[War] Japan: "Life in the Land of the (not so) Rising Sun"

[Ian Martell]

“Life in the Land of the (not so) Rising Sun”
Prime Minister Shunichi Sato
Japan
April 30 2014

It was all Sato could do not to fall asleep when he rode back from Sensoji Temple dressed in a traditional kimono, one he had worn too often since taking office. It was his funeral kimono. This time it was for the few victims of the latest Tokyo earthquake. 

He sloshed around the ice cubes in his scotch as he rode in silent contemplation. The tiredness had very little to do with the dead. It seemed to be his natural state these days, things were not going well for the Land of the Rising Sun. The earthquake was just the most recent disaster, the poor harvests worldwide were hitting the economy now, driving up food prices already high due to the fact it all had to be imported in the first place. Beyond that, there was the insanity in the Caucasus and Georgia, the safe little peacekeeping mission he had sent Japenese troops on was no longer safe and with the Chechen situation was not likely to remain little, the Russians would likely ask for higher participation and given the fact that Japan needed one solid ally in the region, he would agree.

“That will go down well with the Diet.”

Akemi, Sato’s daughter and closest aide looked up from her little computer device. Or maybe it was a phone, he really didn’t know.

“What’s that?” she asked used to his sudden outbursts.

“Sending more troops to Georgia.”

“Why are we going to do that?”

“To make nice to the Russians, besides, we need some combat experience,” Sato reasoned. 

“That will be little comfort to the widows,” she pointed out.

Sato shrugged. “I am too tired to be diplomatic about that, right now President Williams has had more combat experience than most of the Japanese Self Defense Force.”

“I always thought you were proud of that,” she observed putting down her little technological toy and looking over at him.

“That was before the world went crazy,” he said and then waving a hand indicating his kimono. “Besides Japan doesn’t seem to be much safer right now.”

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to believe the old crazies that say you’re cursed by the Kami because of all the disasters.”

Sato scoffed. “No, of course not, I am just saying death is everywhere, these days,” he explained. 

“Then why send our people to find it on the other side of the world, it doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Well it’s a good thing you’re not the Prime Minister,” Sato said and sipped his scotch ignoring his daughter’s hurt expression.

It was silent in the car except for the thump-thump of it crossing a bridge. 

“Are you alright?” Akemi asked after a moment.

Sato looked up. “I am tired Akemi.”

“Then take a vacation like President Williams,” she said without sympathy.

“We’re not America, all the seven to eleveners would vote me out of office,” he said speaking of the old school Japanese business men who left home at seven in the morning and came home at eleven at night. Sato had been one of them when he’d been the CEO of his family company. It was likely why of all his children Akemi was one of the few who still talked to him.

Sato downed the rest of his scotch and then looked over at his daughter. “I am sorry Akemi, I know you aspire to this office, you will be an excellent Prime Minister.”

She nodded showing no sign if that had soothed her hurt any. Sato frowned, sometimes his daughter was impossible, but then she came by it honestly, he knew he was the same way.

“Anyhow, talk to Yurika, and cancel my morning appointments. I will take a half day, Not quite a trip to Hawaii, but it’s all I have time for.”

Akemi nodded. “Okay,” she said though Sato suspected she’d already done something similar. “You could always take the weekend back home in Niko or in Kyoto.”

Sato smiled. “I’ll need to make up for my half-day, but see if we can get away for a trip home, I’d like to go to Toshogu, and seek the advice of Ieyasu.”

Akemi smiled. “I am afraid his advice is a bit more violent than what would be accepted by the Diet.”

“I suppose crushing my domestic opponents in combat and closing off the country would be a bit extreme,” he mused with a grin.

She chuckled lightly. “A little.”

“Too bad,” he said lightly.

The car pulled up to the Kotei, the Prime Minister’s residence, recently declared safe after the post earthquake inspection. A few meters away, divided by a security fence and armed guards from the Prime Minister, a few junior civil servants still marched their picket lines, while their seniors were snug in bed. Oh yes, the ridiculous strike, he had forgotten that in his list of current woes and the tiredness increased. 

He shook his head and set down his cup on the limo’s bar. “I am going to bed,” he announced to his daughter and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “They’ll drive you home.”

“Alright,” Akemi said and then looked her father over critically. “Are you sure you are okay?” she asked.

He nodded. “Tired, that’s all, I promise.”

She did not look convinced but she nodded anyhow. “Okay,” she yawned. “Sleep well.”

Sato opened the door and climbed out of the car a little unsteadily. “Good night Akemi-chan.”

She waved and one of the Kotei stewards closed the door as Yamagata the head of the Prime Minister’s security detail joined him. 

“Are you alright sir?” he asked.

Sato just about rolled his eyes, however his respect for his protector kept him from doing more than thinking about it. 

“Yes,” he yawned. “I just need to go to bed, oh and if your people could not wake me until 11, I apparently have a half day.”

Yamagata nodded. “Yes sir.”

With that the Prime Minister walked inside his residence to get some sleep.

Actions:

1>	Establish some of what has been going on recently.
2>	Advance personal plot for Sato, don’t worry John I am not stealing the tired out thing from you this is going somewhere else.
3>	And finally, offer the Russians to increase the Japanese presence in Georgia to a maximum of 2000 troops.