The Sun, The Stars and The Sickle: Alt-WWII and a Tripolar Postwar World
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Kishi was monstrous in every single way: monstrously gluttonous, monstrously racist, and monstrously corrupt.
Officially, the charges are pretty severe: each faces one count of assault against a civilian, and an additional charge of unlawful appropriation or destruction of civilian property. The former especially is not taken lightly TTL, especially after Isamu Cho had his neck stretched for his actions.
However, the Army establishment will likely also be mindful that Bushido permits this sort of vengeance. The victim, after all, is a notorious self-described playboy who tried to make a prostitute out of an officer's wife. He then struck a lady (although not before she stabbed him first!)
The accused are her husband and elder brother, both of whom answered their country's call and served as leaders of men. Both are educated and of good character. Lt. Miyabara works tirelessly to save soldiers and civilians alike from the ravages of water-borne diseases; an instrument of his Emperor's compassion. Capt. Yoshioka was wounded while honorably leading his men at the front. The Army will be loath to permit its honour defiled...
That he got away with all of it was a monstrous injustice.
I think the US dropped a hell of a ball. He has one of the most loathsome profiles I’ve ever read on wiki, and he ended up as Prime Minister. What the hell.
In this timeline, what is Manchukuo going to be? It’s whole set up was to be Japan’s cupboard, garage, ammunition’s factory, rice field and strip mine. Though the Japanese are way less violent, there still taking part in exploitation and colonialism, once I get over the map painting.
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Oh, it likely will be. Because this is happening right as there's tons of foreign attention towards the country as a whole, and for good measure, the culprit is a hedonistic merchant playboy who tried to use his "connections" to wiggle out of it.
The IJA might ensure that while they get punished, it'll be mild at best, with tons of bad press and stories about the culprit leaked to friendly reporters. Kishi might win in the legal sense, but at the cost of his reputation and def seeing all sorts of official attention directed at him. And Amaterasu help him if this causes other reports of similar cases to come out of the woodwork.
Welp, that certainly happened. I imagine plenty of headaches in the local kempeitai HQ, as I don't imagine any of the policemen being unsympathetic to the angry officers. I wouldn't be surprised if the guards in the prison block are actually chatting with the two of them, commiserating, and even apologizing for having to keep them locked up, but rules are rules. The kempeitai higher-ups are probably double-timing it now, as Kishi would have been infamous to them, and they'll want to keep from losing this chance to finally bring this SOB down.
I imagine even Japan's allies will be sympathetic. In Europe at this time, it's still fashionable for the higher classes to draw swords to settle manners of honor, and even Americans in general (or even everybody in general) would sympathize would a husband putting his fist to someone who tried to force themselves on his wife.
On another note, don't think I missed the mention of Pujie finally becoming Emperor in the near future
Things are really looking up for Manchukuo.
I imagine even Japan's allies will be sympathetic. In Europe at this time, it's still fashionable for the higher classes to draw swords to settle manners of honor, and even Americans in general (or even everybody in general) would sympathize would a husband putting his fist to someone who tried to force themselves on his wife.
On another note, don't think I missed the mention of Pujie finally becoming Emperor in the near future
Things are really looking up for Manchukuo.
I have no doubt that if release-on-own-recognizance were an option pre-trial, it would be the one exercized, and that their jailers treat them with an attitude of "If you need anything, just let us know" rather than the more usual standard. That they turned themselves in willingly demonstrates they have faith in the process as well.
It's also the kind of case that the defence will enjoy a lot more than the prosecution. These are as close to model defendants as you can get. Even in interrogation separately, both have claimed responsibility for the act- Miyabara claims that he planned it himself, while Yoshioka says he failed to give good counsel to his friend to prevent it and participated himself, thus making him to blame. Brothers in arms, brothers in law, each takes full responsibility to spare the other.
