Post by Japan on Dec 28, 2012 13:29:15 GMT -5
My Reflection
Nation:Japan
Name: Kiku Honda
Gender: Male
Appearance Age: 20
Actual Age: Secret! ((Although I'm gonna say 1762 ))
Appearance
Hair Color: Warm black (Brown Black)
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 5'5
Weight:120 lbs
Appearance: Compared to other nations he's rather slight in build, although its not for lack of strength. Despite his looks he has a lithe strength that comes with martial arts training and other such activities. His demeanour matches his looks, calm.
His gaze at times seems rather blank, more out of politeness than anything else.
Like many of his people Japan is rather aware of the colour of his skin, and although he will not go as far as to bleach his skin he will use skin products that have UV protection and check the daily ultraviolet ray report. As a result, he sports a pale complexion the whole year through.
He switches between western styled clothing and Japanese styled clothing, depending on the occasion. What he does wear however is earthy colours and muted tones, unless it involves cosplay or Halloween.
His features are soft, far more effeminate than his western counterparts and its something he's rather self conscious about. Especially upon reading accounts from western explorers upon the 'opening' of the country about men's dress and demeanour. This in part explains his western clothing and colour choice.
Defining Features:
His dark brown eyes that lend a dull quality to his expression. They do not allude to anything he's seen in his past, or perhaps they explain his ability to be unaffected by such atrocities - implying the fact that he become immune to such things.
Scars, varied and differing in age. Japan has rarely been a truly peaceful country - excluding the Tokugawa period and post-ww2 and as a result he has several scars over his body. There are two angry red scars however, one on his right inner thigh and the other on his left shoulder that serve as a potent reminder as to why he has three anti-nuclear policies.
Who Am I?
Personality: He appears stand reticent, often unwilling to give his opinion and answering with none answers. He is also reluctant to say no outright, preferring to excuse himself instead of saying no. 'Now is not completely appropriate' and 'Are you certain you wouldn't rather somebody else do that?' Are some choice examples of his avoidance technique.
This is on the surface however. Those who get to know him better will realise he's a proud nation and can be rather zealous when he really likes something. He has had several different hobbies throughout his lifetime but figurines and miniatures have probably been a factor in all of his different interests.
He is the type to read about things rather than doing them, partly due to the constriction of his former lifestyles. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to explore however, and when 'forced' into it he will become your typical Japanese tourist.
Japan has a 'double inferiority complex' provoked by China and the West that led to a need to prove himself in the world arena and figures into his international relations even today. He feels that both the west and China viewed him as a 'excelling protege' and an object of amusement that was bound to flounder after them forever. As a result both Japan and his people are prone to move to the other extreme, talking about Japanese exceptionalism (for example the Nihonjinron) and the Japanese way of modernising as promoted in Africa.
The pacifism of Japan is also a sore point for the people of Japan. While many support article 9, they also favour the special defence forces and their recent expansion beyond Japanese waters. This is also connected to recent talks of nuclear armament as a quick solution to neutralising the security threat posed by North Korea. These issues cause Japan great stress and explain his social awkwardness.
Japan in general likes the other nations but cannot stop his inferiority complex from causing him to think of them all rather coldly. So while he enjoys their company he also finds interaction with them tiring. And it also leads to feelings of guilt on his part.
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
Fun Facts:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Your History
250: Beginning of Kofun period and the gradual build up of Yamato hegemony.
538: The beginning of the Asuka Period and when the Yamato becomes a centralised state.
710: Nara period. The high period of Japanese culture, often idealised in later times.
712: Kojiki. A national history imbued with Japanese lore. Written for the sake of the Chinese.
720: Nihon Shoki. Similar to the Kojiki but far more Chinese in nature. Both are used by later historians to confirm theories and for a long time are seen as canon histories - even by some of the more zealous nationalists today.
794-1184: Heian Period. Crystallisation and deterioration of Court Culture in Japan.
1185-1333: Kamakura Period. A shared polity between the Kamakura Bakufu and the Court in Kyoto which led eventually to the usurpation of power from the court after a brief burst of power.
1336-1573: Muromachi Period. Both the Bakufu and Court share the same capital, Kyoto. The Bakufu exert more control over the court than the Kamakura Bakufu. Trade has also broken down with china due to shift in power on the continent and their inability to confirm safety for Japanese envoys.
1467-1573
1543: Japan's first contact with the west, Portugal. Introduction of new war techniques and materials changed the nature of Sengoku (Warring country) period.
1568-1603: Oda Nobunaga (Japan's most loved war lord today) and Hideyoshi centralise power in the country. However Hideyoshi's amibitons to conquer Korea lead to an overreaching. Tokugawa Ieyasu takes power from Hideyoshi and ushers in the peace filled Tokugawa Period.
1603 - 1868: Tokugawa Period. Edo (later to become Tokyo) is the new capital of Japan, housing the Yokugawa stronghold. This is a peace where Confucian values are upset by the rising merchant class and the fall of the samurai (warrior) class. Such a shift was due to the control the Tokugawa Bakufu was able to exert on the daimyo (local lords) and the populace. There were restrictions on travel, sizes of residences and ownership of arms. Despite the lack of travelling however pilgrimages to Ise shrine and the travel journals of prominent literati along with advances in print technology and a development of consumer culture in the lower classes of the city a national consciousness was formed. The gradual deterioration of the social standing of the samurai was due to indebtedness to the merchants and restrictions on extravagances they could possess. As war in the country became less and less likely so did the need for strong warriors and they soon turned their attention to more scholarly pursuits of neo-Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. Here we see the development of iconic features of Japanese culture today. Such as the tea ceremony, zen gardens and seasonal practices.
1864: The Black Ships. America 'opens' up Japan. ((Although many historians argue Japan was already open and had selective trading patterns for the sake of national security. They were in a tributary relationship with kingdoms on the Korean peninsula and Ryuukyuu islands and were operating unofficial trade with China and the Dutch through the port of Nagasaki. They also traded with Ainu is Hokkaido. They held a view of the world that was similar to China, with Japan being the centre instead of China. The fact that China and the west are excluded from Tokugawa relations is because they were unwilling to respect Japanese rules of international relations and respect their wishes. They also did not view Japan as equal. Japan in this period also develops a sense of exceptionalism - viewing itself as the true centre of culture in opposition to a turbulent China. The idealise an image of China and yet hold the actual country in contempt and see it as a brother they need to help.
1866: Meiji Restoration. The emperor is restored to power and a modernisation effort is put into effect. This begins the period of Japanese imperialism.
1868: Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution. Gifted to the Japanese people by the Emperor.
1871: Iwakura Mission: Tour of USA and Europe by Japanese officials.
1894-1895: Sino-Japanese War. Japan wins and gets Taiwan.
1895: Pronounces Senkaku islands unclaimed and proceeds to claim Japanese sovereignty over them.
1902: Anglo-Japanese alliance. Mainly against Russia. Japan was seen as a tool that Britain could use. Due to this alliance Japan was sent instead of England to deal with the Boxer rebellion. The fact that Russia remained in Manchuria contributed to tensions that led to the Russo-Japanese war.
1905: Russo-Japanese War. Japan wins. Shocking west.
1910: Annexation of Korea after Russia acknowledged Japanese autonomy.
1914-1918: Joined in WW1 on the side of the allies and gained power of German claims in China and the pacific. Also economic war boom, that later crashes and leads to Japan returning all claims on Chinese territory.
1923: Great Kanto Earthquake.
1937-45. Second Sino-Japanese War.
1941: beginning of Ww2 on the pacific front. Mostly due to trade restrictions on Japan that provoked an attack on pearl harbour out of desperation. Japan has a severe energy angst and sees any threat against its energy security as a threat against its national security. This is probably because 99.7% of its oil is imported.
1945:Japanese surrender.
1947: Showa Constitution. Self induced pacifism is written into a constitution that was forced upon the Japanese by the Americans. This constitution is also gifted by the Japanese emperor.
1954: End of Allied occupation, bar Okinawa.
1956: Joins EU.
1964: Tokyo Olympics. Showcasing Japanese economic might and reintroducing it to the world stage.
1968: becomes the second largest economy on the world
1970s: Oil crisis. Leads to stockpiling of Oil in Japan.
1972: normalisation of relations with China
1991: Japan's bubble bursts. Economic troubles and recessions ever since questioning the Japanese miracle and way.
1995: Great Hanshin Earthquake. Subway Gas Attacks.
2009: The DPJ finally come into power after LDP hegemony. This results in a far more subdued and less nationalist and impassioned government. However despite ideological elements remaining the DPJ still somehow upsets both Korea and China - the latter mainly over the Senkaku islands.
2011. Touhoku disaster. Leads to questioning of Nuclear power plants and a further development of the Japanese public's nuclear 'allergy'
Sample Post
Between 1991-1998.
