My head had been rotting with Japan having DID.
A little hc of mine ive grown really attached to these days.
So yeah, Imma yap about it to you cuz u seem so awesome sauce!!! (This is my fisrt time interacting after lurking in the shadows for so long-)
DID stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder, a complex condition where a person has two or more distinct personality states (or "alters") that take control at different times, often due to severe childhood trauma, leading to memory gaps (amnesia) and disrupted sense of self.
U may be asking, what does this have in relation with Japan????
ok we entering Japan History.
The start Meiji era, notably known for the Meiji Restoration and the Rapid Industrialiazation, was a national identity crisis for all of japan.
The subsequent Meiji Restoration wasn't a gentle reform but a revolutionary demolition of the old self to avoid colonization. The nation had to rapidly build a "modern" self—a constitutional monarchy, a conscript army, heavy industry, and Western-style institutions. The motto was "fukoku kyōhei" ("Enrich the country, strengthen the military").
All this pressure lead to one thing, THE FORMATION OF THE ALTER.
Which is suprise suprise, 2P Japan. (Which ill refer as Kuro cuz there is no way im writting 2p japan all the time-)
Kuro is the embodiment of "fukoku kyōhei." He is the part that can coldly do what the host, which is Japan, cannot.
-suppress samurai rebellions (e.g., the Satsuma Rebellion)
-exploit the peasantry for capital.
-study and emulate the West
All this as a strategy for survival and future dominance. His "honor" is now national prestige and sovereignty.
Between 1912-1931, This was a period of "Taishō Democracy"—political party cabinets, intellectual liberalism, and cultural flourishing (moga - modern girls). It was an attempt at a more integrated, peaceful identity. During this time, Japan was the one who was mostly in control, trying to surface.
But Kuro of course never really went away, the the independent military (IJA and IJN) and the zaibatsu industrial conglomerates— all in which he helped build— grew in power. The military, in particular, saw itself as the true guardian of the national essence and viewed the politicians and liberals as corrupt and weak.
This view was mostly dud to the many unequal treaties AND the 1924 U.S. Immigration Act banning Japanese.
All of this humiliation was enough to prove that the government way was failing.
The invasion of Manchuria [which could be the begining of the Sec Sino-Japanese war or the start of WW2 in Asia] planned by junior military officers without Tokyo's consent, is the moment Kuro seizes executive control.
The civilian government was powerless to stop it, just as a host loses control to a dominant alter.
So like in most of WW2 evets, Kuro was the one fronting most of the time as Japan was still there, but dissociated...
So after a bunch of astrocities (Rape of Nanjing, concept of "ichioku gyokusai", Unit 731's experiments, the attack on Pearl Harbor, many more.)
Comes the collapse which was the firebombings of Tokyo and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) are the catastrophic consequences of Kuro's strategy. They represent a psychological shattering. The protector's plan has led not to honor, but to utter, unimaginable ruin. (Wow I was being.... Real poetic?)
So the switch that lead kuro DORMANT, not gone, just dormant was the Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast, The authority he was built to serve (the Emperor) explicitly rejects his path.
And the post-war event such as, disolve of the military and Constitution (1947) (a new foundational script for the host: "Japan is a pacifist nation.") and the new purpose becomes economic growth, not military glory!!!
Now in Modern System, Japan firmly in front (YAY!!!), now identified as a peaceful, technological, and cultural superpower. The "Economic Miracle" becomes his new source of pride and honor.
So now talking about Apologies.
Yeah so Japan's like "we apologize" (see: 1993 Kono, 1995 Murayama). It's a clean, printed statement. It sounds right.
But then the next day some politician visits Yasukuni Shrine (which enshrines Class-A war criminals)
That action ruined the whole message. Makes the apology feel like a script he's reading, not a thing he means. (From many countries and people's notice)
And i can see him partially being in denial, along the line of "That was a different me. A dark period. Not me me."
I FINALLY FINISHED!!!! AAAAAAH
i hopr it wasnt so confused, thiz took me quite some time to write.
Can i be known as the Anatomical Heart
hey 🫀anon!! TYSM for putting this in my inbox today! i hope in the future you don’t feel like you have to lurk or anything because this is something i am genuinely interested in reading about. like seriously, exploring these topics AND throwing world history into the mix is REALLY, really cool to me.
your headcanon of correlating the warcrimes of japan as well as the firebombings with a sort of mental break/fragmentation of the mind for kiku/kuro is new. a refreshing take on the concept of the 2p characters for sure. (at least it is for me, since i never really paid that much attention to the 2p characters 😭) also, being able to pinpoint the exact time frame that kuro, the alter, would form seems historically accurate.
reading this made me think about how japan/kiku is the type to take code switching and masking his personality to the extreme in order to fit in with other nations. of course, this doesn’t mean completely abandoning his culture, or cultural practices. he tries to mirror others a lot. it also feels like he tries to befriend everyone. which, in the eyes of other nations, deems him untrustworthy. noticing this, japan will feel guilty. but he will continue pretending that everything is fine! he’s allies with so many nations, after all! even when he’s been wronged by those same nations. this act he keeps up so often leads to him suppressing himself even more. kiku’s closest friends notice the shift from his regular stoicism to the unusual frigid behavior. but since kiku is more productive whenever kuro takes the lead, nobody really says anything. (i could be wrong but this is how i would see japan/kiku)
thank you for taking the time to write this!! it was very informative 🫶🏽 i enjoyed reading it too!!! KEEP ON MAKING MORE HCS and if you want to, don’t hesitate to tell me about them! (˶˃𐃷˂˶)
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