As for Kishi himself... Mrs. Miyabara probably was not the first soldier's wife that Kishi had his way with, or tried to- and the kempeitai knows this. However, Keiko Miyabara was the first modern girl (as opposed to "good wife, wise mother") he tangled with- she worked outside the home, and had the will and ability to fight him off.
It looks good for Miyabara and Yoshioka... if only they had a very wealthy and powerful supporter in the Army...
I imagine even Japan's allies will be sympathetic. In Europe at this time, it's still fashionable for the higher classes to draw swords to settle manners of honor, and even Americans in general (or even everybody in general) would sympathize would a husband putting his fist to someone who tried to force themselves on his wife.
On another note, don't think I missed the mention of Pujie finally becoming Emperor in the near future
Things are really looking up for Manchukuo.
Japan's allies will likely be sympathetic, and Samurai descendents defending the honour of their family plays well. The shin gunto sword is inextricably linked with the popular image of Japan in the West, which brings further fascination.
And yes, it is only a matter of time before the second Emperor ascends the throne in Manchukuo!
There's Field Marshal Baron Nobuyoshi Muto.
And the Great Depression's still a recent thing, distrust of reckless and arrogant businessmen like those who started the Depression in the first place is still running high.
Though that begs the question: what happens to Puyi afterwards?
This whole situation kinda feels like I'm watching a movie. Honestly, I would love to see a movie based on this kind of situation.
I'm personally hoping that Manchukuo managed to properly join the community of nations instead of remaining a Japanese puppet.
My thought is that he'd be enjoying quiet retirement far from the reins of power.
Right now, Manchukuo, while de jure an independent Empire is a de facto colony- a well-managed colony, but a colony nonetheless. Despite being over 85% Han Chinese, Japanese and Manchus have a highly disproportionate share of power, even though discrimination against Han Chinese, Jews and Svobodniki is prohibited. The zaibatsu operate branch plants in Manchukuo, and largely employ locals, although every position above shop foreman is typically occupied by a colonist. The Han population enjoys a standard of living that is higher than that of the RoC currently- there are more and better paying employment opportunities, crime is much lower, primary and secondary education are free and compulsory.
Can this last forever? It is too early to tell...
Absolutely! The Army is certainly going to contest this hotly. While officers can't just decide to dispense extrajudicial beatings, Kishi did have it coming, and is by no means an innocent party.
I'm really glad that I can make the story feel alive like that! There's more to come in this arc too!
The future for Manchuria/Manchukuo, whatever it holds, will hopefully be a bright one, no matter who's flag flies over her industrial cities and wind-swept plains. Whether it is full independence or autonomy within another nation, the population will hopefulluy enjoy freedom and security.
I could see Emperor Emeritus Puyi happy as a monk or a gardener. He was really never cut out for power, and he is much happier without it. His stay at the sanitarium in Macau has been the happiest time in his life so far.
I also personally hope that the Manchurian language will thrive in this timeline since it was rather sad how it's dwindled down to virtually nothing in OTL.
Considering the fact that the last time Puyi was Emperor before WWII was when he was a freaking infant I'm not surprised. I hope that whatever he does brings him happiness.
On another note, I've been meaning to ask you about the unfinished Soviet battleships in Italian hands. What's happened to them in the time since we last heard of them?
As an interesting aside, if it helps, here's some work that Hiraga did for the replacement designs for the Kongou class:
gazo.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Considering that here, Japan is against Germany, the 20,000 design is pretty interesting considering the Deutschland class...
Also, here's the Thonburi class:
^Said ship has four 8" guns in two doubles in a ship of around 2,000 tons. And we know from Mogami that those could be technically replaced with six 6" in two triples. There's also the Ratanakosindra class as well:
^Two 6" guns in single turrets on a hull of about 1,000 tons. While the Ratanakosindra class were built by Britain and the Thonburi were built by Japan, it becomes interesting in that it shows what could be done. And Japan has been mentioned as needing riverine ships (though I suspect there's at least some River Monitors having been designed).
平賀譲デジタルアーカイブ · HOME · 東京大学学術資産等アーカイブズ共用サーバ
Also, here's the Thonburi class:
The Kishi Affair- Part 2
Excerpts from "Growing Pains: The Development of Showa Democracy" I. Miyabi, Kondasha, Tokyo, 1994.
THE trial of Captain Koji Yoshioka and Lieutenant Shinichi Miyabara for publicly beating Nobusuke Kishi attracted widespread attention within the Imperial Japanese Army and beyond. Within the Army, sympathy for Yoshioka and Miyabara was nearly universal,to the point that it proved difficult to find a willing prosecutor.
The trial itself would be challenging, as neither defendant denied their role in the assault on Kishi. Both, in fact, attempted to take full responsibility for the act in order to spare the other, which played well to the court of public opinion. However, it would prove to be not so simple a matter for the defence, as neither officer denied what they did. Each simply stated that they were defending a woman they were sworn to protect, and would not permit dishonour to be brought to the houses of Miyabara and Yoshioka, nor their fathers before them. All further communication was through counsel.
Yoshioka and Miyabara, to Kishi's grave concern, had powerful allies. Yoshioka's commanding officer happened to be Lieutenant Colonel Morihiro Higashikuni, son of General Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni. General Prince Higashikuni reported to the Commanding Officer of the 1st China Expeditionary Army, Marshal-General Count Hisaichi Terauchi.
Terauchi was furious about the proceedings. In his view, that the officers were being prosecuted at all was a sign of the Army bowing to outside political pressure, and that the matter was, as far as he was concerned, settled. Bushido permitted the husband and brother of a woman who suffered such an attack to seek vengeance against the man who beat and attempted to rape her. In Marshal Count Terauchi's view, Yoshioka and Miyabara were absolutely justified in their actions, as it was a clear-cut matter of personal and familial honour. He wrote several stern letters to Marshal-General Prince Morimasa Nashimoto, Chief of General Staff, and General Shizuichi Tanaka, Director of the kempeitai, urging them to vacate the trial or decline to prosecute. Although they did not comply with Terauchi's request, it was widely speculated that the lesser charge was included at his suggestion.
Marshal-General Shunroku Hata, Commanding Officer of the Kwantung Army, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place was more reserved, but he nonetheless weighed in on the matter. Although phrased far more mildly, his position was broadly in agreement with Count Terauchi's. He wrote:
"In a delicate matter such as this, it is especially important that justice is served to the fullest extent and all factors are considered. This is not a case in which the prosecution service should seek to advance careers or establish landmark precedent. It is not my intention to direct the outcome of this trial, but simply to underscore that whatever decision is made will have far-reaching consequences."
However, Kishi was not without his own advocates in the Army. Chief among these was his close personal friend, General Hideki Tojo. Tojo also wrote to Marshal Prince Nashimoto:
"Despite our personal feelings on the matter, we must have one standard of behaviour in the Army. Either it is acceptable for officers to beat civilians when they are not personallly threatened, or it is not. We cannot allow junior officers to dictate Army policy to us, nor allow Japan's dignity to be diminished by tolerating nonsensical inconsistency."
While the trial proceeded, Kishi's fate would be disrupted further with another event...
THE trial of Captain Koji Yoshioka and Lieutenant Shinichi Miyabara for publicly beating Nobusuke Kishi attracted widespread attention within the Imperial Japanese Army and beyond. Within the Army, sympathy for Yoshioka and Miyabara was nearly universal,to the point that it proved difficult to find a willing prosecutor.
The trial itself would be challenging, as neither defendant denied their role in the assault on Kishi. Both, in fact, attempted to take full responsibility for the act in order to spare the other, which played well to the court of public opinion. However, it would prove to be not so simple a matter for the defence, as neither officer denied what they did. Each simply stated that they were defending a woman they were sworn to protect, and would not permit dishonour to be brought to the houses of Miyabara and Yoshioka, nor their fathers before them. All further communication was through counsel.
