CHAPTER 1940

Translated original story, written by author:

ほうこうおんち

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The Tumultuous September of 1940 Begins

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On September 11, 1940, Seijūrō Matsuoka, a bureaucrat from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, found himself succumbing to an unsettling tremor.

"What's this? About magnitude 3? It's shaking so slowly and for such a long time."

It was a peculiar earthquake. Not only in Tokyo but also in Sapporo, Naha, Keijō (Seoul), and Taipei, similar tremors were being felt. The shaking was uniform across all locations, with prolonged, long-period vibrations.

"The epicenter must be far away."

"Indeed. Where could it be?"

This earthquake defied their common understanding. They would learn the truth a few days later.

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Four days later, at the British Embassy in Tokyo.

Due to the deterioration of Anglo-Japanese relations, this embassy had ceased its usual friendly activities. Its operations were now limited to intelligence gathering and relaying diplomatic cables from the British government to Japan.

The United Kingdom, aligned with the United States, was opposing Japan, which was in the midst of invading the Republic of China. Secretly, Britain was supporting Chiang Kai-shek. Amid the tense Anglo-Japanese relations, an urgent telegram arrived at the embassy.

"You called for me?"

George Sansom, a historian and diplomat, was summoned by Sir Robert Craigie, the British Ambassador to Japan.

He wasn't the only one called. All prominent diplomats and military attachés stationed in Tokyo were gathered. Ambassador Craigie, wearing an expression none of them had ever seen, began to deliver an unbelievable announcement.

"Gentlemen, the United States has disappeared."

"What?"

"Has there been a revolution or coup in the United States?"

"Did the Nazis take over in America?"

"What exactly has happened?"

"The North American continent has vanished."

"I don't understand."

"I mean it literally. Even I can hardly believe it. But please, hear me out."

The attendees leaned in to listen to the ambassador's account.

The first to notice the anomaly were British ships en route to the United States. They were initially tossed about by an unanticipated shaking. A few hours later, they found that they could no longer locate the American mainland. Ordinarily, they would have spotted the East Coast of the United States. Yet, no matter how far they sailed, the land was nowhere to be seen.

And it wasn't just the United States. Canada was gone. Mexico, too, had vanished.

The entirety of the landmass known as North America had disappeared. Only a handful of islands remained—some from former Canadian territories in the Arctic, and others in what was once the Caribbean Sea. Since many British ships were headed toward America, multiple vessels reported the same findings. Unable to believe the accounts, the British dispatched naval warships and conducted aerial reconnaissance, eventually confirming that the continent had indeed disappeared.

"I can't believe this."

In response to the reactions around him, he replied: "Neither can I. At first, I thought those back home were trying to pull an out-of-season April Fool's prank on us. But apparently, even the Germans are reporting the same thing. Although it seems Hitler doesn't believe it..."

By 1940, World War II was already underway. France had surrendered to Germany on June 25. Over British skies, the Battle of Britain raged, while German U-boats prowled the Atlantic. The U-boats had advanced near the Americas to sink British merchant ships purchasing supplies from the United States. However, even these U-boats were caught in the mysterious vibrations. Following this, they lost sight of the lights of the American East Coast, their intended target. The American radio broadcasts they expected to hear were also silent.

In a panic, the U-boat captains sent a flurry of encrypted messages back to Germany. Their alarm was so great that they ignored the risk of having their positions detected. Although Britain had not yet cracked the Enigma codes at this point, they could roughly guess the contents of these transmissions.

"And so, the disappearance of America poses a crisis for our United Kingdom. We must pivot our diplomatic policy. The government back home has instructed us to improve relations with Japan to prevent their potential alliance with Germany."

Nine years earlier, the Manchurian Incident occurred. Eight years ago, the puppet state of Manchukuo was established. Seven years ago, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations. These events increasingly isolated the Empire of Japan.

During this time, Japan entered into the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Italy. This agreement, which also included Italy—similarly isolated after its invasion of Ethiopia—was a pact to unite against communism. It was not yet a military alliance.

Now, Britain was already at war with Germany. With America gone, Britain could no longer afford to make Japan its enemy.

The disappearance of the American continent had transformed the geography of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans into a continuous expanse, creating a direct route between Japan and Britain. If Japan were to form an alliance with Germany and declare war on Britain, the British Isles would be vulnerable to an attack from a fleet coming from across the Atlantic. Not from an unbalanced fleet like the German navy, but from one of the world's top three naval powers—a fleet Britain itself had once helped to strengthen. Britain understood Japan's naval capabilities better than anyone.

