Japan

The land of bonus seasons.

Japan is one of Earth's nation-states. Despite being wealthy and populous, it does not qualify as one of the planet's superpowers, in large part because its Constitution has severely curtailed the scope of its military since its defeat by the United States of America in World War II. Its capital is Tokyo. In some universes, it is a member state of the Earth Defense Command.

In addition to ninjas and samurai, Japan is also famous for its cultural and artistic contributions, which include anime, manga, video games, and many stories about big, green, fire-snortin' lizards.

In Japanese, the country is Nippon or Nihon (日本, "The Sun's Origin").

Non-fiction

Japan has had a colossal impact on the Transformers brand since day one. The character and toy designs for the original Transformers characters originated from Japanese toymaker Takara before being imported by American toymaker Hasbro, with the brand becoming a joint venture between the two companies for the subsequent 40 years. Several American Transformers shows were animated by Japanese studios. Some entire shows aired almost exclusively in the Japanese market, while others, such as Robots in Disguise and the "Unicron Trilogy" were entirely Japanese productions that were later imported and localized into English.

Starting with 2017's Power of the Primes toyline, TakaraTomy began working closer with Hasbro than ever before; forgoing the tradition of toys having minor deco differences between Asian and western markets in favor of a uniform coloration of each toy between regions. Nowadays, TakaraTomy's logo is proudly emblazoned alongside Hasbro's logo on English-language toy packaging. To this day, Japan's importance to the brand as a whole can not be overstated, with Takara's work continuing to influence new toys and fiction alike.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Japan is an island by the sea and it's BEAUTIFUL.

In 1943, Japan and the United States fought in Guadalcanal as part of WWII. Starscream's Brigade

In 1985, famous Japanese scientist Dr. Fujiyama built a female ninja robot approximately the size of Optimus Prime "to benefit mankind". She didn't. Enter the Nightbird

Later that year, Japan was menaced by Kremzeek, a Decepticon-created electrical creature who severely damaged the electronics manufacturing industry there. Kremzeek!

Some time in 2006 (2010 in the Japanese continuity), the Decepticons mounted a series of nonsensical attacks on Japan. Predaking and Devastator attacked Broadside in the Sea of Japan, upsetting local fishermen, while Astrotrain attempted to ram a bullet train, and Bruticus fought Defensor outside a dojo. Despite the able Autobot defense, the extensive damage caused the furious Prime Minister to turn into a racial stereotype.

After questioning his fitness for leadership (and managing to lose the Autobot Matrix of Leadership in a surprise attack), Rodimus Prime learned from the dojo sensei the lesson that he who deserts his obligations is already defeated. Later, a Matrix-mutated Scourge attacked a major Japanese city. Giant robots just can't stay away from the place. The Burden Hardest to Bear

Japanese cartoon continuity

Story of Binaltech

When Swindle released the Cosmic Rust against the Autobots in 2003, Japanese automobile companies enthusiastically participated in the EDC's plan to produce human-manufactured bodies to replace the deteriorating ones of the Autobots who were infected.

Kiss Players

When Galvatron was ejected from Unicron in 2005, he impacted Earth, specifically Tokyo. The EDC's mission became ejecting all Transformers from Earth. Tokyo was quickly rebuilt, and in 2006 had a force of 48 Autoroopers to defend it. Unbeknownst to the population at large, the EDC was feeding children to Galvatron's spawn. Kiss Players

The Headmasters cartoon

In 2011, the Trainbots were created and lived in Japan, disguised as different models of locomotive indigenous to the country.

Super God Masterforce cartoon

Japanese citizen Ginrai left his home in Nagano in his densely-populated homeland to become a trucker on the open highways of America. Meanwhile, the Pretender Hawk lived in Japan, where he was friends with Dr. Gō and his young son Shūta Gō. With the rise of a Decepticon cult made up mostly of Pretenders and humans, Ginrai found himself caught up with the Autobots and returned to Japan to stop the cult's attacks. The three children who work for the Autobots also attended a school there.

