[b]Name:[/b] Empire of Japan [b]Appearance:[/b] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/YcGGJhy.png[/img] [i]A tall woman with long, silken black hair and fair skin. Her beauty is incongruous with her army uniform and the practiced way she handles her sword.[/i][/center] [b]Allegiance:[/b] Entente, via her alliance with Britain [b]Personality:[/b] Japan is arrogant. Arrogant to the extent that in the 17th century, after a severe quarrel with China and Korea, she considered herself to be so high and independent that she shut herself in her house and did nothing but daydream and write Tanka poems every day. Japan is also proud, and keeps an eye on her image. So when the rest of the world came knocking and practically forced the doors of her humble abode open with their technological strength, she was determined not to lose to the "barbarians" and modernized with eye-catching rapidity. She is greedy, as with her newfound power she has already bullied China and coerced Korea to be her personal servant. She is also wrathful, as the world saw when she sunk Russia's entire Baltic-turned-Pacific Fleet. Japan is calculating, but not too careful. She is bold, and likes to take risks. For example, she entered the Russo-Japanese War with barely a war chest, and by the end of that conflict was seriously bankrupt. In this new age where China is no longer the center of the world, she is carefully choosing new friends and enemies. A new, cosmopolitan Britain has thus far been a very good ally. But she would have sided with Russia had that country been more powerful. She's actually developed something of an inferiority complex towards Western nations. She was duly shaken when the United States pried her ports open. However, she doesn't like the subtly condescending the way some of them look at her, and holds something of a grudge against America. From time to time, due to one perceived slight or another, she reminds the European nations that she is their [i]equal[/i] and that she showed them that fact at Tsushima. When Japan is not outside rattling her sword here and there, she changes her military uniform for a floral-patterned kimono at home and likes to drink tea and write poems. She keeps artifacts and ancient texts around her to remind herself of her past even as she jumps forward to a new international future. [b]Likes:[/b] -Inner Peace -Industriousness -Good Manners -Rapid Industrialization -Standardized Infrastructure -Healthy World Trade -An excellent Public Education system -High literacy rates -Low infant mortality rates -Small arms of lower caliber for ease of manufacture -Britain's Royal Navy - so powerful! -Her own Imperial Navy - thanks for the instruction, Britain! -Her own Imperial Army - thanks for the instruction, Germany! -A focus on offensive tactics as opposed to defensive tactics -Night battles -Poetry -Herself, a lot -White rice -Brown rice too she guesses -Dressing Korea up in increasingly scandalous outfits [b]Dislikes:[/b] -[b]America.[/b] Always butting his nose in where it doesn't belong and is clearly a compulsive liar. Poor Spain. -Russia for bullying her after the 1st Sino-Japanese War and interfering in peace negotiations -China, for being confused and behind the times -Korea, for not agreeing to become her personal maid 300 years ago -Bad Manners -Laziness -Dishonor -Poor treatment of PoW's -Not being taken seriously [b]Special Talent:[/b] [b]May Our Country Last Ten Thousand Years!!:[/b] Japan's population might be the most devoted and loyal on Earth. Her soldiers throw themselves at the enemy; her farmers till the soil on hot days; her factory workers churn out car parts and tin cans - all for her, and without complaint. This translates to her having a lot of willpower. Once she sets her mind on something, Japan goes [i]all-out[/i]. [b]Weaknesses:[/b] [b]I Will Not Become Like China:[/b] Japan has been playing catch-up with the European powers for so long that she has kind of forgotten that she doesn't need to wait for their technological advances and can refine technology herself. As such, she is slow in making new things and would rather copy new inventions. [b]Familial Relationships:[/b] -China. Cousins with her. Very bad relationship in recent history, but Japan has recently offered advice on the Middle Kingdom's new Warlord problem. China took care of Japan's childhood education in the ancient past, and was even close with her. But now they are somewhat estranged, ever since China got into an abusive relationship with Mongolia in the latter's time as Empire. -Korea. Korea and Japan go so far back that their older memories are blurred and neither knows whether they are sisters or cousins. Maybe it doesn't matter. Japan keeps Korea as her personal servant, dressing her up in all kinds of cute and/or lewd outfits. Japan enjoys bullying Korea. -Jomon. Japan's father. Long since deceased. -Emishi. Japan's mother. Long since deceased. -Ainu. Japan's energetic little sister who lives with her. [b]Other:[/b] [hider=Spoiler]Later on, Japan gets really obsessed with herself and falls out with the West. She gets very arrogant and irate, wallowing in her medieval memories. She feels very guilty for changing herself so much so quickly and lifts the ban on the construction of traditional katana. She unsheathes her own Imperial Blade and descends upon China, overreacting to a misunderstanding. She also begins to call herself a "Greater Empire" and begins promising liberty to the Asian nations. The world heats up and she allies with Germany and Italy - and the rest is history.[/hider]