It's never enough. Japan feels he will forever be standing in the shadow of another country, whether it be America, China, Britain or Western culture as a whole he will forever be imitating them.
Which is why he prides Lifetime Employment and the Ie System of management. It's why the Nihonjinron (Treatise of being Japanese) is a best seller. The Japanese don't want to be a protege, not when they're the largest aid donors and contribute so much to the UN. They're the second largest economy for a reason... And it's not America despite his claiming so.
The Japanese have something to prove. Japanese exceptionalism. Because no foreigner can speak Japanese quite like a Japanese person, nor can they appreciate the change of seasons and know what tastes best when - not that the average Japanese person can... They love their guides for that. No one can slurp like a Japanese person can, no one can perform the Japanese tea ceremony quite like a Japanese and no one can Bow like a Japanese can- nor can they work out the right angle of a bow which depends on the persons company and position in it.
Which is why Japan enjoys watching Americans sweat in the humid raining season as they stumble through Japanese and the ceremony involved in handing out business cards. He revels in their small mistakes and slight grimaces while giving nothing away. Forever impassive, so they cannot tell if they have perfected the action or not.
It helps him forget about his dependence on America for security, even post Cold War. It helps him forget about his debt to Chinese and Western culture. It helps him forget the role of the protege. For while he can't make his fellow countries his subordinates... He can watch their people flounder with masochistic glee.
The Player
Name: Lorraine
Age: 21
Fun Fact: My dissertation is on the Japanese Emperor!
Read more: mirroredpasts.boards.net/index.cgi?board=application&action=display&thread=12#ixzz2GLru5Ni8
Nation:Japan
Name: Kiku Honda
Gender: Male
Appearance Age: 20
Actual Age: Secret! ((Although I'm gonna say 1762 ))
Appearance
Hair Color: Warm black (Brown Black)
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 5'5
Weight:120 lbs
Appearance: Compared to other nations he's rather slight in build, although its not for lack of strength. Despite his looks he has a lithe strength that comes with martial arts training and other such activities. His demeanour matches his looks, calm.
His gaze at times seems rather blank, more out of politeness than anything else.
Like many of his people Japan is rather aware of the colour of his skin, and although he will not go as far as to bleach his skin he will use skin products that have UV protection and check the daily ultraviolet ray report. As a result, he sports a pale complexion the whole year through.
He switches between western styled clothing and Japanese styled clothing, depending on the occasion. What he does wear however is earthy colours and muted tones, unless it involves cosplay or Halloween.
His features are soft, far more effeminate than his western counterparts and its something he's rather self conscious about. Especially upon reading accounts from western explorers upon the 'opening' of the country about men's dress and demeanour. This in part explains his western clothing and colour choice.
Defining Features:
His dark brown eyes that lend a dull quality to his expression. They do not allude to anything he's seen in his past, or perhaps they explain his ability to be unaffected by such atrocities - implying the fact that he become immune to such things.
Scars, varied and differing in age. Japan has rarely been a truly peaceful country - excluding the Tokugawa period and post-ww2 and as a result he has several scars over his body. There are two angry red scars however, one on his right inner thigh and the other on his left shoulder that serve as a potent reminder as to why he has three anti-nuclear policies.
Who Am I?
Personality: He appears stand reticent, often unwilling to give his opinion and answering with none answers. He is also reluctant to say no outright, preferring to excuse himself instead of saying no. 'Now is not completely appropriate' and 'Are you certain you wouldn't rather somebody else do that?' Are some choice examples of his avoidance technique.
This is on the surface however. Those who get to know him better will realise he's a proud nation and can be rather zealous when he really likes something. He has had several different hobbies throughout his lifetime but figurines and miniatures have probably been a factor in all of his different interests.
He is the type to read about things rather than doing them, partly due to the constriction of his former lifestyles. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to explore however, and when 'forced' into it he will become your typical Japanese tourist.
Japan has a 'double inferiority complex' provoked by China and the West that led to a need to prove himself in the world arena and figures into his international relations even today. He feels that both the west and China viewed him as a 'excelling protege' and an object of amusement that was bound to flounder after them forever. As a result both Japan and his people are prone to move to the other extreme, talking about Japanese exceptionalism (for example the Nihonjinron) and the Japanese way of modernising as promoted in Africa.
The pacifism of Japan is also a sore point for the people of Japan. While many support article 9, they also favour the special defence forces and their recent expansion beyond Japanese waters. This is also connected to recent talks of nuclear armament as a quick solution to neutralising the security threat posed by North Korea. These issues cause Japan great stress and explain his social awkwardness.
