Manchuria
Rich country, strong army.
Something his people used to say, when he was working so hard to catch up with the others—America-san, golden and loud and always so forceful, England-san, arrogant and commanding and interested in Japan, Russia-san, always so demanding. He has that now. A rich country. He certainly has a strong army. Kiku fought hard and worked hard and he has proven himself, has he not?
He only wants what is best. He is still ignored in the meetings, his wishes rolled over by the other, louder nations (because he is soft-spoken and polite? But how else would one behave?), and he sees the same thing happen to China and Taiwan and Thailand and the others, his brothers and sisters he did not speak with for so long. He knows he is the strange brother, the quiet one, but he does care for his family. Like a good son, a good sibling (Yao-niisama taught him about that, when he was still too young to know how to behave properly, about the importance of family). Yao-niisama is older, and he admires him so much, but now Japan knows he is the strong one. He has shown the world the strength of Asia, of their family. He defeated Russia-san, after all, did he not?
The others were not happy, when he did that, and Japan had been confused, because he was only proving that he was strong, and they had said they wanted to help Japan become strong. It was nothing different from what they did.
Japan likes Alfred-san and Arthur-san. Very much. (He isn't so sure about Ivan-san.) But he feels like they don't see him, and there are things he . . . that he is not entirely satisfied with.
Things that he wants.
He wants them to stop ignoring him and China-niisama and the others when they ask for things. He wants his own voice to mean something. He is tired of their family being ignored and overlooked and . . . and used, whenever the Westerners want something. Used and left out and taken advantage of. He wants to help, but he wants them to help him in return, and not as an excuse to press him for favors. Japan is very obliging, he wants to be, he works at it, but he doesn't want to be part of Russia-san's house, or America-san's, or England-san's, or anyone's. He is Japan, the land where the sun rises, and he is old and strong and honorable. He has tried asking, and his requests are always ignored.
So Japan will keep working, and fighting. This is for the best. He is the strong one, after all. He will do this for all of Asia, and it will hurt, at first. It is hurting him now, just as it is hurting China-niisama. He knows it will. But then they will see. They will all see.
He will be a good brother. Later. But he has to be an oni now.
Finis.
Historical Notes:
1. Rich country, strong army--富國强兵, or in romaji, fukoku kyōhei. This was Japan's national slogan during the Meiji period (186801912), replacing the slogan of sonnō jōi , or "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians," which had been popular during the end of the Edo period, Japan's time of national isolation. It entailed using Western systems to overhaul Japanese policy and laid the foundation for the Japanese military to become as strong as it did so quickly.
2. Confucianism, originating in China, teaches the importance of familial ties, especially those to the father and older siblings. Japan became very Confucianized, following the example of China. Neo-Confucian philosophies were especially popular during the Edo period, and experienced something of a revival in the rhetoric of the Japanese fascists.
3. An oni is an ogre, a demon, in Japanese folklore.