TV Magazine comic continuity

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

Some time between 1986 and 2002, the Autobots came from America to Japan on a longer-term basis, where they befriended an Elementary School boy named Kenji. Kenji was helpful enough to alert the Autobots about several of the numerous Decepticon attacks on Tokyo around this time, as Japan apparently became the focus of Megatron's raids.

Victory comic

A year after the Masterforce War, Star Saber enrolled his adopted human son Jan Minakaze in a school in Japan. Leozack's Rampage!

Wings Universe

Generation 2 Autobot Carzap was created in the Block Town unit of Blackrock Corporation's Tsubuka Laboratory in Japan. As such, Carzap held a deep affinity for the culture of Japan. Carzap's Wings Universe profile

Marvel The Transformers comics

See Tokyo

3H comics

Some time around 2020 (Daniel Witwicky seems to be a graduate student on break from University), Japan was menaced by an entire battalion of female ninja robots approximately the size of Optimus Prime. This time Dr. Fujiyama didn't even bother trying to explain why he had them built. Japan was saved when Daniel heroically detonated a high-powered suicide bomb, obliterating the entire group of robots. Departure

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

See Tokyo

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Japan got trashed by Unicron. Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

The Autobots infiltrated Japanese society in preparation of Predacon invasion, disguising themselves and working as bullet trains, police cars, fire engines and tow trucks. (In some instances, they appear to have official standing in these roles.) Their base was placed in Japan's Metro City (Tokyo in Car Robots), which conveniently was also the location of the buried Fortress Maximus. The Transformers battle often in Japan, which must piss off the locals something fierce; poor guys can't even look at steam trains in peace.

World-famous scientist Doctor Kenneth Onishi, his son Koji Onishi and permanently damned Kelly are residents of Japan and became key players in the Transformers' war on Earth.

Japan's famous haiku poetry left a deep mark on Sky-Byte. The Hunt for Black Pyramid

Japan also has the tallest tower in the world. Until it fell over. Sky-Byte Saves the Day

Dreamwave Energon comic

See sunny Tokyo one more time.

Live-action film series

Transformers film

Sam believed a giant super-advanced transforming robot like Bumblebee could only be Japanese. Later, to show how much power the AllSpark had, Seymour Simmons demonstrated on a Nokia phone. He commented about how they're particularly nasty, owing to their Japanese heritage, saying they knew the way of the samurai. Maggie Madsen remarked to John Keller that Nokias are actually Finnish. Transformers

IDW movie comics

This looks like a job for Ultraman!

The Decepticon Overcast made planetfall somewhere in Japan and quickly scanned a new alternate mode at a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base. Then he blew up the base, leaving no survivors. Alliance #3

The Veiled Threat

Doctor Kaminari Ishihara, a member of NEST, was Japanese and a former agent of Japan's Naikaku Jōhō Chōsashitsu (Naichō) intelligence agency. The Veiled Threat

Titan movie comics

Japan had bombed Pearl Harbour [sic] during World War II and would be engaged in warfare against American forces. A time-lost merchant ship assumed Soundwave was a Japanese plane. Making Waves

Transformers Annual 2011

Grindor and Barricade lured the Autobots to Tokyo as a diversion while Starscream made another attempt to snatch Sam Witwicky. Sam in Danger

Age of Extinction film

According to CIA official Harold Attinger, Japan had probably acquired some Decepticon technology from the Battle of Chicago. Age of Extinction

Aligned continuity family

Prime cartoon

Miko Nakadai hailed from Japan. Darkness Rising, Part 2

Go! cartoon

The conflict between Dragotron's Predacons and the Swordbots took place in Japan. Go! cartoon

Spacewarp's Log

In the 31st century, Japan became part of the global island-based United Kingdom, the only Earth nation to not be overrun by Inhumanoid/Darkling Lord conquest. Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/12/05

External links

• Japan at Wikipedia