Japan in general likes the other nations but cannot stop his inferiority complex from causing him to think of them all rather coldly. So while he enjoys their company he also finds interaction with them tiring. And it also leads to feelings of guilt on his part.
Likes:
- Miniatures
- Tea
- Tradition
- Modernity
- Seasons
- Travel
- Food
- Japanese Sub-culture
- Gardening
- Reading
- Animals (Fluffy and cute)
- 2D
Dislikes:
- Modernity
- Brashness
- Cockroaches
- Nuclear Power
- The Cold
- China
- Anything too sweet.
- Physical content
- Lines
Fears:
- Nuclear Armament (to the extent where is can be described as an allergy to Nuclear fusion)
- Lack of Energy Security (Japan is one of the few countries to list Energy Security as a main concern of national security and its considered an angst of sorts.)
- North Korea
- Chinese expansion
- American Abandonment and expansion.
- Constitutional revision
- Nationalism
- Monarchism
- Mass Media
Fun Facts:
- Kiku prefers 2D over 3D. His favourite singer Is Hatsune Miku as a result.
- Has to always buy Shonen Jump, weekly.
- Prefers Doutor to Starbucks.
- Carries cat treats on his person - it helps with snatching up pictures of cats.
- Is a closet Apple geek.
Strengths:
- Blank gaze
- Ability to make anything into miniatures
- Patience
- Loyalty
- dedication
- Apptitude for creating limited and seasonal additions
- Work ethic
Weaknesses:
- Social ability
- Loyalty
- Need for approval
- Inability to say no
- Competitiveness.
- Inferiority complex
- Work Ethic
- Stamina
Your History
250: Beginning of Kofun period and the gradual build up of Yamato hegemony.
538: The beginning of the Asuka Period and when the Yamato becomes a centralised state.
710: Nara period. The high period of Japanese culture, often idealised in later times.
712: Kojiki. A national history imbued with Japanese lore. Written for the sake of the Chinese.
720: Nihon Shoki. Similar to the Kojiki but far more Chinese in nature. Both are used by later historians to confirm theories and for a long time are seen as canon histories - even by some of the more zealous nationalists today.
794-1184: Heian Period. Crystallisation and deterioration of Court Culture in Japan.
1185-1333: Kamakura Period. A shared polity between the Kamakura Bakufu and the Court in Kyoto which led eventually to the usurpation of power from the court after a brief burst of power.
1336-1573: Muromachi Period. Both the Bakufu and Court share the same capital, Kyoto. The Bakufu exert more control over the court than the Kamakura Bakufu. Trade has also broken down with china due to shift in power on the continent and their inability to confirm safety for Japanese envoys.
1467-1573
1543: Japan's first contact with the west, Portugal. Introduction of new war techniques and materials changed the nature of Sengoku (Warring country) period.
1568-1603: Oda Nobunaga (Japan's most loved war lord today) and Hideyoshi centralise power in the country. However Hideyoshi's amibitons to conquer Korea lead to an overreaching. Tokugawa Ieyasu takes power from Hideyoshi and ushers in the peace filled Tokugawa Period.
1603 - 1868: Tokugawa Period. Edo (later to become Tokyo) is the new capital of Japan, housing the Yokugawa stronghold. This is a peace where Confucian values are upset by the rising merchant class and the fall of the samurai (warrior) class. Such a shift was due to the control the Tokugawa Bakufu was able to exert on the daimyo (local lords) and the populace. There were restrictions on travel, sizes of residences and ownership of arms. Despite the lack of travelling however pilgrimages to Ise shrine and the travel journals of prominent literati along with advances in print technology and a development of consumer culture in the lower classes of the city a national consciousness was formed. The gradual deterioration of the social standing of the samurai was due to indebtedness to the merchants and restrictions on extravagances they could possess. As war in the country became less and less likely so did the need for strong warriors and they soon turned their attention to more scholarly pursuits of neo-Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. Here we see the development of iconic features of Japanese culture today. Such as the tea ceremony, zen gardens and seasonal practices.
1864: The Black Ships. America 'opens' up Japan. ((Although many historians argue Japan was already open and had selective trading patterns for the sake of national security. They were in a tributary relationship with kingdoms on the Korean peninsula and Ryuukyuu islands and were operating unofficial trade with China and the Dutch through the port of Nagasaki. They also traded with Ainu is Hokkaido. They held a view of the world that was similar to China, with Japan being the centre instead of China. The fact that China and the west are excluded from Tokugawa relations is because they were unwilling to respect Japanese rules of international relations and respect their wishes. They also did not view Japan as equal. Japan in this period also develops a sense of exceptionalism - viewing itself as the true centre of culture in opposition to a turbulent China. The idealise an image of China and yet hold the actual country in contempt and see it as a brother they need to help.
