[ooc] Contact, App re-post, Permissions, and Concrit
About the Mun
Player nickname: My real name is Kiely, but I usually go by KK or Feliks when online. You can use whichever you like!
Player LJ: likeomg_feliks
Way to contact you:
Email: kking6@nd.edu
AIM: omgfeliks
Other: skype: feliks.lukasiewicz
plurk: likeomg_feliks
facebook: Kiely King (I'm the only one with that name!)
About the Muse
Character: Japan/Nihon(日本) Human name: Honda Kiku(本田 菊)
Fandom: Hetalia
Character Notes:
History:
Hetalia canon Japanese history starts somewhere around 300BC to 250AD, when the islands of Japan were strongly under Chinese influence.
( http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/2977183.html)
The early relationship between China and the developing nation of Japan is portrayed as China finding young Japan all alone and deciding to adopt him as a brother. In this time period, the developing Japan continuously drew from Chinese culture, including the adoption of Chinese hanji to form the kanji writing system. Farming techniques, the language of politics, and Buddhism were among the things that were introduced to the Japanese by way of China. Even so, the Japanese chose to adapt aspects of mainland culture to suit their own way of life, such as the development of hiragana to better facilitate the writing of Chinese characters with the Japanese grammar structure (for quite a while there was no standard way of representing the ending conjugations of Japanese verbs, particles, or such things that are not easily represented by use of kanji only, considering these facets of Japanese grammar do not correlate with Chinese).It was during this time period that a letter was sent to the Emperor of China from the Emperor of Japan, addressed to "China upon whom the sun sets, from Japan, upon whom the sun rises," (the same as that spoken by Japan when meeting young China in Hetalia), a statement which did not go over well with the Chinese emperor because it implied that the Japanese viewed themselves as a kingdom equal to China, rather than subservient. It was not long after this that relationships between China and Japan began to cool slightly, as represented in the comic by Japan denying that he is China's brother. Japan then entered a very long period of internal clan warfare as the various ruling clans fought for control. The Emperor himself lost most of his political power.
In the 1500s, foreign traders and missionaries from Europe first reached Japan. These included the Portuguese and the Dutch. By the late 1500s, the warring clans were finally unified by Hideyoshi, who then decided to try to expand Japanese influence in the region by waging campaigns against Korea and China. His death brought the fighting to an end, Ieyasu Tokugawa gained the shogunate, and the Edo period began.
The early 1600s saw a rise in worry over the effects of foreign influence in Japan. The spread of Christianity, as well as western imperialism in other parts of Asia, caused the shogunate to enact a policy of national isolationism in which westerners were banned from Japan. The only exceptions to this rule were Dutch traders who were restricted to a select few Japanese ports. (The Dutch won out over the other traders because they were uninterested in Christian evangelism in the country, nor were they a Catholic nation who would protest the ongoing mistreatment of Catholic Japanese.)This rule was strictly enforced. Western sailors who shipwrecked on Japanese islands were put to death and Japanese sailors and fishermen who somehow accidentally came into contact with foreigners were not allowed to return home. In the manga, this period is represented as Japan becoming a hikikkomori, which is the Japanese term for the social disorder in which a person barricades themselves their room, refusing to interact with others or ever come out.
After a long period of isolationism, the "black ships" from America came in 1854 and Admiral Perry made the Japanese end their isolationist policies by intimidating them with the threat of using force if necessary.
http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/647758.html
This event was one of the catalysts that helped bring about the end of the shogunate. The emperor reclaimed power and the Meiji Restoration began. The Meiji restoration period saw a rapid increase in modernization for Japan. For about 200 years the country had remained at what was practically a standstill, opening their borders caused them to worry about lagging behind the western powers and whether this would cause others to take advantage of the nation. This being the case, the Japanese borrowed and adapted from the best in the world, modeling their army off of the Prussian army, studying healthcare from the Germans, trading from the Dutch, studying ship building from the United States, etc. Through this method, the Japanese caught up with their European and American counterparts.
Desiring to prove themselves as a world power, Japan sought to expand its regional influence by waging war with China over which of the two countries had de-facto control over Korea and its markets. This was the first Sino-Japanese war. It ended with a Japanese defeat of Chinese forces. This entire situation is portrayed in the Hetalia comics as Japan dropping by China's home in the middle of the night, only to surprise his welcoming "older brother" by drawing a katana and attacking him in such a way that in strips set later, a large scar is visible across China's back.
