Japanese
From Age of Empires
The Japanese were an Asian Civilisation and they controlled Japan and other parts of the far-east. The Japanese are featured in Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.
Contents |
[edit] Age of Empires II
Unique Units: Samurai
The Japanese were a powerful eastern Asian empire and their unique unit was the Samurai, a strong and fast-attacking infantry which is very effective against other enemy unique units. They have a very strong naval presence in the game, with +50% Galley line of sight and double hitpoints for Fishing Ships, with their work rate improved every age. Their infantry's attack rate is also sequentially raised every age.
Official history from the game:
[edit] The Japanese (500 to 1340)
Located 100 miles off the mainland of Asia, at its closest point, Japan was a land of mystery at the edge of civilization. Isolated at first by geography and later by choice, the Japanese developed a distinctive culture that drew very little from the outside world. At the beginning of what were the Middle Ages in Europe, the advanced culture of Japan was centered at the north end of the Inland Sea on the main island of Honshu. Across the Hakone Mountains to the east lay the Kanto, an alluvial plain that was the single largest rice-growing area on the islands. To the north and east of the Kanto was the frontier, beyond which lived aboriginal Japanese who had occupied the islands since Neolithic times.
Some believe that by the fifth century AD the Yamato court had become largely ceremonial. Independent clans, known as Iuji held the real power behind the throne. Clan leaders formed a sort of aristocracy and vied with each other for effective control of land and the throne.
In 536 the Soga clan became predominant and produced the first great historical statesman, Prince Shotoku, who instituted reforms that laid the foundation of Japanese culture for generations to come. In 645, power shifted from the Soga clan to the Fujiwara clan. The Fujiwara presided over most of the Heian period (794 to 1185). The new leadership imposed the Taika Reform of 645, which attempted to redistribute the rice-growing land, establish a tax on agricultural production, and divide the country into provinces. Too much of the country remained outside imperial influence and control, however. Real power shifted to great families that rose to prominence in the rice-growing lands. Conflict among these families led to civil war and the rise of the warrior class.
Similar to the experience of medieval western Europe, the breakdown of central authority in Japan, the rise of powerful local nobles, and conflict with barbarians at the frontier combined to create a culture dominated by a warrior elite. These warriors became known as Samurai, ("those who serve"), who were roughly equivalent to the European knight. A military government replaced the nobility as the power behind the throne at the end of the twelfth century. The head of the military government was the Shogun.
Samurai lived by a code of the warrior, something like the European code of chivalry. The foundation of the warrior code was loyalty to the lord. The warrior expected leadership and protection. In return he obeyed his lord's commands without question and stood ready to die on his lord's behalf. A Samurai placed great emphasis on his ancestry and strove to carry on family traditions. He behaved so as to earn praise. He was to be firm and show no cowardice. Warriors went into battle expecting and looking to die. It was felt that a warrior hoping to live would fight poorly.
The Kamakura period (1185 to 1333) was named after a region of Japan dominated by a new ruling clan that took power after civil war. The Mongols attempted to invade Japan twice, in 1274 and 1281, but were repulsed both times. A fortuitous storm caused great loss to the second Mongol invasion fleet.
[edit] Age of Empires III
Civilization Bonus: Build Shrines, build Cherry Orchards, free Rickshaws, and most Japanese Home City Shipments are sent twice.
Unique Units: All except for villagers and monks.
The Japanese are a strong civilization, but they cannot gather food via herding or hunting, but can build Shrines around huntable and herdable animals to gain a slow trickle of whatever resource you want, even experience if you have a high-level Home City. The shrines available also act as houses; they support 10 units. The Japanese may also build cherry orchards, which are built from freely-obtained Rickshaws. As a special advantage, most cards in the Japanese Home City may be sent twice.
The Japanese have expensive, but powerful military units, such as the Samurai, Ashigaru Musketeers, Yumi Archers, Yabusames and Naginata Riders, as well as artillery units such as Flaming Arrow Artillery and the Morutaru, a Japanese Mortar. The Japanese also have powerful naval units as well. For example, the Tekkousen is the best ship in the Japanese navy.
Each Asian civilization has special monks instead of explorers. Both Japan and India start with two. Monks do not have any snipe abilities, but can stun treasure guardians and have powerful martial arts attacks. The Japanese monks also build shrines.
[edit] History (based from the game)
From the Japanese campaign: The Japanese campaign focuses on the unification of Japan, which was also a scenario in Age of Empires II: The Conquerors. It mainly concentrates on the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which players will control, and a young general, named Sakuma Kichiro, the "adopted son" of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who leads numerous scenarios before the Battle of Sekigahara.[1] First, Kichiro meets up with Daimyo Torii Mototada. Then they help the villagers outside Osaka castle, who ally with them to attack the castle. After that they have to move east to destroy villages before the villagers ally with the enemy. After the victory, in which they suffer heavy losses, Mototada has to return to his castle. Kichiro goes on to take control of the Tokaido Road (a trade route), then joins Mototada at his estate. There, Kichiro learns that it was Tokugawa who destroyed his home when he was a baby and murdered his parents. Kichiro remains loyal, and escorts the villagers to safety, but has to leave Mototada to fight alone. Mototada commits seppuku, though his death was not witnessed by Kichiro. Kichiro joins Tokugawa at Sekigahara. After the Battle of Sekigahara ends in victory for Tokugawa, Kichiro abandons his loyalty to his master and rides away through the war-torn battlefield, forsaking his honor and cursing his family name for generations.
[edit] Links
| Age of Empires III | |
| Civilizations & Allies | |
|---|---|
| Civilizations | Aztec · British · Chinese · Dutch · French · German · Indian · Iroquois · Japanese · Ottoman · Portuguese · Russian · Sioux · Spanish |
| Minor Natives | Apache* · Carib · Cherokee · Cheyenne* · Comanche · Cree · Huron* · Inca · Klamath* · Mapuche* · Maya · Navajo* · Nootka · Seminole · Tupi · Zapotec* (Former: Aztec · Iroquois · Lakota) |
| Temples | Bhakti Temple · Jesuit Mission · Shaolin Temple · Sufi Temple · Udasi Temple · Zen Temple |
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedGameSpotreview
