only regulating it rather than Sending ships out,)

Any hypothetical Opium Wars will go very differently.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 111: French Ambitions Under Mazarin and Louis XIV​

​

France, chief beneficiary of the various conflicts spanning Europe in the first half of the 17th century, entered the second half mired in civil war. What would be known as the Fronde began just as the dust was settling in the Franco-Spanish War when chief minister Cardinal Mazarin arrested the leaders of the Parlement of Paris who had opposed his financial edicts and demanded constitutional reform. Protests soon broke out in the streets and over time even the nobility joined the cause against what they viewed as too much royal power, seeking to force Mazarin out of power. The situation was so perilous that king Louis XIV and his mother, Anne of Austria, fled Paris, not to return until the conclusion of the Fronde. As the war overseas had not been resolved, the royal faction in Paris was left defenseless for months before an army led by Louis, the prince of Conde, blockaded the city and Mazarin worked out a compromise after sowing distrust between the mob and the Parlement, accepting certain reforms in return for the latter laying down their arms [1].

This did not end the Fronde, for unrest aimed against Mazarin continued outside of Paris. Additionally, many of the princes of the blood renewed their intrigues against the chief minister, including the prince of Conde who felt his defeat of the first phase of the Fronde warranted recognition which was not granted by the cardinal. The intrigues forced Mazarin to arrest the prince of Conde, his brother Armand the prince of Conti, and his brother-in-law Henri the Duke of Longueville, all princes of the blood. In response, the Vicomte de Turenne raised a rebel army and demanded the release of the imprisoned princes. After a few months of fighting and interspersed rebellion, Mazarin backed down, releasing the princes and imposing self-exile to the Rhineland upon himself. The wily cardinal, however, continued communications with Anne of Austria, the king’s mother, and circulated letters that sowed distrust between the different members of the opposition. Once everything was set in motion, Mazarin returned to Paris and quickly consolidated his control over the government. The Prince of Conde gathered an army in the south but was defeated at Bleneau by an army commanded by Turenne, who had flipped to Mazarin’s faction. Accepting defeat after the battle, the prince submitted to the young king, asking and obtaining forgiveness for his actions [2]. The royal family subsequently returned to Paris and the Fronde was over.

With his political position secure, Mazarin focused on strengthening France at home and abroad for the rest of the decade. He appointed a new Superintendent of Finance named Nicolas Fouquet and tasked him with repairing the state of the kingdom’s finances. With France’s decades-long conflicts finally having come to an end with the Fronde, Fouquet was able to rein in unnecessary expenditures and dramatically improve the kingdom’s credit [3]. As a leading force behind the French East India Company, he also helped direct many of the company’s efforts to royal coffers and pushed for French commercial expansion in Asia alongside Mazarin. However, his extravagance and patronage of clients and friends, especially at his luxurious Vaux-le-Vicomte castle, aroused suspicions of disloyalty and corruption especially from the young king.

Abroad, Mazarin’s signature accomplishment was the formation of the League of the Rhine, a French-led defensive alliance of 50 German princes primarily in the Rhineland whose aim was to weaken the power of the new Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I, and his Austrian Habsburg dynasty. It also swore to uphold the terms and principles of the Peace of Prague within the HRE. Other efforts to marginalize the Habsburgs and their allies saw France strengthen relations with Savoy, Portugal, Transylvania, and the Ottoman Empire [4]. However, French non-interventionism in the Second Northern War weakened ties with both Sweden and the Netherlands despite both also being members of the League [5]. Additionally, he continued to oversee the education of Louis XIV and also patronized the arts extensively, founding the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1648.​