Yoshioka and Miyabara, to Kishi's grave concern, had powerful allies. Yoshioka's commanding officer happened to be Lieutenant Colonel Morihiro Higashikuni, son of General Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni. General Prince Higashikuni reported to the Commanding Officer of the 1st China Expeditionary Army, Marshal-General Count Hisaichi Terauchi.
Terauchi was furious about the proceedings. In his view, that the officers were being prosecuted at all was a sign of the Army bowing to outside political pressure, and that the matter was, as far as he was concerned, settled. Bushido permitted the husband and brother of a woman who suffered such an attack to seek vengeance against the man who beat and attempted to rape her. In Marshal Count Terauchi's view, Yoshioka and Miyabara were absolutely justified in their actions, as it was a clear-cut matter of personal and familial honour. He wrote several stern letters to Marshal-General Prince Morimasa Nashimoto, Chief of General Staff, and General Shizuichi Tanaka, Director of the kempeitai, urging them to vacate the trial or decline to prosecute. Although they did not comply with Terauchi's request, it was widely speculated that the lesser charge was included at his suggestion.
Marshal-General Shunroku Hata, Commanding Officer of the Kwantung Army, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place was more reserved, but he nonetheless weighed in on the matter. Although phrased far more mildly, his position was broadly in agreement with Count Terauchi's. He wrote:
"In a delicate matter such as this, it is especially important that justice is served to the fullest extent and all factors are considered. This is not a case in which the prosecution service should seek to advance careers or establish landmark precedent. It is not my intention to direct the outcome of this trial, but simply to underscore that whatever decision is made will have far-reaching consequences."
However, Kishi was not without his own advocates in the Army. Chief among these was his close personal friend, General Hideki Tojo. Tojo also wrote to Marshal Prince Nashimoto:
"Despite our personal feelings on the matter, we must have one standard of behaviour in the Army. Either it is acceptable for officers to beat civilians when they are not personallly threatened, or it is not. We cannot allow junior officers to dictate Army policy to us, nor allow Japan's dignity to be diminished by tolerating nonsensical inconsistency."
While the trial proceeded, Kishi's fate would be disrupted further with another event...
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When you piss off the guys who have royal connections, and have the support of the senior Marshal on the frontlines
I would NOT like to be Prince Morimasa or Gemeral Shizuichi.....
"Several sterm letters" I suspect would be politly phrased by the author 🤣
Although that said, if you have Royal connections, the Emperor will end up finding out and he could potentially interviene directly.
Also, if it is a matter of Bushido honour then that is settled (Although was it settled with the wife stabbing him perhaps?).
Would it also not be a case for the military courts? If so, then the Japanese equivalent to the Uniform Code of Military Justice would lay out the requirements for a successful prosecution (Which is a 100% given as both men have admitted the crime). Therefore it is a simple open & shut case.
Did you do it?
Yes I did.
Ok. Price for this crime, given that you have admitted guilt, is as follows .......
Because at the end of the day and for all his faults Tojo is correct. You have to have one law for ALL members of the military, regardless of rank. You cannot pick and choose who to prosicute for a crime based on individudual circumstances. If you did the crime, you have to pay the price. If the code says "Beating civilians" and does not specify any special / extenuating (sp) circumstances then that is what you prosicute to.
Although this incident could see the military code of justice for Japan updated in a few areas, but that will be after the fact.
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They'll probably be found guilty, only to receive a light sentence that amounts to an official reprimand and an unofficial show of support. Kishi is likely to appeal, only for it to get thrown out by the appellate judge. The Emperor is likely to intervene in a very light manner, probably a simple, and official statement that the matter has been decided by the courts, and that is the end of the matter. One or another of princes could then remark in a public setting that they found the junior officers to have acted in a most restrained fashion.
You get the idea. Kishi will technically win, but for all intents and purposes, he loses, with even the Emperor standing against him.
You get the idea. Kishi will technically win, but for all intents and purposes, he loses, with even the Emperor standing against him.
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