1866: Meiji Restoration. The emperor is restored to power and a modernisation effort is put into effect. This begins the period of Japanese imperialism.
1868: Promulgation of the Meiji Constitution. Gifted to the Japanese people by the Emperor.
1871: Iwakura Mission: Tour of USA and Europe by Japanese officials.
1894-1895: Sino-Japanese War. Japan wins and gets Taiwan.
1895: Pronounces Senkaku islands unclaimed and proceeds to claim Japanese sovereignty over them.
1902: Anglo-Japanese alliance. Mainly against Russia. Japan was seen as a tool that Britain could use. Due to this alliance Japan was sent instead of England to deal with the Boxer rebellion. The fact that Russia remained in Manchuria contributed to tensions that led to the Russo-Japanese war.
1905: Russo-Japanese War. Japan wins. Shocking west.
1910: Annexation of Korea after Russia acknowledged Japanese autonomy.
1914-1918: Joined in WW1 on the side of the allies and gained power of German claims in China and the pacific. Also economic war boom, that later crashes and leads to Japan returning all claims on Chinese territory.
1923: Great Kanto Earthquake.
1937-45. Second Sino-Japanese War.
1941: beginning of Ww2 on the pacific front. Mostly due to trade restrictions on Japan that provoked an attack on pearl harbour out of desperation. Japan has a severe energy angst and sees any threat against its energy security as a threat against its national security. This is probably because 99.7% of its oil is imported.
1945:Japanese surrender.
1947: Showa Constitution. Self induced pacifism is written into a constitution that was forced upon the Japanese by the Americans. This constitution is also gifted by the Japanese emperor.
1954: End of Allied occupation, bar Okinawa.
1956: Joins EU.
1964: Tokyo Olympics. Showcasing Japanese economic might and reintroducing it to the world stage.
1968: becomes the second largest economy on the world
1970s: Oil crisis. Leads to stockpiling of Oil in Japan.
1972: normalisation of relations with China
1991: Japan's bubble bursts. Economic troubles and recessions ever since questioning the Japanese miracle and way.
1995: Great Hanshin Earthquake. Subway Gas Attacks.
2009: The DPJ finally come into power after LDP hegemony. This results in a far more subdued and less nationalist and impassioned government. However despite ideological elements remaining the DPJ still somehow upsets both Korea and China - the latter mainly over the Senkaku islands.
2011. Touhoku disaster. Leads to questioning of Nuclear power plants and a further development of the Japanese public's nuclear 'allergy'
Sample Post
Between 1991-1998.
It's never enough. Japan feels he will forever be standing in the shadow of another country, whether it be America, China, Britain or Western culture as a whole he will forever be imitating them.
Which is why he prides Lifetime Employment and the Ie System of management. It's why the Nihonjinron (Treatise of being Japanese) is a best seller. The Japanese don't want to be a protege, not when they're the largest aid donors and contribute so much to the UN. They're the second largest economy for a reason... And it's not America despite his claiming so.
The Japanese have something to prove. Japanese exceptionalism. Because no foreigner can speak Japanese quite like a Japanese person, nor can they appreciate the change of seasons and know what tastes best when - not that the average Japanese person can... They love their guides for that. No one can slurp like a Japanese person can, no one can perform the Japanese tea ceremony quite like a Japanese and no one can Bow like a Japanese can- nor can they work out the right angle of a bow which depends on the persons company and position in it.
Which is why Japan enjoys watching Americans sweat in the humid raining season as they stumble through Japanese and the ceremony involved in handing out business cards. He revels in their small mistakes and slight grimaces while giving nothing away. Forever impassive, so they cannot tell if they have perfected the action or not.
It helps him forget about his dependence on America for security, even post Cold War. It helps him forget about his debt to Chinese and Western culture. It helps him forget the role of the protege. For while he can't make his fellow countries his subordinates... He can watch their people flounder with masochistic glee.
The Player
Name: Lorraine
Age: 21
Fun Fact: My dissertation is on the Japanese Emperor!
Read more: mirroredpasts.boards.net/index.cgi?board=application&action=display&thread=12#ixzz2GLru5Ni8