Portrait of Cardinal Mazarin​

Mazarin died in 1661, having served as France’s Chief Minister for 18 years. King Louis XIV, now 23, declared that he would be his own chief minister, signaling the beginning of his famous absolute monarchy personified by quotes like “I am the state” and “It is legal because I wish it”. Upon his ascension to the helm of state, he would also conveniently rid the government of the overtly showy and ambitious Fouquet whose wealth outshone that of the crown, still struggling despite the Superintendent’s fiscal reforms. After being induced to sell his office of procureur general and losing his legal immunity in the process, Fouquet attempted to recruit one of the king’s mistresses as a spy, the mistress in question shortly reporting the matter to Louis himself. The superintendent would subsequently be arrested and in a trial run by one of Fouquet’s enemies, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, would be found guilty for embezzlement as well as lese-majeste due to conflicts of interest and the unauthorized patronage of royal officials. With that, he would be sentenced to life imprisonment and die in 1680.

With his biggest roadblock to absolute rule out of the way, the king truly began his personal reign, appointing Jean-Baptiste Colbert as the First Minister of State and Controller-General of Finance. The duo worked to further bolster France’s financial and mercantile position, increasing the efficiency of royal taxation and attracting manufacturers and artisans from across Europe to nurture old and new industries and increase the kingdom’s exports relative to its imports. Louis XIV also began reforming the administration of the military through his Secretary of State for War Michel de Tellier, curbing the power and influence of the old aristocracy and modernizing the army.​

Painting of Louis XIV ca. 1661​

Although his personal rule strengthened the kingdom and Louis’ own authority at the expense of the nobility, it also served to prepare France for the king’s primary objective: territorial expansion through military victory and diplomatic cunning. This objective would come to define the foreign policy of Louis XIV, and it would begin to take shape only a few years after Mazarin’s passing. In 1665, Philip IV of Spain died and was succeeded by his 4 year old son Charles. Taking advantage of the new king’s youth and disabilities stemming from generations of inbreeding within the Habsburg dynasty, Louis XIV’s lawyers would begin arguing that because the dowry from the engagement of the king and the queen Maria Theresa of Spain had not been paid, her renunciation of inheritance was void and through the law of jus devolutionis the French king could claim various Spanish lands. Specifically, Louis XIV would set his sights on the Spanish Netherlands, particularly Limburg, Namur, and Namur, and Spanish Brabant. However, these claims also risked conflict with the Dutch as by now, the latter had largely acquired its desired lands and now viewed the Spanish as a useful buffer between itself and the French.

Also of concern was the Holy Roman Emperor, who would marry the late Philip IV’s daughter Margaret Theresa in 1666. However, the League of the Rhine proved to be an effective buffer against Habsburg interests and Leopold was forced to remain vigilant towards the Ottomans with whom he had recently sparred with in the Austro-Turkish War of 1663-1664. Thus on May 24th, 1666 [6], French diplomats across Europe stated French claims in the Spanish Low Countries and the War of Devolution officially began between France and Spain, with the duke of Lorraine Nicholas II [7] also joining the war on the Spanish side. The campaign began in France’s favor, with Turenne and the Prince of Conde leading French armies to easy victories in the Low Countries and Franche-Comte. The Spanish, meanwhile, provided little resistance in a hopeless situation and instead focused their energy on diplomatic overtures to the Dutch and English. They did, however, launch a counteroffensive into southern France, with the Viceroy of Catalonia the Duke of Osuna preying upon the undefended villages in Upper Cerdanya.

Eventually, a combination of the French capture of Brussels in September 1666 and successful Spanish diplomacy pushed the Dutch and English into declaring war on France in 1667. John Maurice, the old governor of Dutch Brazil, was made the field marshal of the States Army and quickly marched an army of 20,000 into French-occupied South Brabant and Namur and engaged with Turenne at the Battle of Namur. While this battle ended in a French victory, Dutch-Brabantine stadtholder Philip Francis de Ligne quickly followed up and continued the Dutch land offensive, his Flemish-Brabantine army retaking Brabant as the locals rallied around one of their own kinsmen. Additionally, Anglo-Dutch participation saw the war spread to the seas, and this was where France proved to be woefully unprepared. On June 24th, an Anglo-Dutch fleet led by Michiel de Ruyter easily defeated a French fleet off the port of Dunkirk, allowing a small army commanded by George Monck to land and quickly capture the port. As months passed, the French continued to be bested at sea, and by the end of the year only in Franche-Comte did the kingdom continue to witness uncontested success as the enemy pressed on all other fronts.​

