Japan

Japan, officially the Empire of Japan, was a country in Asia before the Great War.

Pre-War
In 1941, during World War II, as part of the Axis Powers, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor. One year later the Sierra Army Depot was constructed to defend the United States should Japan attack the West Coast. In 1945, the United States military dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bombs being named "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" respectively. This was the first time nuclear weapons had been deployed in combat, and the only such event to occur before the Resource Wars.

The pre-War Battle of Iwo Jima is depicted on a mural in the Museum of Freedom of Concord and the Battle of Okinawa is mentioned in tandem with other pre-War conflicts such as the Battle of Anchorage, Antietam, and Amiens.

In the United States circa 2077, the Pioneer Scouts codebreaker exam describes Japanese as a patriotic language, as well as a Watoga High School marching band field trip raising funds to take a plane trip to the country.

Post-War
In 2241, some descendants of the Yakuza, the pre-War Japanese mafia, inhabit the area around New Reno, perpetuating the tradition of their expertise in swordplay and throwing weapons. They carry short swords known as wakizashi. They have no known headquarters and travel in small bands, fighting against New Reno's mobsters and scouting the Wasteland around New Reno. Weapons of Japanese ancestry known as katanas can be found in the Mojave Wasteland as well as throwing stars in the Great Midwest Commonwealth.

In 2277, Toshiro Kago, a samurai of the Oda clan born sometime before 1562 during the Sengoku period, was found aboard Mothership Zeta by the Lone Wanderer after being abducted by aliens seven centuries earlier.

Some robots seen in the Commonwealth speak Japanese. In 2282, Takahashi, a protectron, has been set up to work at Power Noodles. The only thing he can say is "Nan-ni shimasu-ka?" (なんにしますか？) or "What will you have?" The mayor notes that this could be due to malfunction. The companion Curie will ask Takahashi about the menu. When he responds with his usual greeting, she will introduce herself to him in Japanese, saying "Watashi wa Curie desu" (私はキュリーです) which means "I am Curie."

Appearances
Japan is mentioned in Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and its add-on Mothership Zeta. It is also mentioned in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Gun Runners' Arsenal, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 4, in the Fallout 76 add-on Wild Appalachia, and was to appear in the canceled Fallout Extreme.

Behind the scenes
Japan is a real world island country of the same name located off the eastern coast of Asia.