Typhoons vs the Japanese Empire

From before the Sorge Incident, Marxists in Japan had already faced significant difficulties in carrying out their activities. Many of them found employment in the Mantetsu Research Department, which at the time may have been the most advanced think tank in existence. However, the department was also known for having many former leftists, which led to it being closely monitored by the Military Police.

In November of 1941, individuals such as Mori Hanafusa and Haruo Satō from the Mantetsu Research Department were ultimately arrested on suspicion of communist activities. Rather than utilizing these people for measures against climate change, Japan instead chose to suppress them.

- ほうこうおんち

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Flashback

In February 1941, an unusual typhoon struck southern Taiwan, causing numerous casualties. Another typhoon formed in March, resulting in flooding in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. By May, yet another typhoon hit Okinawa, inflicting severe damage on the Sakishima Islands.

Despite these ominous signs, Tokyo remained indifferent. These were seen as remote events, happening in foreign lands or southern regions far removed from the capital's concerns. Between June and July, Japan entered its rainy season, which brought landslides across the country. Again, Tokyo showed little awareness.

Even after the devastating 1938 Hanshin Flood, when heavy rain caused by the seasonal front triggered landslides on Mount Rokkō and major damage centered around Kobe, the memory faded quickly. That same year, heavy rains caused levee breaches and flooding in various parts of the Kantō region, and the Naka River in Tokushima Prefecture broke through its banks. In an unfortunate way, Japan had become desensitized to disasters. The torrential rains of 1941 were met with a resigned "here we go again."

One could hardly blame the Soviet Union for missing the signs of their own abnormal cooling events, having similarly dismissed them with a casual "again?"

Soon, summer arrived, and it was hot. Unbearably hot.

"Are you trying to kill us??"

Indeed, people actually died. New recruits in military drills dropped dead one after another.

The harsh training philosophy included beliefs such as:

"Drinking water when you're struggling doesn't build resilience."

"If you let wounded soldiers drink water, their bleeding won't stop."

"If a body that has lost a lot of water through sweat suddenly consumes large amounts, it puts strain on the heart."

These notions, coupled with references to "advanced medical advice from Germany" which claimed daily water intake should not exceed 1–2 liters, led soldiers to endure scorching drills without drinking water. And they died.

During this period, what would later be termed "guerrilla downpours" occurred.

At a certain location along the Ashigara River system, a group of young people was camping. While camping could be considered a wholesome activity in essence, criticisms arose:

"You shouldn't steal vegetables grown by farmers."

"Marching around with mess kits in just your underwear—really?"

"Shouting angrily, singing loudly, and causing a ruckus—it's a complete insult to nature."

Local residents issued warnings to the campers.

"You shouldn't be staying on that sandbar."

"Shut up, you idiot! We'll kill you!"

"When you see towering clouds, you should move away from the river."

"Don't interfere, unless you want to die!"

"Hey, you young 'uns! Evacuate immediately!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll evacuate (when we're done)."

Ignoring warnings from locals and police, the young campers were caught in the sudden, rapid rise of the river. They were left stranded and swept away.

The newspapers ran the headline: "Reckless Youth Swept Away by River."

But amidst the criticism of the reckless campers, no one seemed to notice the abnormality of the sudden downpours.

Then came the Sorge Incident in Japan, though it went unreported in the newspapers. Around this time, the Ogasawara air mass receded southward, leaving the path clear for typhoons to strike relentlessly.

In early September, one such typhoon swept from Kyūshū through the Chūgoku region and into the Sea of Japan, resulting in over 3.000 fatalities and missing persons. Barely two weeks later, another typhoon followed a nearly identical path, once again claiming countless lives.

By October, a powerful typhoon hit the Chūbu region, making landfall near Ise Bay with an air pressure of 891 millibars. It caused the Ibi, Kiso, and Nagara Rivers to overflow, leading to severe flooding and landslides that left over 6.000 people dead or missing.

Although several more typhoons formed after that, they veered off into the Pacific without making landfall. However, the real calamity struck in November.

A typhoon tore along Japan's Pacific coast, from Ibaraki Prefecture through Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, before making landfall in Hokkaidō. The island, with little preparation for typhoons, suffered greatly: ships sank, landslides wreaked havoc, and the damage was severe. The Tōhoku region also experienced significant devastation. Fortunately, the rice harvest was abundant and had already been reaped, sparing the region from another famine. However, Aomori's apple crops were almost entirely lost as the fruit fell from the trees.

The typhoon, possibly hastened by strong seasonal winds, moved swiftly across the archipelago. Yet the persistent rains since early summer had loosened the soil, and the typhoon's fierce winds and rains triggered landslides across the country. Transportation was disrupted, and many rural communities were left isolated, highlighting the fragility of Japan's infrastructure at the time.

The Emperor summoned Prime Minister Konoe to discuss countermeasures. Known to have an interest in science, the Emperor was not an expert in meteorology but sensed the gravity of the situation. Uncharacteristically forceful, he pressed Konoe for decisive action.

However, Konoe was in a dire predicament. His close aide, Hotsumi Ozaki, had been implicated as a key figure in the Sorge Incident. The Shōwa Research Association, a policy think tank he had founded, was under intense scrutiny and on the brink of dissolution.