Depiction of the naval Battle of Dunkirk​

Louis XIV had hoped that Portugal would join the war on France’s side. However, Lisbon remained hopelessly divided between pro-French and pro-English parties at court and so this would not happen. This was the last straw, and soon Le Tellier and Colbert were advocating for peace as France could not continue on financial grounds. Despite objections from Turenne and Conde, the king obliged and entered negotiations. On May 2nd, 1668, the Treaty of Aix-Chapelle was signed which saw Spain cede Franche-Comte to France while Dunkirk, still under Anglo-Dutch control, was returned back to the French. In return, Louis XIV withdrew his invocation of jus devolutionis over the Spanish Netherlands. Nevertheless, this did not mean the end of Louis’ ambitions over the region and his expansionist foreign policy would continue. The War of Devolution did, however, mark the end of the decades-long Franco-Dutch alliance and would see Sweden warm relations with France against the new Anglo-Dutch alliance.

[1]: First phase of the Fronde ends much sooner.

[2]: ITTL, because the Franco-Spanish War is already over, there’s no Spanish Fronde.

[3]: Compared to OTL, France will be in a better financial situation under Louis XIV because there is a much longer pause of conflicts.

[4]: Unlike IOTL, Franco-Ottoman relations continue to be maintained around this time.

[5]: The Dutch were not in the HRE after 1648 or the League of the Rhine IOTL

[6]: Louis XIV starts the war one year early compared to OTL as there was no Anglo-Dutch War to be preoccupied with and the marriage of Leopold and Margaret Theresa proved enough of a perceived threat.

[7]: The death of Charles IV in 1647 gives the duchy to his younger brother who only briefly served as duke in 1634 IOTL.​

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

Nice chapter, hopefully with better economical condition and a bit of luck the French can finally capture the Spanish Netherlands.

 

[Dragonboy]

@Ambassador Huntsman ! Great work as always

 

[Yeiro]

well his first war didn't ended as Louis expected, I have the feeling that his ambitions would cause a new european war

 

[Alpha-King98760]

Fantastic chapter! Here’s hoping for more French successes.

 

[Red Angel]

I'm sure as hell the Franco-Swedish alliance won't have any problems at all...

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

@Ambassador Huntsman ! Great work as always

Thank you!!

 

[karatachi]

More problems for Japan, then?

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

More problems for Japan, then?

Not exactly, it depends on how everything plays out in the East Indies. The French, Dutch, and the Japanese were all on the same side from the 1630s against a common enemy: the Spanish Habsburgs. However, like in Europe, they do not present a real threat to Japan anymore. In this instance, it’s the Dutch that have become the dominant European power in the region like how the French became the new continental superpower in Europe, leading to the Dutch eventually siding with an old enemy against the French and breaking the Franco-Dutch alliance.

With that alliance breaking, Japan which has strong relations with both the French and the Dutch may or may not feel pressure to now choose between one of them now that the Spanish are not a primary threat (although Manila will always needed to be monitored). I guess that’s a dilemma Japan could find itself in in the future.

 

[Yeiro]

Not exactly, it depends on how everything plays out in the East Indies. The French, Dutch, and the Japanese were all on the same side from the 1630s against a common enemy: the Spanish Habsburgs. However, like in Europe, they do not present a real threat to Japan anymore. In this instance, it’s the Dutch that have become the dominant European power in the region like how the French became the new continental superpower in Europe, leading to the Dutch eventually siding with an old enemy against the French and breaking the Franco-Dutch alliance.

With that alliance breaking, Japan which has strong relations with both the French and the Dutch may or may not feel pressure to now choose between one of them now that the Spanish are not a primary threat (although Manila will always needed to be monitored). I guess that’s a dilemma Japan could find itself in in the future.