Around this time, Russia was showing interest in expanding its own influence into Korea. In an effort to block Russia, Germany, and France from gaining an advantage in Asia, England made a treaty with Japan in 1902. The purpose of this treaty was to draw England into the conflict if any nation tried to come to Russia's aid should a war break out. This treaty is at first shown in the Hetalia manga as a friendship of convenience and mutual isolation as island nations (England is shown asking Germany to be friends, it is only after he is turned down that he decides to try at Japan's house. Also, Japan's boss would prefer that Japan become friends with Russia).
http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/105965.html
Eventually the tensions between Japan and Russia resulted in the 1904 Russo-Japanese war. Due to internal conflicts at home, Russia ended up pulling out of the war. This led to Japan being acknowledged as a world power. Japan also took part in World War I due to their standing treaty with the British. Japan's participation involved attacking German colonies in Asia. The advent of the great depression led to a rising distrust of foreign powers and a call for a greater sense of national unity. Up until this point, Japan had been westernizing at a startlingly quick rate, prompting a nationwide fear of losing their identity as "Japanese." This in turn led to greater militarization of the government, stricter controls over the populace, implementation of state Shinto, and other such reforms that led up to Japan's participation in World War II.
Japan instigated the second Sino-Japanese war, where the army committed a large number of war crimes against their Asian neighbors using the excuse that the Japanese people were superior and that it was their divine right to expand and put the other Asian nations under their "protection," and to "free them from imperialism". In 1940 they joined the Axis Powers. The American government, upset at Japan's imperialistic ventures in Southeast Asia, halted trade. This spurred the Japanese government to expand their imperialist ambitions in an attempt to gain the resources that the United States would no longer sell to them.
The Japanese assumed that it was only a matter of time before the Americans declared war against them, so they decided to strike preemptively in the hopes of disabling the American fleet and gaining an upper hand. This, of course, was Pearl Harbor. However, the Japanese underestimated the production power of the States. All warships were soon back in commission and the United States quickly fought back. Japan simply didn't have the resources to compete. This of course brought about the air raids on most prominent Japanese cities, though the American government chose to spare Japanese cities deemed historically and culturally important to the nation, such as Nara and Kyoto, seats of the ancient government and home to some of Japan's most famous temples and palaces. Despite food and supply shortages the Japanese would still not surrender, particularly because the United States demanded unconditional surrender which did not guarantee the safety of the Japanese emperor. The Japanese mobilized the entire nation to prepare for a ground war. Even school children worked collecting scrap metal and dismantling buildings for firebreaks.
It was under these circumstances that the Atomic bomb was dropped, bringing about the surrender of Japan and subsequent occupation by American troops. The loss of the war and the occupation itself was a huge blow to the national psyche of the Japanese, most of whom had been indoctrinated to believe that as a superior race, loss of the war was an impossibility. Though the Americans assisted in postwar reconstruction, including the drafting of a new constitution, the immediate postwar years saw widespread famine and shortages. No systems were put in place to assist wounded veterans or orphaned children; the majority lived on the streets and a large number died of starvation.
After reconstruction and occupation, the Japanese economy eventually recovered and began to boom. Despite cooling recently, Japan still has a very strong economy. Due to the current constitution, Japan lacks a standing army and has only a small force intended for the purpose of national defense. Due to this, America serves as Japan's protector on the world stage. Recently there has been debate over changing the constitution to allow for an army, but as of yet it does not seem that it will happen. Though the previous generations and those who were born immediately postwar tend to be strongly pacifist and oppose militarization of the country, the younger generations are increasingly distanced from World War II and tend not to hold as strong views over the matter.
Personality:
http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/512540.html
Japan is very polite and is generally a very serious person. However, he holds a deep love of art and is interested in European culture. (As for the erotic woodblock prints, he keeps them purely for the cultural and aesthetic value, honest. Really.)
http://community.livejournal.com/hetalia/116964.html
In the wake of modernization, Japan has moved away from its traditional folklore beliefs, to the extent that the character Japan cannot see his own supernatural creatures.
Japan is frequently bewildered by America and the European nations, be it blue cake or eating snails. (Strangely enough Japan eats raw eggs, raw fish, and rotting soybeans, yet the idea of eating snails is too much for him...)
In his character song, Japan expresses a love for things that are new and faddish. In the comics he can't resist a commercial he sees for a hair straightener that he doesn't need; he also loves limited-edition seasonal items. Though he sometimes wishes to hold himself back from his consumerism, he usually fails, as evidenced by how he succumbs to America's marketing of the Windows OS.
Japan is a very hard person to read. He doesn't get mad easily (of all the things that bother him, it is only the thought of higher food prices that actually makes him angry) and generally comes off as very stoic. He keeps his emotions to himself and usually notices what is going on between people before they do. He is easily flustered when faced with actions that overstep his sense of social propriety (such as overreacting to Italy hugging him or to Germany and Italy outside without shirts on). Though he is very adept at assessing the situation("reading the atmosphere"), he tends not to speak his mind and dislikes voicing dissent or causing conflict. At world councils, he tends to agree with whatever America suggests, no matter how inane the idea. He is actually good friends with America. The two are seening visiting each other's houses ("traits Japan-kun has noticed about America-kun," "Why America-kun loves spring," etc.) and Japan shares his videogames with America.
