What would Asia look like under a victorious Japan's rule?

Of course, that was before the loonies took over.
Probably the generational difference between those who thought better of it, and those who experienced the victories of First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, along with WWI, and let the thought of victory go to their heads.
 
Of course, that was before the loonies took over.
The military always had a lot of power in Japan, but in particular during and after the Meiji Restoration. Japans initial primary model as far as European countries went was France because it was considered the premier military power in the world. After the Franco-Prussian War, they switched to Germany and specifically Prussia. One of the mottos of the new Japan was Fukoku Kyohei. It means enrich the state and build the military. It doesn't hurt that modern Japan had never lost a battle and as such they suffered from the victory disease that both Napoleonic France and Nazi Germany had. Both of them would have their delusions of invincibility shattered in Russia. Japans was shattered in the Pacific.

I think that the reason they became so brutal was that the Japanese felt that they weren't being treated equally by the Western Powers at Versailles. They weren't. Their primary ally Britain tossed them aside in favor of America. Then there was the Naval limitations agreement that allowed Britain and the US to build larger Fleets than Japan. They didn't seem to notice that they were allowed to have a significantly larger Fleet than Italy or even France under the terms of the treaty.

Japanese soldiers were incredibly tough. I might even go as far as to say that they were the toughest on average. They went through endurance marches in both intense heat and intense cold wearing full packs and marching miles. If they couldn't complete their marches they were beaten. The officers beat their NCO's. The NCO's beat their enlisted men. The enlisted men took their anger out on occupied civilians. A pecking order developed.

It doesn't hurt that they developed a Hitleresque sense of racial superiority over the older Chinese civilization much like the Nazis feelings towards swarthy southern Europeans. The fact that their superiority over these people was very recent and that historically these people had been more advanced was quietly sidestepped.
 
The military always had a lot of power in Japan, but in particular during and after the Meiji Restoration. Japans initial primary model as far as European countries went was France because it was considered the premier military power in the world. After the Franco-Prussian War, they switched to Germany and specifically Prussia. One of the mottos of the new Japan was Fukoku Kyohei. It means enrich the state and build the military. It doesn't hurt that modern Japan had never lost a battle and as such they suffered from the victory disease that both Napoleonic France and Nazi Germany had. Both of them would have their delusions of invincibility shattered in Russia. Japans was shattered in the Pacific.

I think that the reason they became so brutal was that the Japanese felt that they weren't being treated equally by the Western Powers at Versailles. They weren't. Their primary ally Britain tossed them aside in favor of America. Then there was the Naval limitations agreement that allowed Britain and the US to build larger Fleets than Japan. They didn't seem to notice that they were allowed to have a significantly larger Fleet than Italy or even France under the terms of the treaty.

Japanese soldiers were incredibly tough. I might even go as far as to say that they were the toughest on average. They went through endurance marches in both intense heat and intense cold wearing full packs and marching miles. If they couldn't complete their marches they were beaten. The officers beat their NCO's. The NCO's beat their enlisted men. The enlisted men took their anger out on occupied civilians. A pecking order developed.

It doesn't hurt that they developed a Hitleresque sense of racial superiority over the older Chinese civilization much like the Nazis feelings towards swarthy southern Europeans. The fact that their superiority over these people was very recent and that historically these people had been more advanced was quietly sidestepped.

The funny thing is, realistically? the WNT, _was actually what gave Japan a shot_.
The Japanese government of the 1920's was _really_ aware they COULD not win a building war with England, much less the US (Think about how many battleships and battlecruisers the US SCRAPPED on the WAYS!) As well, as the bonuses of the US not even trying to fortify their Pacific holdings West of Hawaii. And everyone in power knew it.

What was used early on in the Black Dragon's period, was WILSON's bullshit, the racial crap he pulled. As for the UK, and the abandonment of the UK/IJ treaty, they knew that was coming. Not only didn't they do much (to be fair, England rationally didn't expect them to DO much) in the Great War, they pretty much knew that the Brits were not going to court war with America for them. Canada.
The government of Japan of the 1920's and even the 1930's (early, 1932 is when they began their slide into batshit insanity, or more presciely, when the Army realized it could get away with murder and the government would smile and nod.) was rational, aware of actual industrial output, and while not liking their situation, knew that any war with the US, unless they were lucky, and by luck, I mean, so lucky even the Seven Lucky gods would be staring... would at the best end in a defeat that'd cost them. At worst... well, they didn't expect what they got, but they actually came close.

This is one thing most people don't really get about Japan: Contrary to what appears, Japan is, and has been as a rule, a very middle of the road nation politically (well, middle of THEIR road, to be more accurate): Take the Navy/Army debates: Army wanted China, Navy wanted the SEA/SCA/DEI more. NOT that they shouldn't expand.

Same with their government. From the end of the Bonin wars, til 1945, over oh, call it 90% of the POLITICAL 'class', didn't (ie, what we'd call the political-military-industural complex...) argue with the basic goal. Make Japan an equal. Period. How was often debated, some more 'militaristic' than others, some more economic (they noted how America outside the MA war expanded, not by conquest.) but the goal was the same. Same domestically. Japan picked that thread up after 1951, in a lot of ways "Rebuild Japan and make it economically powerful" became the new 'domestic' goal of everyone.

In a lot of ways, World War 2, can be put towards Japan feeling that they lost _face_ to the various nations they attacked. Because for 2 centuries (closer to 2 and a half, really) they pretty much sat on their rears, and did nothing, really. Worse, the Japanese 'elites' KNEW they were, and KNEW the west was growing.

It's been one of the interesting what ifs that I haven't seen much done on, is the above. Japan when it went into seclusion in the early 1600's under Towgawa, was inarguably if not the strongest army power (contrary to myth and badly done histo-drama, hi, Clavell! Japan's firearms and cannons were if not equal to the West, so close that you would be hard pressed to tell the difference, and they had far, far far more troops at hand than ANY European power could hope to claim) at the time, it was extremely close to it, with maybe only Russia or China able to match it. (And I'd not put money on Russia. China, given it was the early days of the Manchus... Oh, yes) Oda Noabunga wanted to pretty much do what the Sastuma/Black Dragons did later on, Japan as an empire then and then. Would have been quite interesting to see.
 
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