Well in that case I vote Ford the french the dutch are becoming to powerful in my opinion, but that could cause problemas with the Satsuma

 

[Bmao]

Not exactly, it depends on how everything plays out in the East Indies. The French, Dutch, and the Japanese were all on the same side from the 1630s against a common enemy: the Spanish Habsburgs. However, like in Europe, they do not present a real threat to Japan anymore. In this instance, it’s the Dutch that have become the dominant European power in the region like how the French became the new continental superpower in Europe, leading to the Dutch eventually siding with an old enemy against the French and breaking the Franco-Dutch alliance.

With that alliance breaking, Japan which has strong relations with both the French and the Dutch may or may not feel pressure to now choose between one of them now that the Spanish are not a primary threat (although Manila will always needed to be monitored). I guess that’s a dilemma Japan could find itself in in the future.

As you mentioned, I don't think Japan particularly cares who they choose between France and the Dutch, and in fact might try to leverage the two of them against each other to gain better trade deals.

Conversely, either France or the Dutch or any other European power would keenly understand at this point that antagonizing Japan, which has a modern navy that van stand toe to toe with any European navy and a powerful, experienced army would be ruinous to their ambitions in the Pacific.

 

[Quinkana]

China is going to be in far better shape, ittl. One of the problems the Qing had was being foreigners. This meant they had somewhat less legitimacy with their subjects. Also the fact that the core of their armies was restricted to Manchus meant the pool of available soldiers was much smaller.
The other big problem they had was being so insular, not paying attention to the outside world.

Both those problems are gone ittl. Even if China retreats in on itself again, as is entirely possible, there's now a major force in the Court that has seen the military advances of the Joseon and of Nippon. Also, they're much more active with foreign trade (even if only regulating it rather than Sending ships out,)

Any hypothetical Opium Wars will go very differently.

It still depends on how they isolate themselves and for how long.

The problem with the Chinese is that they can't compete with the European powers in terms of ship numbers. While china normally could, the globe spanning empires the British and other European states built make fighting them really hard. If Japan keeps up with other European powers they'll overmatch china in tonnage and quality if the Chinese isolate themselves. The Chinese also skipping out on a lot of inventions. Not getting any flintlocks or still bolting their cannonry on their ships in the worst case scenario, and relying on outdated tactics when line infantry tactics + grenadiers will destroy Chinese armies. That's not to mention stuff like China just straight up collapsing in the 19th century due to internal problems. China is prone to revolts and the such when things get worse, and with the Ming still chugging along the corruption and the such will set in a lot quicker than the Qing.

While things could go better for China I think things could go a lot worse too. And in a Japan wank scenario the most dangerous enemy Japan has to face is a mostly united east Asia under the name China.

There's a reason why Napoleon said 'China's a sleeping giant', and I think seeing it splitting up and developing it's own local identities will always be interesting.

As you mentioned, I don't think Japan particularly cares who they choose between France and the Dutch, and in fact might try to leverage the two of them against each other to gain better trade deals.

Conversely, either France or the Dutch or any other European power would keenly understand at this point that antagonizing Japan, which has a modern navy that van stand toe to toe with any European navy and a powerful, experienced army would be ruinous to their ambitions in the Pacific.

I think Japanese interests point towards 'having multiple ppl to work with'. If it's only the Dutch like otl it's a lot harder for the Japanese to pit enemies against each other.

I see Japan supporting the French when the anglo-dutch alliance works and the English when they probably split at least in SEA. Japan probably would want British influence in areas like the Malaccas (Sumatra or Malay peninsula) while the Dutch control Java, with the french being somewhere too.

I hope Japan gets Sulawesi and Brunei at the very least. It fits with their trade interests and the two islands would produce a lot of pepper.

Nice chapter, hopefully with better economical condition and a bit of luck the French can finally capture the Spanish Netherlands.

