How to beat Ming as Japan.

[Haddock]

I'm playing a Multiplayer game with a large group of people. I started as Hosokawa and managed to unify the Island by 1480. I'm in trouble though, How do I become a competitive nation when Ming is right there? Any Ideas?

[Haddock]

I honestly don't know how to treat ming since the Mandate of heaven patch. Right now I am their tributary and i am paying them a large amount of monarch points.

[Glokenpop]

Now that you're their tributary you can invade Korea and colonize California/Philippines. Try eating all other tributaries to weaken Ming for the upcoming war. After they're left with a small amount of tributaries in Himalaya and Indochina you're safe to challenge their right to the Mandate!
In the war you can try bleeding them in the mountains but that tactic really backfired for me so I wouldn't recommend it. You simply need to overpower Ming with high quality armies and quick sieges. When you're feeling overwhelmed (low manpower or 120 mercenary doomstack sitting right on Kyoto) peace out. First war is about setting a new challenge for Ming and bleeding their economy, you won't gain much new territory but now you will get full attention from the AI/Ming player and they will lose interest in fighting for new tributaries.
Be wary of doomstacks Ming makes because by now (1480) they probably have around +0,40 mandate like they did in my game. Don't count on the low mandate curse Ming army can get, it will never be up for long enough to help you.