日本

日本
政府类型	绝对君主制
执政党	佐幕派(反动派)
首都	江户 (ID 1649)
人口	708 万
主体民族	日本人
被接受民族	阿依努人
识字率	40%
国家价值观	秩序
科研学派	未开化国家
地位	未开化国家

临近朝鲜和中国的日本

在维多利亚2的游戏时间里，日本结束了几个世纪的孤立，并且西化加入了世界舞台。日本被许多人认为是维多利亚2的新手岛，至少在未开化国家方面是这样。无论如何，选择日本的玩家都需要牢记以下几点:

优与劣

日本的优势:

1. 日本在开局时有着高达40%的 识字率 。 实际上在1836年剧本里它只比识字率最高的美国低了2%。 作为一个未开化国家，这为日本提供了绝好的西化条件，其速度高于除了 夏威夷 之外的任何未开化国家 (作为对比, 识字率次高的 Abu Dhabi 只有30%。低了有10%。)。
2. 日本的科研不仅得益于其识字率，也受益于它的两个独有 决议 : 早期明治维新 和 明治维新, 后者只有在日本被划入列强势力范围时才能执行。这两个决议大大增加了日本可获取的科研点。
3. 日本是一个岛国，与世隔绝。唯一可能构成威胁的国家是{ flag | 大清} ，{ flag | 俄罗斯} ，和{ flag | 英国 }。可怜的入侵 ai (即小型的，无护卫的运输舰队)使{ flag | 美利坚合众国}}在早期不过是一个讨厌的东西，而{ flag | 尼德兰}和{ flag | 西班牙}可以安全地忽略。
4. 由于他们的识字率和体面的人口基数，日本有潜力在几年内(如果不是更少的话)成为一个西方化的(列强)。
5. 由于日本的地理位置，有很多扩张的可能性。值得注意的是朝鲜，文莱，柔佛，大南和暹罗。

日本的劣势:

1. 尽管[俄罗斯]一开始的识字率非常糟糕，但他们开始的游戏已经西化了。与他们过早开战对日本不利。
2. 日本开始只能训练非正规军。没有抓住允许步兵的改革，日本在试图解放/征服{ flag | 朝鲜}时，将与大体上统一的[[[中国]]]的力量作斗争。
3. 尽管(早期明治维新)的决议带来了丰厚的奖励，但它也将(斗争性)提高到了天文数字的水平。一场对抗反动派的失败战争的到来，将导致所有西化进程的失败。

早期明治维新 vs 明治维新

明治维新发生在 boshin 战争之后，明治天皇(emperor meiji)实施了各种社会和军事改革，以便更好地效仿欧洲和美国的同行。这一事件可能是日本历史上最重要的事件之一，因为它不仅统一了全国(由于天皇赢得了 boshin 战争，废除了幕府，恢复了有效的帝国统治) ，而且还把一支相对落后的军队变成了一支现代军队。这种改革的效果将是大规模的工业化和军事征服。二战初期，日本本身就是一个超级大国。然而，维多利亚2号并没有准确地模拟 boshin 战争的斗争(除非安装了新国家模型或者流行分区模型) ，而且明治维新被降级到只是一个给予免费研究分数的决议。

早期明治维新

从1836年开始，日本唯一的选择就是[早期明治维新] ，因为他们不在任何强国的势力范围之中。明治早期与正常明治的区别在于，早期明治维新免费给予土地改革，代价是为了[保守派] ，[反动派]和[[自由派]的{红色 | 0.5}而给予土地改革，而正常明治维新既不给予土地改革，也不给予土地改革。

明治维新

One needs to wait to a Great Power spheres Japan. It is worth considering, as the early version gives a huge amount of militancy.

When starting in 1861, Japan is already within the USA's sphere of influence, so taking the normal Meiji Restoration decision is a no-brainer. This will give Japan enough research points to take Land Reform, or wait until one of the 20% reforms is available.

Regardless of whichever decision Japan takes, they will receive 5 years worth of research points and 10 prestige.

开化之路

Westernizing is a long and frustrating road. Thankfully, Japan's high literacy translates directly into more research points a day than any other uncivilized nation. Turning on the National Focus to Encourage Clergymen in the most populated regions will speed this process even further. Once the Clergy population hits 2%, move on to the next region. Other uncivilized nations will need to wait until 4% for the maximum literacy benefit, but Japan is already equal to many civilized countries. Moving the National Focus from region to region once the population count reaches 2% will do more good than waiting for a single region to hit 4%. Japan should of course also fund education as much as possible, preferably 100%.