"Gentlemen, under no circumstances should we allow a situation where both Japan and Germany become our enemies simultaneously."

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Meanwhile, Japan was in utter chaos.

On September 12, a mysterious tsunami struck, causing widespread damage to coastal areas. Regions with rias coastlines, which had not yet recovered from the devastation of the 1933 Sanriku tsunami, were hit hard again. With its extensive coastline and numerous remote islands, Japan was overwhelmed with gathering damage reports from across the nation.

Communication with American consulates and trading companies had also been completely severed. While trade with the United States had already diminished due to repeated embargoes, Japan still relied heavily on American imports of vital resources such as oil and scrap iron. Now, messages from Japanese merchant ships were coming in, reporting that they had lost their bearings and could no longer find America. Matsuoka from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry found himself right in the middle of these discussions, which had consumed every conversation around him.

He had already been selected to represent the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in a research division tasked with preparing for the possibility of a full-scale war with America, slated to begin its operations in October. Though not yet forty, Matsuoka was an elite bureaucrat, highly regarded for his future prospects and considered a candidate for vice-minister. This distinction had drawn the attention of Britain, which was relentless in its intelligence-gathering efforts.

George Sansom, from the British Embassy, repeatedly sent him requests: "I absolutely must meet with you."

'At a time like this...'

Yet, in a ministry bound by non-confrontational traditions, neglecting diplomacy—even with a country that might soon become an enemy—was not an option. Given the Minister of Commerce and Industry's stance, Matsuoka reluctantly agreed to the meeting.

'I won't get arrested for treason, will I?'

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry wasn't foolish. To ensure transparency, they contacted the police and arranged for them to secretly accompany Matsuoka to the meeting.

'Meeting a foreigner under the surveillance of the Special Higher Police... It's truly unnerving.'

But what was truly unsettling was yet to come.

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"Sir, forgive my lack of decorum, but this is an emergency, so I'll get straight to the point."

After a quick handshake and minimal formalities, Sansom began speaking. A member of the Special Higher Police sat close enough to hear the conversation. The faint odor of tobacco and leather gave away the officer's presence.

"What is so important that you summoned me to this place?"

They were in a hotel café, where tea was served—quintessentially British—but the venue allowed for potential eavesdropping.

"If it were a private room, you wouldn't have come. Besides, just as I've reached out to you, my colleagues are meeting with many other Japanese officials as well."

Matsuoka felt a palpable shift in the atmosphere, as though the agent nearby had suddenly become more tense. However, Sansom's next words shattered that tension entirely.

"You won't believe this, but the United States of America has disappeared. Not just America—Canada and Mexico are gone too. Surely, your government has noticed the inability to connect with America by telephone? First, I need you to verify this. After that, I want to discuss trade with you. This is so unbelievable that I don't care where or who hears it. In fact, I'd welcome someone proving me wrong. I even encourage the agent accompanying you to investigate this claim. Here's my card and contact information. Please confirm the truth of my words, and then let's meet again to discuss further."

While Matsuoka was stunned, he continued.

"This is on me. I'll even cover the agent's tab. Now, please return quickly and confirm what I've told you."

As he turned and walked away, the sharp cut of Sansom's double-breasted suit caught Matsuoka's eye.

"You may return now. Leave the rest to me."

The visibly unsettled Special Higher Police officer regained his professional composure and turned to Matsuoka. With that, the officer followed Sansom out of the café.

Walking along the streets of Kasumigaseki on his way back, Matsuoka mulled over what Sansom had said. He arrived at an utterly obvious conclusion—and was horrified.

"The United States of America has disappeared? The resources Japan relies on from that country are absolutely essential! If this is true, our nation's industries will collapse entirely!"

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The protagonist, Seijūrō Matsuoka, is based on a real historical figure. However, the character's name has been altered out of respect for his descendants, and while his position remains the same, his personality and thought processes are entirely fictionalized.

Other characters, for the most part, are actual historical figures.

This story straddles genres—it's not quite a war chronicle (as it focuses more on diplomacy and economics than on combat), and as a historical piece, it leans heavily on scientific and speculative simulation, so it ended up in this niche category.

It doesn't quite feel like science fiction either.

Two more updates will be posted later today.

- ほうこうおんち