Emperor's Armed Forces in the Warring States

Chapter 24 - Growing Tension in Egypt

This will be the beginning of a new chapter.

- Yamaga

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24-1

Katsutoshi Kamisato remained completely unaware of what had happened in Japan during January 1568, when his mother, Pricha (Eikenni), fell ill with a lung disease. In fact, from Katsutoshi's perspective, the current situation in Egypt where he currently resided was of greater concern, and he was mostly preoccupied with that, hardly noticing anything else.

Over five years had passed since the Azai couple, who were also Katsutoshi's relatives, had journeyed to Egypt. During this time, Nagamasa and his wife Oichi actively recruited supporters for agricultural reforms in Egypt. These supporters, in turn, expanded their network, rapidly gaining influence in their name. When it comes to agrarian reform in Egypt, the Nile River is at the center of it.

The techniques of river engineering in Japan, based on knowledge brought by the Imperial forces, had reached a level far advanced beyond that of the contemporary world.

Furthermore, the experience gained from practical river improvement projects on Japanese rivers like the Three Rivers of Nōbi, the Yamato River, the Tone River, and Shinano Rivers, as well as the involvement of Japanese engineers in the irrigation system restoration in Polonnaruwa, Ceylon, provided Japan with an advantage. The reopening of the ancient Suez Canal, in which Japanese engineers were naturally involved, also played a crucial role, causing a portion of the Nile River to flow into the Red Sea and emphasizing the significance of Nile management.

For the Egyptians who had relied on the blessings of the Nile for generations, the Japanese engineers who arrived from Japan with expertise in controlling the flow and water levels of the Nile, as well as assisting in the agricultural reforms, became figures of admiration.

It was almost natural for the Asai Nagamasa couple, who directly interacted with these engineers and guided the agricultural reforms, to become significant figures among the Egyptian population.

Of course, the rapid expansion of this influence within just over five years had its underlying reasons.

"It's a fairly agreeable selection among the Japanese."

"One of the young executives of the India Company, and furthermore, the sister and brother-in-law of Nobunaga Oda, the chairman of the Imperial Japanese All Labor Union. They're suitable as walking shrines."

"They're young, reasonably capable, and an attractive couple. It's only natural they'd gather popularity."

Tōkichirō Kinoshita and Koroku Hachisuka exchanged such conversations in secret.

The two of them had been sent to Egypt, which was under Ottoman rule, to undertake the reopening of the ancient Suez Canal, leading to involvement in the construction of the Suez Canal itself and the improvement of the Nile River. Over time, they had become increasingly frustrated with the discrimination against non-Muslims in the Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, this growing frustration resonated with many other Japanese residents in Egypt.

As these sentiments mounted, when the two suggested among the Japanese around them that Egypt should separate and gain independence from the Ottoman Empire, their call gained substantial support. It should be noted that Japan's historical isolation as an insular nation, combined with the rapid transformation of Japan into a global superpower due to the arrival of the Imperial forces, had contributed to the mounting resentment among Japanese residents in Egypt toward the Ottoman Empire. The arguments put forth by Tōkichirō and Koroku, which resonated strongly among the Japanese, that it was irrational and unfair for citizens of the world's superpower Japan to endure discriminatory treatment like the jizya tax due to not being followers of Islam, intensified this resentment.