Designer Memo: Sakhalin/Karafuto Setting
Chapter 31
Decision on the minimum direction for writing. Plans to collect materials based on this direction.
Name: People's Democratic Republic of Japan
Capital: Toyohara, population about 20 million, actual number 24 million.
Population composition: 60% Japanese (including mixed), 20% Russian, 20% Asian.
Main industries: weapons export, counterfeit currency production, chemical products export, mercenary services, migrant labor, fishing.
City image based on Vladivostok*.
[T/N- Vladivostok is a significant port city located in the Russian Far East, near the borders with China and North Korea. It serves as the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and is a major Pacific port for Russia.]
State collapse and reunification: 1993-1994.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, rising fuel prices led to frequent demonstrations, culminating in a coup d'état.
Subsequently, funds from the bubble economy partially flowed in, leading to economic impoverishment.
Especially in northern Sakhalin, where sovereignty was ambiguous, investment was hindered due to ownership issues with Russia, creating an economic special zone known as the "Northern Crime City."
Achieved excessive centralization around Toyohara.
Secured residential areas and constructed a deep underground city under the pretext of nuclear shelters, modeled partly on Shinjuku's Geo-Front*.
[T/N-The Geo-Front concept is featured in "Neon Genesis Evangelion," anime created by Hideaki Anno. In the series, the Geo-Front is a massive subterranean space beneath Tokyo-3 (a fictional city), serving as a base for the organization NERV, which combats alien threats known as Angels.]
The cost of this unification* was one of the causes of the bubble economy's collapse and the underlying issue of second-class citizens.
[P/R- I was confused when I was checking, with whose unification with whom !? For People like me who couldn't understand- until 1993 this world's Karafuto/Sakhain remained independent with a Massive influence of USSR . So with the fall of Berlin Wall this world's Karafuto was annexed by Japan. So Karafuto's unification with japan]
Afterwards, dispatched PMCs to conflict-ridden states starting with Somalia, coining the term "African Ronin."
The government established the Karafuto Reconstruction Agency, leading the Karafuto Economic Revitalization Plan.
Aimed for economic recovery by privatizing government enterprises and selling them off to conglomerates.
Heavy industry for arms export: Karafuto Heavy Industries (Iwasaki conglomerate).
Resource extraction and chemical processing: Sakhalin Chemicals (Nikikai and Yodoyabashi conglomerates).
Shipping: Karafuto Shipping (Matsugata conglomerate).
Electricity: Karafuto Power, with joint investment from various power companies.
Finance: Nationalized Karafuto Bank, with plans to sell off before the financial Big Bang due to bubble collapse.
Culture: a blend of Russian, Chinese, and Japanese influences.
Propaganda films possess the best technology in the Eastern Bloc.
After unification, the number of parliamentary representatives is based on the population at the time of unification.
House of Representatives: 25 members.
House of Councillors: 5 members × 2 = 10 members.
Composition of representatives:
Karafuto Social Democratic Party (former Northern Japan Communist Party) has 18 members in the House of Representatives, 6 in the House of Councillors.
Karafuto Christ Alliance has 5 members in the House of Representatives, 2 in the House of Councillors.
Japanese Asian Brotherhood has 2 members in the House of Representatives, 2 in the House of Councillors.
It is rumored that members from the Karafuto Social Democratic Party will defect to the Constitutional Government Party, resulting in intense conflict with domestic left-wing parties.
Pre-collapsed military strength includes two tank divisions and three motorized rifle divisions for the army.
The navy, as one of the home ports of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, maintained 30 vessels centered around one Kiev-class aircraft carrier, including cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.
The air force maintained 300 aircraft.
The Strategic Rocket Forces maintained ICBM silos and mobile SRBMs.
Additionally, the State Security Bureau's armed forces maintained a division-sized force.
These forces were prepared to attack Japan, which would become the rear area in the event of a conflict with the West*, with the goal of landing and occupying Hokkaido. In times of emergency, the plan was to carry out the Hokkaido invasion operation under Soviet command with reinforcements from three Soviet divisions.
[T/N- USSR VS WEST , Karafuto (USSR proxy) vs Japan (West<USA Proxy)]
The collapse of the Northern Japan government began with the death of the national hero and chairman of the National Council, leading to a power struggle among the military, the party, and the State Security Bureau. This, combined with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Romanian Revolution, and the Gulf War, accelerated the chaos.
Especially during the Gulf War, the Japanese government dispatched forces to the Middle East, rendering them unable to respond to Hokkaido's fortified defenses, which significantly undermined the authority of these forces.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to a spike in fuel prices, causing economic collapse and frequent public demonstrations.
When the State Security Bureau suppressed these demonstrations with force, the military entered into combat with the State Security Bureau, triggering a civil war.
As the country descended into anarchy, the Japanese and American forces intervened, halting the fighting and leading to a bloodless surrender. Subsequently, in 1994, a national referendum resulted in the annexation to Japan.
┳━━━━━━━━━━━━━┳
Translator Note
┻━━━━━━━━━━━━━┻
Take this chapter as author musing! He most probably wanted to clear his head as to where the direction of "Karafuto" would take . As well this chapter describes history and culture of Karafuto, there political scene! which conglomerate was there pre-runa era etc.