In regards to westernization reforms, in 1836, Japan needs just one thing right away: Infantry. Taking the Imported Weapons reform when it becomes available will greatly aid Japan's conquest of Southeast Asia. Infantry is also vitally important if the choice to annex Korea is made. After this, the reforms become much more situational. Land Reform is always a good choice when hurting for money, and Imported Ships will allow the construction of the vital Naval Bases needed to repair the transport ships Japan needs to transport their troops. The one reform that is not suggested, however, is Reformed System (Education). Japan already has a good literacy rating, so this reform is pretty worthless. Westernization should, even with non-perfect reforms, be able to be accomplished by around 1860, at the latest. Most likely, Japan will have westernized around 1852. Even a Japan without declaring wars for research points can still westernize around 1855–56. If starting in 1861, Japan will have enough reforms to be at 80% westernized, with the ability to pick up Land Reform for free thanks to the Meiji Restoration. From there, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to civilization.

It is possible for uncivilized nations to acquire research points through conquest. The amount gained is further modified by taking certain military reforms. This means that an aggressive and militaristic Japan can under these rules westernize faster than ever through two or three wars with its weaker neighbours,namely Dai Viet and Cambodia. Of course, this can run the risk of Great Power interference if in the course of these wars Japan's infamy spikes too high.

征服亚洲

There are a LOT of targets for Japan. Just be mindful that all conquests as an uncivilized nation will make the new regions into full states, dragging their awesome literacy down the hole (but, on the flip side, making them available for building factories later). However, wait too long and the targets will be gobbled up by the Great Powers, either through diplomacy or through the sword. The following is a list of excellent targets to go after:

• Brunei: Brunei is an easy nation to annex, and is often the first to be annexed by Japan. It may not have much early on, but later in the game Brunei becomes one of the most important regions in Asia thanks to the deposits of Oil it holds. The neighboring colonizable provinces also hold Oil, but will almost always be gobbled up by the Dutch. Taking Brunei early on will prevent the Netherlands from gaining a monopoly on this precious resource in the region.
• Johore: Johore is full of Precious Metals. Unfortunately, Johore borders the United Kingdom, and the UK will likely go to war with Japan to claim the region for their own. Keeping relations with the UK high can prevent an early disaster.
• Siam: Siam doesn't really have much in the way of resources in its coastal provinces, and is too big to annex outright, but the Chang Mai region has Opium, a precious resource to keep their Clerks and Capitalists happy. Obtaining Chang Mai is easy enough, but will require two separate Acquire State Casus Belli to get a coastal route to it, for easy troop access.
• Dai Nam/ Cambodia: Dai Nam has Cambodia as a puppet, and often allies itself with China, making conquest pretty hellish. However, the rewards of winning such a war are valuable stocks of Tropical Wood, which will later turn into the extremely valuable Rubber resource.
• Korea: Taking the historical path of conquest will net Japan both a sizable population from which they can build more brigades from, as well as more Iron. The disadvantages to a Korean conquest are two-fold: China and militancy. Korea starts the game as an ally of China, so China should be neutral in Japanese-Korean War. After the war, expect tons of rebellions and Crises. It does, however, give Japan a land route into Manchuria and Russia, should the Japanese decide to continue their historical conquests.
• China/Chinese Substates: It may be crazy and suicidal, and breaking the back of the Big Dog of East Asia will be extremely tough, but the rewards are astronomical. First, and foremost, if China westernizes, it will automatically annex any substate it has. Removing said substates from China's influence will reduce their land capacity which, in turn, will result in a much slower Chinese rise to Great Power. Second, the population of the Chinese regions is second to none. Japan can field tons of brigades from a single conquered region. Third, the resources of quite a few Chinese regions far outstrip Japan's own. In particular, Tea and Silk are in absolute abundance in the coastal provinces, and the inland Shanxi is stuffed full of coal and three and a half million labourers to work the mines.
• Arabian Peninsula: Crazy? Possibly. Lucrative? Absolutely. Taking the Arabian nations early on, when they are ignored by the rest of the world, will result in a massive monopoly of Oil later in the game, a monopoly that only the USA can match. Not only does an Arabian conquest give Japan lots of Oil, but it will also help their eventual diplomatic influence with Egypt, due to sharing borders, when trying to build the Suez Canal. Oman's African provinces will also give access to the interior of Africa for later colonization.
• Hawaii: Taking Hawaii will prevent the USA from annexing it later on. There is no other reward for a Hawaiian conquest than to throw a monkey wrench into the plans of the US, but this is a huge reward on its own. Leaving Hawaii alone will result in the US steamrolling through Oceania with their colonists. Prevent this from happening.
• Spanish Philippines: Spain usually remains in control of the Philippines throughout the game, but it falls behind the other European powers and has a minimal military presence in the archipelago thanks to its severe economic problems. The problem is they are often sphered by a European Great Power, but if it is France, as it often is, they don't have a major presence in East Asia so they should not be a threat. The Philippines are divided into three regions and mainly contain grain and iron in the way of resources, but could boost your population and serve as a base for expansion further south into southeast Asia.

