Pearl Harbour with Britain allied to Japan

Season one: Samurai of the Sky! Zero-sen over Kent!
Season two: The Wine-Dark Sea! Shimikaze strikes!
Season three: Sayonara, Casablanca! The Chi-Ho advances!

I'd watch that anime.

I'm holding out for the Merchant Ivory drama of an emotionally repressed Zero pilot torn between his love for his wife at home and the widow of his dead RAF friend.
Lots of long looks over the supper table, questions about the importance of duty and honour, briefly touched hands, culminating in the Zero pilot taking a suicide mission to avenge his friend.

"Meredith, I...I never told you..."
"You didn't have to, Tetsou. You didn't have to" *Hands over Senninbari*
 
I'm holding out for the Merchant Ivory drama of an emotionally repressed Zero pilot torn between his love for his wife at home and the widow of his dead RAF friend.
Lots of long looks over the supper table, questions about the importance of duty and honour, briefly touched hands, culminating in the Zero pilot taking a suicide mission to avenge his friend.

"Meredith, I...I never told you..."
"You didn't have to, Tetsou. You didn't have to" *Hands over Senninbari*

That was beautiful.
 
That was beautiful.

I'm imagining Ken Watanabe as the star, because he's the only Japanese actor in the world. Early 90s, Remains Of The Day type film. Maybe Emma Thompson as the widow.

Instead "politics" got in the way and the treaty with Japan was cancelled. Think of the anime we'd have with much closer, deeper Anglo-Japanese links?
 
So if the IJN is busy with the Axis as well does that butterfly away destroyers for bases and lend lease?
Maybe the destroyers for bases as they will not be needed as much with IJN DDs in the Med/IO/SAtlantic , but LL will probably still be ok (unless US is more threatened by a powerful GB, but after FOF that's going to be less likely)

And what is Japan getting out of this arrangement?
Membership of the largest trading block in the world ?
 
Not sure how much Japanese ASW would add to the Battle of the Atlantic (though if they've continued the British alliance they should have better doctrine and technology), but the KB in the eastern Mediterranean? Woooo!

Sayonara, RM.

Seriously, this requires such an early POD that we'd have (hopefully) a very different Japan, without the Chinese adventure, or any US embargoes. OTH, it might have resulted in increased animosity to Britain by the USA, not to the extent of war, but perhaps increased isolationism, though US support for Hitler to invade the UK really is ASB, as is a Japanese attack on the USA in such circumstances.

With Japan as an ally, can Britain do without the USA? Invading Europe is going to be next to impossible though, and what will Japanese - USSR relations be like? Lots of British/Japanese lend-lease can go to Russia through Vladivostok and Iran. This has the makings of quite an interesting war (though perhaps in the Chinese sense of interesting) :eek:
 
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