Lens of History (1)

STEC Archives, Print Document Division
Curator signature: T.
Format: Textual Record
Object: Letter, Translated
Original Language: Japanese
Location (if known): Unknown.
Time (if known): Unknown. Suspected to be composed sometimes prior to 1972.

Majesty,

I am tremendously ashamed to say that this ancient body of your servant’s has given out at last, and that this shall be my final act of service on behalf of the nation.

Under the tutelage of our allies I have drawn out a preliminary defense plan and delivered orders in accordance to our laws to the defense force. I fear, however, that with our current strength we are but a leaf in the wind against an opponent even greater than the one we faced in the Great East Asia War. If our nation is to have any hopes in surviving what is to come, I stress again the importance of the following preparations.

  1. We must arm ourselves in what ways we can. Even if mortal weapons are powerless against the foe, they can be turned against other scrupulous parties who wish to take advantage of the chaos that the invader will no doubt bring.
  2. We must be self-sufficient. We benefit from having only our home islands to defend, but should the war escalate we will quickly be cut off from the world. If the Japanese people is to have any chance at surviving the upcoming then we must be self-sufficient in all ways. In particular I am concerned about food, but I fear someone else will have to secure that in my stead on behalf of our nation.
  3. Meritorious men must be selected to lead our people. Your majesty and the Imperial household still have much influence and insight and I only urge that you use it without hesitation.
  4. We must be vigilant and be on watch for any potential opportunities that could arise.
  5. Above all else we must be unified as one. Leadership must take upon the burdens that is befitting of great men, and we must go forward together or not at all.

Of our limited special forces, my opinion is the same as the others. Once we have reached concordance, we will train and shape them into a great and mighty fighting force, focusing on our martial traditions and our spirit of will. We will utilize our familiar advantages to good effect and train to stop the invaders at or beyond our home waters, focusing on ambush and decapitation strikes. It is necessary that we place great emphasis on individual discipline – deviance and incompetence cannot be tolerated. Not when the nation’s fate rest on their shoulders.

If we enact this plan we shall soon see it bear fruit in maybe a decade. In three decades we shall be as impenetrable as any fortress known to man. I pray only that Your Majesty shall be hale and hearty still in years to come, so you may bear personal witness and rejoice in our nation’s future accomplishments.

Your loyal and humble servant

Kusaka