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We here at the Ashigaru Taishou (that is, me, Reiji Mitsurugi) are all about the military, our great Imperial Japanese Army. But a strong country does not just spring a strong military into existence. The proudest cultural heritage with the longest literary tradition and most famous artistic legacy does not forge a worthy army with words alone. It takes something a little more worldly. It takes something a little more base. What it takes, dear people, is money.

Yen, won, yuan, marks, ducats and pounds, all stemming from that beautiful, glimmering metal we call “gold” in our vernacular language. It was the great western historian Thucydides who said “War is not so much a matter of weapons as of money,” which is to say that an army marches on its pocketbook, not its stomach. Food, shelter, transport and of course the all-important weapons all cost a meager amount of gold. An amount of gold which, when taken in aggregate from the numberless ranks of our invincible army, adds up to an impressive sum.

Debate rages in our Diet of Japan this week over the amount of tax money (if any!) that will be dedicated to the Imperial Army. After the recent reforms put forward by our noble Secretary of Defense and his ministers, it has become clear that the military will only reach its full potential if given institutional (that is, financial) support from the state that it serves.

Naturally, the people (and therefore, the state) owe some payment to the soldiers of Japan who put their lives on the line to maintain our safety and sovereignty. To suggest that our footmen should be paying for their weapons out of pocket sounds ravenously stupid when spoken aloud. While I find service in our invincible Imperial Army to be a joy, an honor and a privilege, it is indisputably hard work. Those who do not share my zeal no doubt need some incentive. And that's to say nothing of those who do not share my wealth. In my last article, I mentioned that business has been good at the Mitsurugi family farm. I can afford to pay for my own military equipment and still provide a comfortable life for those who depend on me. In truth, very few of my comrades-in-arms are as fortunate. Japan is a land of shrewd businessmen, rich in commercial acumen. However, those businessmen are not often attracted to the lifestyle of military service.

It is with these ideas in mind that the Taishou vigorously supports a significant dedication of public funds to the Imperial Army. A robust defense budget will build a robust military, a robust economy and a robust nation. As a business leader myself, I can safely say that the necessary tax increases to pay for this militarization is a necessary sacrifice, and a sacrifice that I proudly make on behalf of my country. At present and well into recent memory, Japan has enjoyed tax rates that are barely provoke mention. These low tax rates have been good for business growth, true, but raising the taxes for the purpose of reinvesting in the Japanese economy (with the purchase of food, shelter, weapons and other equipment for the military) will easily make up for any losses due to taxation.

Increasing the value added tax would increase some revenue, without effecting my farming business much at all. It's the income tax that would actually have some effect on what my family does. Right now, the income tax on grain is 1%. I could very easily survive seeing that tax go up ten times, to 10%, without suffering too dearly. Especially with the 99% import tariff protecting me from foreign competition. (Of course, that sets aside the fact that the bulk of my business is done in bulk, direct shipments of grain that ignore the market entirely, evading import tariffs)

What's most important to note is that all of this money: the increased tax revenue, the military funding, all of it stays within the country. All the funds go to support Japan within Japan, and only Japanese (and our Korean brethren within the Jasko Confederation, of course) are bettered by the changes in the military. Our food suppliers, our transportation specialists, and of course our weapons manufacturers will all see considerable rise in prosperity, should the congress decide to pass a strong military budget.

Now, in the interest of honesty and disclosure, I am not an economist. No doubt there are some complexities of the markets of which I have not thought. But one thing is undeniable, and that thing cannot be quantified in numbers. Germany fell. Japan has enemies that are strong in number and military power. We have already tested our pre-reform army against them, and we failed. The next time our country goes to war, we cannot afford to fail. The world cannot afford another German Atrocity, and any tax increase to prevent such a thing from happening is well worth the safety, peace, prosperity, and stability it earns.