I defo don't even with what's left being mostly Walloon land. France is already strong enough, and it'd probably just make France stronger if that's the case. If the stadtholder can get the Catholics and protestants to work together (a hard feat considering it all) this Dutch republic will be a lot stronger tho.

 

[Ambassador Huntsman]

Chapter 112: Unity in Azuchi Only For So Long​

After the Asiatic Northern War, Japan was an exhausted realm, spent in both manpower and wealth. The Ming embargo had worsened matters, allowing European traders like the Dutch to expand their share of Sino-Japanese trade in Japanese markets despite many native merchants circumventing the embargo by operating in other foreign ports like Ayutthaya. Worse, the nature of the war’s conclusion left the path forward unclear in terms of priorities and reforms. All of these variables would lead to increased factionalism and rivalries among Azuchi’s leading generals and statesmen. At this critical moment, what Japan needed was a strong leader at the top in the daijo-daijin to quell discord and impose a clear agenda on the realm.

Unfortunately, Oda Nobuhiro was not the strong leader Japan needed. Having lost his father at a young age, the young Oda head was witness to turbulent times as his uncle Konoe Toshishige and great uncle Oda Tomoaki jostled for the regency, with the former exiling the latter and finally taking control without filling the role of chancellor. Even when a state of normalcy had been restored and another great uncle, Kanbe Tomoyoshi, had assumed the role of chancellor and begun to mentor and tutor Nobuhiro, it did little to rectify the lost time. Nobuhiro would grow up to be a quiet and timid individual, more interested in patronizing the arts and Buddhist temples than engaging with the complex politics of Azuchi. As a result, much of the governance of Japan from Azuchi fell to the Sangi-shu and the bureaucracy, with oversight from the Shinka-in also expanding as well. The increased power and importance of what would eventually evolve into Japan’s modern day bicameral legislature [1] would further incentivize the growth of factionalism in Azuchi and result in the 1670s being defined by such politics.​

Portrait of an older Oda Nobuhiro​

Yet this would not happen immediately. A sense of urgency pervasive in Azuchi minimized the growing rivalries and Kanbe Tomoyoshi’s presence, even as the retired oogosho, would even promote political unity as Japan waded through the currents of recovery over the next few years. Upon the conclusion of the war, Azuchi’s priorities were to rejuvenate foreign trade to prewar levels and reform the Japanese navy. The rejuvenation of foreign trade would itself be a twofold task involving both recovering the share of foreign trade conducted by Japanese merchants that had been lost during the war as well as reinvigorating the flow of goods in and out of the realm in general. With this in mind, Azuchi imposed limits on the presence of foreign merchants in all major ports in 1670, also temporarily suspending customs duties as it pertained to Japanese merchants. This would strengthen the hand of native merchants, though at the expense of foreign merchants, especially Europeans, whose feathers were ruffled by what they saw as unnecessary impositions. Rebuilding the Japanese presence in Ming ports, however, would take longer and be mostly in the hands of Japanese emissaries and merchants rather than the direct will of the daijo-fu. Meanwhile, Joseon-Japanese trade relations would not fully recover until the end of the century, as distrust continued to dominate the minds of the formerly warring sides and the previous attacks upon Joseonite merchants in Shimonoseki had not only driven them out but made them reluctant to come back, if ever. As a result, Shimonoseki and Yamaguchi would experience a level of commercial stagnation for the rest of the century.

Meanwhile, Tagawa Seikou pushed for naval reforms, as the war had revealed to Azuchi and the world the vulnerabilities of the Japanese navy as it currently stood and the navy itself had been battered during the conflict, necessitating the construction of new ships. The tekkousen and zentousen, now clearly outdated designs, would be phased out of future use and construction plans while the hobayasen would be deprioritized. Instead, newer Western ship designs would be adopted. Nevertheless, the concept of a front-facing cannon present in ships like the zentousen would be carried on, adapted in new Western-style and junk ships as a smaller cannon supplementing side batteries rather than as one large cannon by itself. Additionally, the construction of new shipyards were proposed as well to rebuild the navy as quickly as possible and make it easier to demolish old ships and use the materials for new ships.