Though he won't often admit it, Japan is secretly an otaku. He extolls the virtues of the 2D and also is know to buy manga. He is also canonly grouped with the more "perverted" countries in the series... one only needs to know what hentai anime is to understand where this comes from.
Despite appearances, Japan thinks of himself as an old man. He laments his back pains and high blood pressure. He also engages in activities that most young Japanese people no longer do, such as the traditional pounding of mochi at the newyears, or wearing kimono as casual garb in his home. Though not unheard of, it is the older wartime generations who are more likely to do as such.
Other:
Japan has a dog named Pochi-kun.
Due to having been a member of the axis, he is friends with Germany and Italy. They would often train together and Japan would, at times, clean Germany's house while wearing the outfit of a Japanese housewife. He has made them bento lunches, as well as taught Italy how to make bento.
He is friends with America, England, Turkey and Greece (the last two have been known to argue over his attention), and Switzerland, who has been known to yell at him about always following America's opinions.
If Italy's opinion is to be believed, Japan isn't the best endowed of the nations, if you know what I mean...
I can't think of anything else, so if you have any questions, please ask.
Additional Links:
http://hetalia.wikia.com/wiki/Honda_Kiku
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan
First Person (entry type):
I have just come from the conbini and am quite pleased to announce that the newest flavors of potato chips have just been released. Though last month's corn-mayonnaise flavored chips were certainly quite delicious and I am disappointed to see them go, this month's offerings include such flavors as kimchee and wasabi.
I was also delighted to find that a brand of bottled tea has begun a sales campaign in which each bottle comes packaged with cell phone charms in a variety of shapes such as chocolates and tiny cakes. With eight charms to collect in all, I unfortunately purchased six bottles. This is quite a dilemma. No matter how many times I swear to myself that I will hold back from such purchases, I never seem to be able to resist. This is simply unacceptable. As a Japanese man, I should be able to control such passions!
Though I say as such, it is simply impossible for me to resist purchasing something so cute. And I suppose the tea itself is useful. I can bring it with me while working tomorrow and avoid the frustration of trying to locate an inexpensive vending machine. If only this brand agreed with my stomach the situation would actually be quite perfect, I believe...
Third Person:
Japan bustled around his house, apron on and kimono sleeves tied back, cleaning every surface he could reach. It was nearly Golden Week; there was no way of knowing which of his dignitaries would decide to pay him a visit during the holidays so it was beyond important for his residence to be spotless. Of course this meant moving the Hatsune Miku and the Suzumiya Haruhi figurines from his desk and hiding them in a box in the back of his closet. His cheeks colored at the thought of what the reaction would be if some of the more conservative members of his parliament found out about that particular hobby of his…
He stood back and wiped his brow, surveying his work. It had taken all day, but at last he could relax. After setting water to boil for a cup of green tea, he sat down in seiza next to the patch of sunlight where Pochi-kun was curled up sleeping. Pochi-kun woke long enough to raise his head a bit and wag his tail but fell asleep again as soon as Japan began to stroke his fur.
Japan sighed contentedly as he watched some of the last cherry blossom petals on the tree outside his window drift down with the breeze. There really was nothing like a clean house and a cup of tea on a spring day to make a nation feel young again.
Permissions
Information: He is the personification of the country of Japan. As such, his "backstory" is basically just... history. As can be expected of a country, he's done alot of things that he isn't proud of.
Accessible to: His backstory is accessible to anyone with a history textbook. However, no one but omniscients/psychics would realize at first sight that he is the personification of a country. It's not a secret; he's very willing to explain why his name is "Japan". You can talk to him about whatever you like - just realize that there may be some things he'd rather put behind him. He won't be mean about it, though :)
Please contact mun before: You're pretty much free to do whatever you'd like to him. Just send me a message saying "I want to turn Nihon-san into a (rabbit/girl/baby/whatever), kthxbai! :D" and in all likelihood I'll be all for it. Other than that, permissions are pretty much unneeded with me (please, throw all the snails and brain-breaking hugs at him as you would like!), barring the normal "please don't kill/rape/maim/declare war on/otherwise seriously harm him without asking" sorts of things. Also, feel free to break the fourth wall around him, if that's the way you and your characters roll. Just be warned that he isn't likely to believe you! He's most likely respond with something like "Ah, is that so?" which, in his indirect Japanese way, means "You're crazy." :3
Contrit
Please tell me how I'm doing! This is my first time roleplaying Japan on Livejournal, and I would love feedback. Anon is turned on and IP logging is disabled. \(^o^\) Whee!