News from Japan (formerly known as the "Japan, end of 1907..." thread)

[Walter]

In the local newspaper of January 17.

Wanted!
Looking for used typewriter. Cheap. Preferably free.
Contact Miguel Ximinez de Palinos, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Est construction site.

[maddox]

First France will have to build a typewriter delivery system.

This won't do

[Walter]

Behind the scenes of the Takashima Conference

Excusing herself, Yukie slipped out of the conference room. Looking left for a few seconds, she moved to the right. Running her fingers along the wall of the hall, she stopped at a point about 10 meters from the doors to the conference hall. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she reached under one of the many tables in the hall and pushed on a button underneath it. A pannel slid open and taking one last peek left and right, she walked into the opening. The pannel then closed behind her.

She moved through the corridor and opened another pannel to get into a small room adjacent to the conference room.

"How are things, Lord Zodd. You need anything?"

"I'm fine, General. Thanks," the big man replied. He looked at the ten A'P Knights who were with him in the room.

"A little snack could be appreciated," one of the knights told. "Perhaps some of the General's famed onigiri?"

"I'll see what I can do," Yukie replied with a smile. She then turned to Zodd. "Not much happening right now, but we do want to be ready in case things turn sour in the conference room. Might have happened if the Dutch had decided to show up."

"I've heard a few opinions of others about the Dutch absence. What about you?"

Yukie shrugged. "What can I say that hasn't already been said. It's insulting. Not only to us, but others as well who try to sort out this matter." She then shook her head. "They turn out to be worse than the Swiss. A trecherous lot those Dutch. May their souls burn in Hell."

Zodd laughed. "To imagine that the Great General Aragaki, renowned for her hatred toward the Swiss, hates the Dutch even more."

"Ah!" Yukie held up her hand. "That I never said. That they are worse than the Swiss does not mean that I hate them more than the Swiss."

"Just making sure."

"I'll be back in a while with something to eat." Yukie left the same way she got into the room.

OOC: Nosferatu Zodd from Berserk, not to be confused with General Zod from Superman

[Walter]

January, 1917

After another session at the Takashima Conference, Fu Manchu was intercepted by one of his assistants from Binbou Manchu Works.

"Sir, you are aware that with the various things happening with all the planning that the battleships Kawachi and Settsu have met with various delays with the construction?" the assistant asked.

Fu Manchu nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Now... I have this bold idea that I have been working on and that we could incorporate in those designs..." The man handed over some papers.

Fu Manchu went through them, studying each page carefully. "Interesting. Will this work?"

"I believe it can, but I will have to do more calculations as well as tests to see if it is feasable."

"How long before you are ready to incorporate these plans of yours into the ships?"

"It will take a while, but according to the latest calculations, the ships won't be ready until the end of the year and I can guarantee that I will be able to apply this to those ships before their completion."

"Excellent. Get to work. I expect that those two ships will be finished in that manner."

"Yes, sir." The man got his papers back and left.

[Walter]

January 14, 1917 note to the world

Considering the worldwide financial situation and the rise of various costs across the world as a result of the Third Pacific War, Japan announces an increase in price for ships constructed/repaired/refitted/rebuild for foreign nations. Additional costs include:

- slip/dock rental costs
- slip/dock material and tool costs
- the work force costs
- the administration costs
- paperwork costs
- paperwork storage costs
- Fuel costs (for the fuel needed to get to your nation)
- seaworthiness license costs
- armament license costs (1 for each type of weapon)
- slip/dock usage tax
- slip/dock material tax
- slip/dock tool tax
- construction material tax
- workforce tax
- workforce wages tax
- administration tax
- general paperwork tax
- specific paperwork tax
- general paperwork storage tax
- specific paperwork storage tax
- administration personel headache tax
- administration personel stress tax
- water movement tax (when a dock is used and flooded)
- waterway useage tax (for moving through Japanese waters to get to your nation)
- waterway congestion charge
- fuel tax
- oil tax
- coal tax
- pollution tax on the fuel tax, oil tax and coal tax
- environment tax  on the fuel tax, oil tax and coal tax
- seaworthiness tax
- seaworthiness license tax
- armament tax
- gunpowder tax
- fuel/gunpowder risky combination tax
- explosion risk tax

When ordering warships from the Greater Empire of Japan, proper identification papers are needed as the person must be able to show that he/she is of legal age to own a warship.


Also, while the prices of rice from the Japanese regions remain steady, there is an increase in the prices of the various Hainan and Sakhalin wood types.


Auric Goldfinger. Minister of Finance, Japan.

==============================================

(the extra ship construction costs are just IC, OOC the price is fixed (more or less))

[Walter]

January 17, 1917

To: Tatsumi Shirou, Commanding Officer of the Special Armed Garrison
From: Aniya Isao, Director of Defense Division.

Your unit is to report at Yokosuka where it will embark on ships heading for Hainan where you will meet up with a number of observers and investigators who will be heading to the mainland in order to investigate the claims of atrocities supposedly committed by the soldiers of the Army of the Reformist Republic of China. Your unit is expected to assist and protect these observers and investigators while they are performing their duty.

Signed
Aniya Isao

[Desertfox]

When ordering warships from the Greater Empire of Japan, proper identification papers are needed as the person must be able to show that he/she is of legal age to own a warship.

What is the legal age to own a warship in Japan?

[Walter]

Well, when I typed it, I put 30+ after it, but decided to remove it before I posted it as that bit is just another silly detail of the post. :)

[maddox]

That legal warship buying age can also be variable.

[Walter]

Yes, we could 'bend' it a bit if we do not like the person buying the ship. :D

[Walter]

Worldwide add as part of the Empire Promotional Project

Come all to the Greater Empire of Japan!

The Greater Empire of Japan is a diverse nation and has many things to offer for those who move to Japan. Beautiful surroundings. Many cultures. Many religions. Wonderful people. Great houses. Many jobs.

Are you bored with your current surroundings? Do you believe that the leaders of your nation are inept or corrupt? Do you believe that your life is threatened by war, crime, or something else? Do you want to leave your nation but you do not know where to go to?

Look no further for Japan is the place to go!

It is never boring in Japan. Japan is a safe nation. Japan has friendly and caring leaders who know how to do their job and make citizens happy. Japan will make you feel welcome. Japan will make you feel at home.

Become part of its culture. Become part of its voice. Become part of this great and rising nation. Help make the Greater Empire of Japan become even greater.

Become a citizen of the Greater Empire of Japan now!

For more information, go to the nearest Japanese embassy in your area.

[Walter]

Having landed his plane, captain Satake Genzo carefully guided his floatplane to the shore before cutting off the engine.

Genzo sat calmly in the seat of his Ki-11R plane as the mechanics climbed onto the plane and began to work on removing the two curved halves of glass that covered the cockpit.

Once the glass was removed, the mechanics helped Genzo out of the cockpit of his plane.

"Well done, captain," the chief mechanic said. "That was quite a good run you had there."

"Yes, it went quite well," Genzo replied.

"If we calculated it correctly, your speed over that stretch was about 230 kilometers per hour. Congratulations."

Genzo smiled. "Excellent. And to think that this machine wasn't even at its maximum." He then looks back and forth along the plane. "Would it not have been better if the Ki-11 was build like this with jsut the one wing?"

The chief mechanic shook his head. "With just the one wing, it lacks the lift we believe is necessary for a floatplane fighter like the Ki-11. Just worry about flying the plane and let us handle the technical aspects of an airplane."

Genzo got off the plane. He knew he had to do some more testing, but when it was time for the Caldera Cup, he would be ready.

[Logi]

OOC: The plane is flying at 142 miles per hour ???

[Walter]

That's why I said that you should be using the pointy ends of the float for your plane. It reduces drag.

The 1914 record of Norman Spratt in an SE.4 was 134.5mph/216.5kmh. The speed of the Friedrichshafen FF.43 (which the Ki-11 is based on) was 163 kmh (~100mph) with a 120 hp engine. With less drag on the plane with the removal of the top wing and various other bits (including some fuel) as well as making other aspects smoother and the enclosed cockpit and giving the plane 180hp more with the 300hp engine of the Ki-10 (which is 2.5 times the power of the original engine), I expect the race version of the Ki-11 to be significantly faster than the regular Ki-11.

[Logi]

OOC: Then I severely underestimated the speed of my plane.