朝日帝国

Once Japan has properly westernized, which shouldn't take more than the 1860s if starting in 1836, the game becomes pretty standard. Japan often becomes a Great Power right after Westernization thanks to their huge literacy rate helping with the promotion of Capitalists and the building of factories. However, there are still some routes Japan can take:

When Japan reaches great power status, the event The Empire of the Sun will trigger, which will give prestige and fully cement the status.

• Colonization: Seeing "Japanese Africa" on the map is an extremely rare sight, but can be done. It just requires some single-minded research focus toward Medicine, Machine Guns, and Nationalism & Imperialism. A little luck also helps, as the great European nations will likely halt their attempts at colonization if they are involved in a big war. Taking Mombasa from Oman/Zanzibar will aid the colonization effort. If dreams of a Japanese Africa seem dashed, all of Oceania is still their playground. While not as lucrative as Africa, Oceania will provide plenty of prestige to a colonizing Japan.
• Monopolize the Canals: If colonization isn't in Japan's near future, they can rush toward the techs required for building the Suez and Panama Canal. Specifically, Iron Steamers, Inorganic Chemistry, and Interchangeable Parts (and Medicine for the Panama Canal). Don't even bother with the Kiel Canal; Prussia/North German Federation has a stranglehold on it, and the last thing Japan needs is a border with the biggest European nations in the world. Diplomatic influence for Panama is easy enough to get (the US usually ignores Colombia), but expect an all out brawl on the diplomacy table from the European nations for diplomatic control of Egypt. If it seems impossible to get control of Egypt through diplomacy, then conquest of the Dumyat region will fulfill this requirement quite nicely. Just don't expect the European nations to take kindly to it.

Sakhalin and Hokkaido are uncolonized, but will quickly be claimed by the Russians. Both have Japanese cores

• Start the Russo-Japanese War: By the time Japan westernizes, Russia will be leagues ahead of them in technology. However, thanks to Russia's poor literacy rate (one of the worst in a civilized nation), Russia will lag behind during the late game. Exploit this for all its worth and reclaim the Japanese cores on Sakhalin and Hokkaido. A war with one of the largest nations on Earth will require a lot of tactics and planning, but if Japan can beat down the massive mobilized army, Russia will eventually collapse under its own weight. Just remember to build up a strong navy; Russia can't invade Japan if their ships are still stuck in port.

One can however consider not to retake Sakhalin and Hokkaido, as they are not very valuable, and unclaimed cores will drive up the populations desire for jingoism.

黑暗之心

Japan doesn't play all that differently in A House Divided as opposed to Heart of Darkness, but there are a few notable exceptions:

1. Korea is a puppet state, which means Japan have to deal with China. On the other hand crises will not be a problem.
2. The different ticking war score system will no longer allow Japan to reclaim Sakhalin and Hokkaido without ever setting foot on Russia proper. Japan will need to build a sizeable fleet and army to fight Russia.
3. Uncivilized nations does not have the ability to gain copious amounts of research points from conquering in AHD.
4. Colonizing the Pacific and Africa will always come after 1870 with no chance of it happening earlier. This is a slight help, for a slowly developing Japan

国家

列强： 奥地利 • 法国 • 奥斯曼帝国 • 普鲁士 • 俄罗斯帝国 • 西班牙 • 联合王国 • 美利坚合众国

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次强： 比利时 • 巴西 • 丹麦 • 墨西哥 • 尼德兰 • 葡萄牙 • 萨丁-皮埃蒙特 • 瑞典 • 两西西里

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好玩的国家: 巴伐利亚 • 大清 • 埃及 • 希腊 • 日本 • 旁遮普 • 教宗国 • 波斯 • 瑞士

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可成立国家: 阿拉伯 • 拜占庭帝国 • 捷克斯洛伐克 • 德国 • 大哥伦比亚 • 印度 • 意大利 • 波兰 • 波兰-立陶宛 • 罗马尼亚 • 斯堪的纳维亚 • 波罗的联合省 • 南斯拉夫