These naval reforms, however, demanded new funds and therefore new taxes as Azuchi could not spare any extra funds at the moment, especially with the suspension of customs duties as it pertained to Japanese merchants. This was something that initially found strong opposition from most daimyo, and the prospect of new funds seemed unlikely. In response, Seikou proposed creating the option for daimyo to receive greater protection of their domains’ coastal waters if they gave up their fleets and directed funds previously used for maintaining their own independent fleets. As it wasn’t technically a proposal to increase taxes, this opt-in funding mechanism found less opposition and the daijo-daijin signed off on what would be known as the Coastal Protection Decree or the Kaiganhogo-rei (海岸保護令). Ultimately, nearly all coastal daimyo would choose to opt in, albeit some with a level of coercion, and only the Shimazu, Tokugawa, and the Kuki clans would retain their own navies, marking a significant centralization of Japanese naval power in Azuchi’s hands. The Azuchi navy itself would proceed to establish a new squadron based in Shimonoseki with the new ships and funds they acquired.

A by-product of the implementation of the naval reforms was that it forced Azuchi to deal with the issue of the rapid deforestation taking place throughout Japan due to increased shipbuilding, urbanization, and general population growth. Shima and Harima provinces as well as parts of the Oshu region were seeing this in particular as they had become the prime sources of timber for Japan’s naval armadas and merchant vessels. In response, Nobuhiro under the advice of Tomoyoshi would decree in 1671 that all daimyo in the home islands formulate forest management policies that regulated logging and mandated replanting efforts in deforested parts of the home islands. This decree began the scientific development of silviculture and forestry in Japan [2].​

17th century sketch of forests in Awaji province​

Beyond the realm, the Japanese continued to be active in the far northern mainland. They were involved in the joint expedition primarily involving Ming China and the Amur Khanate against Nikifor Chernigovsky in 1669 where the Russians were finally expelled from Albazin, bringing the stronghold under Amur suzerainty after 3 years of foreign occupation. Chernigovsky, however, had successfully built up a renewed Russian presence in the region and even local support, and this would not go away with one defeat. He would subsequently retreat to Nerchinsk and recover lost manpower there and in the neighboring town of Chita. It was from Chita and Nerchinsk that his Cossacks could continue to launch attacks upon the Amur Khanate whenever the opportunity arose. This kept the Japanese ever-involved with the affairs of the Amur Khanate as they assisted with the repulsion of Russian attacks. These continuous confrontations would draw Sakuma Moritora into his last military campaign, returning to the region in 1670. His army of several thousand Japanese, Ainu, and Amur Jurchen cavalry easily defeated the Cossacks that were raiding at that time, chasing them all the way to the outskirts of Nerchinsk before the onset of winter forced a retreat. Even in his 50s, he proudly led his men into battle himself.

In 1672, Sakuma Moritora passed away at the age of 55, leaving a legacy as one of the most illustrious generals in Japanese history. During his 34 year long career, he not only fought Japanese rebels but also Ainus, Russians, Jurchens, and Joseonites. Moritora’s efforts and victories were especially instrumental in establishing a permanent Japanese presence in the far northern frontier, and his style of cavalry combat would even influence the trajectory of the Japanese samurai cavalry through his utilization of shock tactics with the yari and carbine. Beyond being a talented military commander and fearless warrior, however, the Sakuma lord also proved to be a cunning political actor. At the beginning of the Furuwatari War, he secretly contemplated siding with Hojo Ujinobu out of spite against Oda Nobutomo, who had helped bring about the forced retirement of his grandfather Morimasa. Moritora’s quiet decision to remain loyal against his own personal wishes after Keizan’s failure to take Gifu Castle would prove wise, as was his timely defection from Azuchi to the rebel side under Kanbe Tomoyoshi during the Manji War. Over the years, he would employ this cunning as well as his military reputation and charisma to gain political power until he emerged as one of Japan’s foremost statesmen. Finally, he was a capable daimyo, patronizing fur trade interests and other northerly trade connections to enrich the port of Sakata and bring prosperity to his entire domain. From the child head of a clan shamed by the downfall of Saito Yoshioki’s tyranny, the Tiger of the North ended his life as one of the most powerful and celebrated men throughout the entire realm.​

