Japan never seems to join the Axis anymore in my games

[Goose]

Anyone know why?

instead they just form their own faction. It's happened within my last 4-5 games.

Not that it reaaaaally matters. but they never win against China, and never go to war with the US, makes their offensive war just seem really pointless

[SGT Spack 7]

theyre meant to, by forming thier own faction it means they arent sending divisions to europe to be destroyed by the royal navy.

[Bad Brad]

So they had to alter history and screw up the alliance between Germany and Japan just for that?

[Captain of the 4th Company]

Originally posted by Wingman:

So they had to alter history and screw up the alliance between Germany and Japan just for that?

Basically... Its the same with Portugal. It was a fascist country during WWII but since it stayed neutral in the war (and later even helped the allies with lending the Azores islands), they had to make them non-aligned. If not, if they made them fascist from the start, they would join the axis in probably every game.

[Goose]

That's... pretty dumb tbh.

There were a lot more nations that participated in the Axis IRL, but in all my games its only Italy and Germany.

And my nation, that is if I join Axis, which I usually do because it gives me an excuse to grab a bunch of land.

[Texas Redhawk]

Japan joining the Axis directly in HoI4 would mean it getting dragged into wars with the Soviet Union every time Barbarossa launches. To get around this historical focus Japan forms its own faction and instead invades China, then the rest of the Pacific, aiding Germany indirectly by weakening the Allies in the far east. Under non-historical focuses or player control however Japan can choose instead to focus on the Soviet Union, which causes them to abandon their plans to invade China and the Pacific and instead join the Axis directly.

[Dane]

Originally posted by Wingman:

So they had to alter history and screw up the alliance between Germany and Japan just for that?

Well, they kinda did do their own thing in WW2