Exhausted and preoccupied with these crises, Konoe failed to provide a coherent response to the Emperor's inquiries about disaster relief. Instead of confidently assuring, "Leave it to me," he muttered vague excuses. Alternatively, he might have invoked constitutional principles, saying, "As this is a constitutional state, Your Majesty, I must ask you to refrain from involvement." Yet he did neither. His partial knowledge of climate change further paralyzed him, leaving him unable to take firm responsibility.

Worn out and mentally absent, Konoe appeared a shadow of his former self.

The usually quick-tempered Emperor had tempered his reactions ever since he believed his anger had contributed to the death of former Prime Minister Giichi Tanaka. Even so, in a moment of frustration, he snapped.

"Is the burden of this great national crisis too much for you?"

He instantly regretted the outburst, but it was too late. The words could not be taken back.

Konoe submitted his resignation that same day.

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The country was left without a Prime Minister at the worst possible moment. Though some urged him to stay, Konoe abandoned his post and entered seclusion. A successor had to be found immediately.

Discussions began to appoint Prince Higashikuni as the next Prime Minister. However, this move faced opposition from influential figures such as the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Kōichi Kido, who resisted the idea of a member of the Imperial Family taking on such a political role.

The Emperor's anger was palpable when he exclaimed, "Do you not understand the nation's urgent crisis?" which led to the swift formation of the Higashikuni Temporary Cabinet. However, given the circumstances of its creation, the cabinet became one that was highly cautious, always watching the Emperor's expressions for guidance. This was not the Emperor's wish. While members of the cabinet continually showed deference, they failed to heed the Emperor's message that "it is a constitutional government, so the government must take charge."

Despite this, in the early days, the approach seemed to be effective.

"The Army and Navy should focus on disaster recovery. Use the skills you have in constructing barracks to build temporary housing, and have the engineers repair the damaged embankments."

"Allocate emergency budgets to the affected prefectures and provide relief funds from the imperial budget to the victims."

"The Emperor will conduct an imperial visit. However, in order to avoid burdening the victims, only a small retinue will accompany him, and no extravagant hospitality from the prefectures will be allowed."

One by one, the Emperor's wishes took shape.

At first glance, this seemed like a good government. However, there is no government that satisfies everyone. Japan was a poor country with limited budgets, much of which had been allocated to military expenses to maintain its status as a great power. Now, much of that military budget was diverted to disaster recovery.

The Army, on the whole, was supportive. Though there had been some dissatisfaction due to halted operations on the China front and the suspension of supply lines, the soldiers understood the scale of the disaster and supported the priority for reconstruction. After all, many of these soldiers had been drafted from the civilian population. In fact, many soldiers were deeply moved by the Emperor's words.

"Treat the victims of the disaster as if they were your own family. Do not underestimate this task, and dedicate yourself to it as you would in a battle."

Many soldiers cried upon hearing this. Even the Army General Staff, which was usually focused solely on the war effort, fell silent in response to the soldiers' desires for disaster recovery. Army Minister Tōjō also worked to calm the General Staff. He was absolutely loyal to the Emperor, and as his agent, he became the effective leader of the Higashikuni Temporary Cabinet.

However, the Navy was not as accommodating. The typhoon in September had caused significant damage to the Kure Naval Base, and repairs were underway. Old warships had capsized or flooded, which needed repairs. Moreover, the destruction of Yokosuka due to the tsunami caused by the disappearance of America the previous year had left the dry docks out of commission, necessitating repairs that required more funding. This was denied.

They were still dissatisfied, and in the midst of this, they were talked to about saving others? How can they possibly wage war without first preparing their warships and naval bases?

Furthermore, the increased budget for disaster reconstruction forced the government to cut the money-eating Navy's budget.

Navy officer Shigeyoshi Inoue argued, "With the United States no longer a threat, and Britain being too far away to pose a major danger, there is no need for the excessive military equipment we currently maintain. We should take this opportunity to reduce our armaments."

However, Inoue was in the minority, and his proposals were not popular. Even Isoroku Yamamoto, then Deputy Minister of the Navy and now the commander of the Combined Fleet, opposed the reductions.

"As Commander of the Combined Fleet, I cannot accept that we will no longer receive the necessary replacements and repairs."

The only ones who showed understanding to Inoue were Mitsumasa Yonai and Teikichi Hori, who had already become reservists.

However, while Yamamoto publicly opposed the cuts, he did cooperate with the temporary cabinet by using naval ships to transport goods.

"In 1938, there was a power shortage in an American city. At that time, the aircraft carrier Lexington used her own power generation capabilities to send electricity to the town. The United States is gone now, but we should follow this example and ensure that the memory of America remains."

In this spirit, Yamamoto sent an aircraft carrier on a mission. However, unlike the Lexington, which used steam turbines to generate power and supply electricity for propulsion via a turbo-electric system, Japan's aircraft carriers did not have such advanced power-generation capabilities. The Japanese carrier, instead of using its aircraft, had them removed and used the massive hangar space to transport goods.

One officer cried in frustration: "We didn't go through such rigorous training just to do this..."

This sentiment highlighted a disconnection between the elite Navy officers' ideals and the practical realities of the situation.

Although it would take some time, the combined efforts of the government, military, and civilians gradually began to heal the wounds caused by the heavy rains and typhoons. Yet, the underlying dissatisfaction among certain military personnel remained, subtly shaping the reconstruction process.

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Due to the three-day weekend, there will be four updates at 15:00, 18:00, 21:00, and midnight.

- ほうこうおんち