Japan

"When you think about it, the 21st century is the time of the Corporate nation. There are democracies (few untainted by corp money), and a few kingdoms, but there is only one empire left in the world: Nippon (Japan)"

- Pacific Rim

Japan is a major country and one of the biggest economic and military powers in cyberpunk. It is a very high tech country and it has an ancient culture with many traditions. Its name is 日本; Nippon or Nihon, which means "sun origin" or "land of the rising sun". The Japanese archipelago is located in East and North East Asia.

The headquarters of Arasaka is located in Tokyo, Japan. Arasaka is a zaibatsu and the most powerful megacorporation in the world. Arasaka dominates much of Japan and the third world. The term "third world" is commonly assigned to America. Japan has strong trade relations with the United States.

In the 1990s Japan abolished the pacifist clause (article 9) of the 1947 constitution which was mainly written by the United States after World War 2. This allowed Japan to have a normal military again with full offensive military capabilities. Consequently the US withdrew its military presence in Japan.

Japan has solid relations with Taiwan. In 2009, Taiwan became an official independent country with the support and protection of Japan and Arasaka.

By the year 2020 The United States has largely retreated from the Pacific Rim, with Japan filling the vacuum of power and supporting the U.S. economy; although tensions remain from the trade wars of the '90s. Guam has maintained its U.S. military base. The United States signed the Mutual Defense Treaty of 2009 with the rising power of China. The United States participates in military drills with but not limited to Japan and Australia.

By 2020 Arasaka developed their security division and their forces are highly trained at the Arasaka school in the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The Hokkaido Training Camp is the main training facility of thousands of potential recruits.

New Yen
In 2015 Japan established the New Yen currency and Japan was removed from the EEC. The Japanese Yen has a purchasing power that is comparable with the U.S. dollar. It is half as valuable as the Eurodollar.

Headquarters
The headquarters of Arasaka in Tokyo, Japan consists of two skyscrapers known as the Boys in Black, due to the similarities between the two imposing black towers and the black-clad Arasaka Security guards. They dominate the Tokyo skyline and are easily recognizable, not from their shape or size, but for the giant back-lit Arasaka Logos at the top of the towers. Arasaka regional offices around the world follow the same pattern with their buildings looking almost identical. The lobby of the building is stylish and spacious and features a mix of modern and contemporary Japanese styling. The Tokyo HQ houses the current CEO Kei Arasaka as well as the executive Vice Presidents the board of directors and other various officials. The Tokyo tower alone employees upwards of fifteen thousand employees.

R&D Installation
The R&D Installation is in the northern part of Honshu, Japan. The Research and Development Installation is a secretive facility where only the most sensitive of research is carried out. Situated here are five Microtech SPARTA supercomputers backing up the entirety of the Arasaka company database. The facility is comprised of three large nondescript buildings in the middle of an 5000 acre compound. The compound is sat on the coast, which was purchased by Arasaka after the collapse in the 1990s. Underground features a huge sprawling complex that links the sites together.

Arasaka Weapons Factories
The Arasaka weapons factories are located in a heavily secured 500 acre area of Yokohama in the Tokyo bay. There are three factories to be precise, all with their own specialty.

Arasaka Family Compound
The Arasaka Family Compound has been in the Arasaka family for many years. It is situated on twenty acres of land, just outside of Tokyo. This impregnable fortress was built in the style of feudal Japan and acts as a headquarters for Saburo Arasaka and his family. The twenty acres is divided up by the main house, a gymnasium, Shinto shrine, a cherry grove garden and an Osprey landing pad.

Kendachi
Kendachi is a Japanese advanced arms manufacturer. Noted products include flamethrowers and monoblades.

Kiroshi
Kiroshi is a cybernetics company that specialises in optics.

Society
Japan is a highly urbanized society. There are many big cities filled with skyscrapers. There are royalty, rich people, middle class, and the poor. The people utilize a lot of high tech that is developed domestically. Japan has an ancient culture with many traditions. Etiquette, punctuality and harmony is important. The group is frequently put before the individual.

Timeline
This is the timeline of events related to Japan in cyberpunk. It's based on information from all the officially published Cyberpunk 2013 and Cyberpunk 2020 rule books and sourcebooks.

1800s

 * Sasai Arasaka is born in the mid-to-late 1800's.
 * The Arasaka Corporation is founded sometime in the late 1800's.

1910

 * 1919
 * Saburo Arasaka is born.

1940

 * 1942
 * Saburo Arasaka is heavily wounded in combat. He is medically discharged from the Imperial Japanese Navy and returns home to Tokyo.
 * 1945
 * World War 2 ends.
 * Saburo Arasaka attempts suicide on the day of the Japanese surrender.

1960

 * 1960
 * Sasai Arasaka dies.
 * Saburo Arasaka assumes control of the Arasaka Corporation and immediately creates its security division to undertake black operations.

1980

 * 1980
 * Kei Arasaka is born.

1990

 * 1992
 * Arasaka, EBM and Petrochem fund the creation of Coronado City.
 * 1995
 * Yorinobu Arasaka is born.
 * 1996
 * Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is scrapped by Arasaka backed politicians.
 * The United States Military withdraws from Japan and Korea.
 * The Bald Hill political scandal occurs in Japan and 60% of politicians were arrested for bribery charges.
 * 1997
 * The Yasubisu Affair occurs. 24 French Police officers are killed by Arasaka Security when attempting to arrest a high level executive.
 * 1999
 * Hanako Arasaka is born.

2000

 * 2001
 * The Japan Aerospace Bureau is established.
 * Australia reforms as the Federal Republic of Australia. Western Australia declares independence after rejecting the new government, they are backed by Arasaka.
 * 2008
 * Taiwan declares independence with the assistance of the Arasaka Corporation.

2010

 * 2013
 * Emperor Showa-Tenno dies and Emperor Shinka-Tenno ascends the throne in Japan.
 * 2014
 * Emperor Shinka-Tenno is removed from power in Japan.
 * 2015
 * Japan is removed from the EEC.
 * Japan establishes the New Yen currency.
 * The Yen War begins in Europe, with Germany aiming to limit international corporations in Europe.
 * 2016
 * Water riots begin in Australia. Arasaka funds construction of a desalination plant.
 * 2017
 * Arasaka discovers precious natural deposits under a facility in Africa. Militech supports the native population in removing Arsaka, they fail and Arasaka buy the rights to the land.
 * 2019
 * Emperor Jinkyoku-Tenno ascends the throne in Japan.

2020

 * 2025
 * NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Bureau launch a joint mission to Saturn.