Empire of Japan - Message to the United States

[Tokugawa]

外務省
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
大日本帝國
Empire of Japan​

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From: Her Excellency Su Miyamoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan
To: Jackson Fitzgerald, Secretary of State of the United States of America Odinson

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Classification: Confidential
Encryption: Camellia 128 Bit Block Size 192 Bit Key Size 24 Rounds

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Subject: Formal Relations

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Your Excellency,

While the history of the United States and the Empire of Japan has been defined by conflict for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, ever since the two states have shared close ties. Even now the United States continues to have a deep impact on Japanese culture, our way of governance and even the very architecture of our country. As you may be aware we have recently re-established a strong and effective government following a period of internal disturbances. While we continue addressing these disturbances, we have reached a state where we are looking to open up to the outside world again. While several countries have reached out to us already, you are the first we are reaching out to.

The Empire of Japan seeks to restore the relationship we once shared, to begin that process I would like to request a meeting between your Department and our Ambassador in Washington, D.C. If you will agree Ambassador Miho Kuroda can meet at any day and time. I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,
Su Miyamoto

 

[Odinson]

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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

TO: Su Miyamoto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan ( Tokugawa )​

FROM: Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America

Minister Su Miyamoto,

Thank you for your kind message. Regardless of any past difficulties in the relationship between the United States and Japan, the Federal Government is committed to work with all other countries that have governments who are willing to work with us. It is straightforward to see what makes us different, and it is easy to allow these things to divide us, but it is more noble to find what we have in common and to work from there. It is the hope of this administration, and the American People, that we can work with as many other countries of the world as possible to make the world a better, safer, and freer place.

I have spoken with the President, and he would be happy to accept Miho Kuroda as the Japanese Ambassador to the United States. Once the ambassador is settled in Washington, I would be happy to arrange a meeting with a representative from the State Department in Washington.​

Best regards,

Luke Adams
Secretary of State
​

 

[Tokugawa]

With American consent Miho would travel to Washington to first of all present her credentials and then get her affairs in order within the Japanese embassy to be ready to present the case to the Americans for rebuilding an alliance that in many ways was Japan's most important alliance in the Cold War era and beyond. Once settled in the Embassy would reach out to the State Department to arrange a meeting. At the designated time and place a Lexus SUV bearing diplomatic plates would appear. Like all Japanese diplomats operating in safe countries apart from her driver she had no personnel with her. Security only left the embassy grounds in unsafe countries. Miho would step out and walk towards whoever was waiting for her.

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Secret​

Ambassador Miho Kuroda was welcomed at the Harry S Truman building in Washington D.C., where the State Department was headquartered. While in this situation an ambassador would normally just be escorted to a room where they would meet with a representative from the United States, some special preparations were made out of respect for Japanese customs. The Deputy Secretary of State waited at the foot of the of the Harry S Truman building along with a dozen or so members of the diplomatic corps.

"Good afternoon, Ambassador. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Grace Moss," Deputy Secretary of State Moss said. She would return a bow if the Ambassador bowed, and would otherwise shake the hand of the Ambassador as well.

"Secretary Adams is upstairs. I would be happy to show you inside," she said. Deputy Secretary Moss gave the Ambassador a short tour of the lobby and some notable diplomatic rooms of the Harry S Truman Building before bringing the Ambassador to the Secretary of State's office.

Deputy Secretary Moss said, "Mister Secretary, allow me to introduce Ambassador Miho Kuroda of the Empire of Japan. Ambassador, allow me to introduce Luke Adams, Secretary of State of the United States of America."

Secretary Adams greeted the Ambassador politely before offering a comfortable seat in the room. He would join the Ambassador and offer a number of refreshments before they got started. Once they were both satiated, they would be left alone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador. Welcome to the United States."

Tokugawa

 

[Tokugawa]

While Miho had fully expected a basic reception, the United States going out of their way to welcome her in line with her country's own customs was admirable and well appreciated. It simultaneously filled her with high hopes for the direction of any talks between the two countries and hopefully a restoration of the decades old alliance. As she was greeted by the Deputy Secretary of State she would bow out of respect for both the higher office and the country. "It is an honour to meet you, your excellency. And thank you for this very warm welcome." She responded with a smile after shaking her hand. As a history fan, Miho would take great pleasure in the tour and in some ways she even felt sad once it was over, but then there were plenty of museums and other places she intended to see in the capital and elsewhere in the massive country now she was there.

Once at the Secretary's Office she would again bow and respond to the greeting. "Thank you, your excellency. Your Department has been most kind. Before we proceed please allow me to inform you of the Empress' desire to repay your kindness in welcoming us. At her request my office has been asked to arrange the delivery of 250 cherry trees for your use wherever you may desire within your beautiful country"

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Secret​

"Please express President Sinclair's greatest thanks for the gift of the cherry trees to the United States. I am confident that we will find a suitable and appropriate location for them where they can fully express their beauty," Adams said as he sipped from a cup of hot tea that he had prepared for himself.

"Unfortunately, I do not have as wonderful of a gift to offer you in return, so I hope that you can forgive me, but I do have something for you, on behalf of the President," he said. Adams stood up, walked behind his desk, and came back with a Japanese Maple bonsai tree.

"The President, with the assistance of the White House arborist, was able to get it to the state that it is in now. I have been caring for it for a short period of time. I would be happy to have someone deliver it to the embassy later for you," he said, and then placed the pretty tree on the coffee table next to them.

"It is admirable of you to come all of this way to Washington to establish an embassy, and then to come here on such short notice. I am sure that you are probably tired, I know that I would be after such a long trip and so much work. I would be happy to have you start our discussions, if you wish."

Tokugawa

 

[Tokugawa]

"Thank you for your kind words, as well as the respect you have shown to my culture here today. Both the warm reception, and the great care that your botanist has taken to care for this beautiful tree show a respect for Japan we rarely witness outside of East Asia. My Empress has made it clear that in the United States she sees the ultimate friend of the Japanese people. Where your predecessors would have been fully in their right to leave us a dismantled and destroyed nation after the conclusion of World War 2, you instead chose to rebuild us and protect us in our times of need. Now sixty years later, we would like to repay you by offering our friendship in return. While we currently do not have much to offer, we are looking to establish ourselves as a regional power in East Asia. In doing so we believe the United States could also benefit from increasing relations and having a forward base close to traditional rivals." She paused for a moment to drink some tea herself. "To bring this about I have been asked to first of all discuss some level of cultural exchanges and economic cooperation, as well as discussing the potential of American arms sales and allowing United States forces access to Japanese territory and perhaps even a level of military cooperation, should you be receptive to any of these topics"

Odinson