Samurai armor of Sakuma Moritora​

With the deaths of both Sakuma Moritora and Kanbe Tomoyoshi in 1672, two of Japan’s leading figures in government, the unity that Azuchi briefly enjoyed in the aftermath of the Asiatic Northern War would begin to crumble as the bickering and rivalries previously beneath the surface would begin to burst and two competing factions with differing agendas would rise. The rest of the decade would be marked by this factionalism as Oda Nobuhiro looked helplessly from afar, unable and unwilling to take charge and intervene. Japan was in for a period of political turbulence and societal uncertainty.

[1]: The Sangi-shu is the prototype for TTL’s modern-day upper house and the Shinka-in is the prototype for TTL’s modern-day lower house.

[2]: All of this is basically the same IOTL, just slightly different timing.​

 

[Gacha Hell]

Japanese Civil War 2: The Electric Boogaloo. Coming to a theater near you!

 

[Ammonios]

Hello,

Enjoyed the latest chapter. It looks like Japanese politics ITTL cannot catch a break.

Meanwhile, Tagawa Seikou pushed for naval reforms, as the war had revealed to Azuchi and the world the vulnerabilities of the Japanese navy as it currently stood and the navy itself had been battered during the conflict, necessitating the construction of new ships. The tekkousen and zentousen, now clearly outdated designs, would be phased out of future use and construction plans while the hobayasen would be deprioritized. Instead, newer Western ship designs would be adopted. Nevertheless, the concept of a front-facing cannon present in ships like the zentousen would be carried on, adapted in new Western-style and junk ships as a smaller cannon supplementing side batteries rather than as one large cannon by itself. Additionally, the construction of new shipyards were proposed as well to rebuild the navy as quickly as possible and make it easier to demolish old ships and use the materials for new ships.

I would assume that European expertise might be brought in to bring Japan up to date on naval warfare...

The Naval Architecture of Vasa, a 17th-Century Swedish Warship

oaktrust.library.tamu.edu

GREAT WARSHIPS OF HISTORY: SHIP OF THE LINE, THE KING OF NAVAL BATTLE IN THE AGE OF SAIL

Deadliest Blogger continues its presentation of the great warships of history with a look as the main battleships of the Age of Sail: the Ship of the Line! In the first half of the 16th century, th…

deadliestblogpage.wordpress.com

https://midwestmodelshipwrights.com/bookreviews/Dutch%20Merchant%20Ships.pdf

Batavia shipwreck timbers reveal a key to Dutch success in 17th-century world trade

Ocean-going ships were key to rising maritime economies of the Early Modern period, and understanding how they were built is critical to grasp the challenges faced by shipwrights and merchant seafarers. Shipwreck timbers hold material evidence of the dynamic interplay of wood supplies...

journals.plos.org

The articles above may give some ideas on how to improve mercantile shipping and shipbuilding

 

[tonsofun]

I don't know what kind wood it is, but it appears from the satellite imagery of Google Earth, that there are lot of trees in the North Pacific. Perhaps that could help with deforestation in Japan as I fear that future demand may prove to be too much for the Japanese mainland to handle. Even with Silviculture.

 

[Yeiro]

Well seems like Japan is going to have problems for the resto of the century, and I wanted them to discover hawai

 

[conman15]

Well seems like Japan is going to have problems for the resto of the century, and I wanted them to discover hawai

They still can nothing stopping some enterprising explorer fro. Stumbling across the island chain