risingtsun | Haven App (Japan)

Name: Ashley
Contact Info: (aim) shemurai | (email) chrysanthemumhero@gmail.com
Other Characters Played: N/A
Preferred Apartment: No preference aside from being with Taiwan!

Character Name: Japan (Kiku Honda)
Canon: Axis Powers Hetalia
Background/History: Character wiki
Personality:

Japan is, to start with, a very quiet and modest character. He relies heavily on traditions and "old ways," and because of this mindset, comes to view himself as an old man. He will often trap himself in thoughts of both the past and the future; a trait that leaves him feeling very alone in the world as he doesn't believe anyone can understand his level of thought. It's this mindset that guides his life, essentially. Being so caught on the past while trying to fit in for the future is a combination that leaves him a very contradictory person; someone who, in his opinion, can't possibly connect with anyone on the level he wishes he could due to cultural differences and other such things.

At the very core of Japan is pride. From the past to the present, it's something that stays consistent though its way of showing itself does change from time to time. In terms of the comic and history itself it could be shown as Japan being rude to China from the start, making things (like the language) his own and showing no real gratitude, acting selfishly (like attacking China) in order to do what's best for the country, secluding for the same reason, and even in his current time period, he's resisting being forced out of seclusion and into modernization. He's torn between clinging to the past and making room for the rest of the world's ideas. This sort of contradiction is shown mostly in his complete irritation with America, and yet moments of thinking "Maybe he's not so bad", and then forgetting creatures like kappa lived with him at all by the time England visits. They're all a sign of just how prideful he is of himself, or his country. And this pride is what motivates nearly everything he does.

He's shy, hard-working, determined, and easily flustered. He's overly polite, as well, even in the worst of situations. These ways of presenting himself are what lead to many misconceptions about how he is. He may appear stoic and calm, formally replying to situations even when he's quite upset on the inside, but his words could be saying much more than what they sound like. His answer is always "no," after all. And though he believes himself to be quite clear in the most subtle sense while saying things like "I'll consider it" and "Perhaps next time," not everyone seems to realize his true intentions, which causes him great despair. Only a few years prior to this time specifically, and a bit still now, he's even more startled by the rest of the world and their lack of understanding him. He feels like there's much to learn, and in a sense for him, there is.

Though he is stubborn and quite set on his own ways, it has been shown that Japan is very easily influenced. He even admits this himself! In Meiji specifically, he's shown to mimic other countries and seem clueless about things like nudity being embarrassing (that is until England quickly teaches him that it is!). Along the same lines of being easily influenced, he's someone that reacts quite easily to even the smallest things. He can go into culture shock at the smallest things, even more accented by this time period of attempting to westernize and get to know the world. Though anger isn't something seen from him by many (except America, probably, in many subtle ways), he is said to have the "scariest kind" in a strip with Greece. So basically, there are many emotions and naive beliefs behind his old man act, leaving him more childlike than he would ever admit.

He really has trouble properly expressing himself to others, which is the largest part of why he gets frustrated and isn't shown socializing much unless he feels obligated to. He claims his hobby is to sense the mood and determine when not to speak, but when he does have to speak, he can be clumsy and extremely unclear. Even in normal situations, he speaks overly polite and in a way that sort of covers his true intention, and often holds back his own opinion (or doesn't have one) because he'd rather stay out of conflict and listen to things without dedicating himself to any firm decision. It's joked at in the movie that his government is equally indecisive, as while other countries are preparing their weapons and armies, they don't even come to a decision to fight or not by the time the aliens turn them into faceless versions of themselves. (At least at this point even Japan can realize how ridiculous it is.)

Japan is very good at adapting to technology and learning. This is a key point in time for that sort of change that he's so good with, so while he is even more easily influenced, he's more determined to go out and learn about things as well. It's because he feels that he needs something he helps contribute to the world in a big way, and he's searching to find what he could do to be "seen" in this way.

Lastly, his personality and views on things make him a very lonely nation. Because of things like his pride and clear definition of "cultural differences," Japan doesn't believe anyone truly understands him for who he is. He feels no one else can appreciate him and so he appreciates himself, which is sad on its own. He spends time sitting alone with his dog, staring at the moon and thinking back on old times and holding many feelings he does not entirely feel are worth expressing, as no one can really understand them. He doesn't even seem to open up to his prefectures, seeming to keep a certain distance from them and maintaining a business-like attitude. The one person he's opened up to recently is Holland, and even then he tries to skate around the subject and there's a point where he's not sure he can say anything and be understood. Really it's just that old man side of him that puts himself in this state. He can enjoy his time with others, as shown when he shares his culture with others specifically (like his excitement over playing the taiko drum in the movie) but it always takes a bit to open him up.

Abilities/Powers:

Japan doesn't have any sort of "super power" like the strength that America possesses or anything, so his only real ability would be that he is a nation rather than human. This means that his body can withstand the test of time and doesn't really age in the same way of humans (or scar, it seems). Aside from that he's pretty average aside from being skilled with a katana and understandably knowing of Japanese things from martial arts to more mundane things like tea ceremony.

Sample Entry: Post from Zodion
Sample Entry Two:

(This is a sample from an app I sent to Ataraxion! Just tell me if I should write something else.)

"Hah..."

Using something nearby to stabilize himself, Japan blinked down at the ground with an exhausted expression. His vision was still focusing, probably from the shock of it all, as he was certain he didn't recognize wherever this place was. On top of that, he couldn't think much at all, right now. The only persistent thoughts that ran through his mind at that moment were that this wasn't right. He shouldn't be here.

Yet he was.

Catching his breath, he slowly regained himself enough to stand up straight, staring down at himself more properly now that his vision had recovered. Only underwear... Perhaps if he were in a better state of mind he'd be horribly embarrassed about now, darting around to see if anyone could see. But for now he just narrowed his eyes in a certain focus and glanced around, trying to find something that would snap into his mind. Some sort of solution or memory or thought that would explain all of this-- oh. There was something. He paused, taking a closer look at his arm.

DIV » ### » ###

Well he recognized numbers at least. And whatever his number was, it brought a brief moment of contemplation before he realized that this was his roadmap of sorts and moved along. As he was supposed to, he soon realized. As was intended. He gathered his things, put on the suit (as strange as it was), and took the lift to his apparent room. Things were making a little more sense now. Well, in the sense that he felt like himself. Not so much in knowing where this was or why.

He lets out one of his tired sighs that are usually accompanied by a phrase stating he's too old to keep up with this sort of thing, but instead is followed by nothing but silence. There's no one to talk to. Not even Pochi. Right, Pochi, somewhere he felt the feeling of having to recall that information, as obvious as it was. But that aside, this was strange, but he wasn't about to jump into anything rash while he was so out of it. And so he sat there in his room, contemplating things, remembering things and investigating things, until it became clear enough to him that he needed to contact someone. Anyone he could.

It had been startling all along, but it was really setting in over the course of the past few minutes. Just how would his people be while he was away like this? Who would feed Pochi? A lot of important events were going on, what if he was needed--?! All of his responsibilities and everything were left at home! Unless this was some sort of elaborate dream (at which he'd like to wake up now and scold himself for watching television so late at night and close to sleeping), this was a horrible situation. Right, people, contact, he needed to--

This device looked enough like a cell phone. Picking it up and smoothing it over with a thumb, he fidgeted with it until the correct options became apparent. A bit of relief flooded into him and away just as easily. He was only part way there. So he took a moment to clear his thoughts for a speech and clicked on the video.