Japanese

A versatile civilization excelling in defensive warfare with powerful Samurai and unique Shinto shrine mechanics.

Difficulty: Medium Defensive/Flexible

Civilization Bonuses

Bushido

Military units deal 15% more damage when fighting near fortifications

Yorishiro

Shrines can be garrisoned with Relics for bonus resources

Daimyo Leadership

Bannermen provide stronger aura bonuses to nearby troops

Kura Storage

Farms produce food faster when built near Rice Paddies

Unique Units

Unit Age Cost HP Attack Special
Samurai Castle Age (III) 100 Food, 60 Gold 155 14 Bonus damage vs unique units, Deflection ability
Onna-Musha Feudal Age (II) 70 Food, 30 Gold 95 9 Fast cavalry, good for raiding and scouting
Ozutsu Imperial Age (IV) 120 Food, 120 Gold 85 35 Hand cannon unit with area damage

Landmarks

Feudal Age (II)

Koka Township

Produces Shinobi scouts, reveals enemy unit production

Floating Gate

Provides attack speed bonus to nearby naval and land units

Castle Age (III)

Temple of Equality

Buddhist temple that generates gold from nearby farms

Tanegashima Gunsmith

Enables gunpowder units earlier, reduces production cost

Imperial Age (IV)

Shogunate Castle

Spawns free Samurai periodically, acts as powerful keep

Shrine of the Divine Dragon

Massive gold generation, boosts all shrine income

Build Orders

Fast Castle Samurai

  1. 6 Villagers → Food (sheep/berries)
  2. 4 Villagers → Wood
  3. 2 Villagers → Gold
  4. Build Temple of Equality landmark
  5. Mass Samurai from Barracks
  6. Push with Samurai + Archers composition

Feudal Aggression

  1. 5 Villagers → Food
  2. 3 Villagers → Wood
  3. Build Koka Township landmark
  4. Produce Onna-Musha for raids
  5. Scout with Shinobi for intel
  6. Deny enemy resources with hit-and-run

Strategy Tips

Strengths

  • Samurai are devastating against unique units
  • Flexible landmark choices for different strategies
  • Strong defensive bonuses near fortifications
  • Excellent late-game economy with shrine mechanics
  • Early gunpowder access with Tanegashima Gunsmith

Weaknesses

  • Slower early game compared to rush civilizations
  • Shrine setup requires investment of time and relics
  • Samurai are expensive and slow to mass
  • Vulnerable to early aggression before Castle Age

Matchup Tips

vs Mongols Build walls early, Samurai counter Mangudai
vs French Use Onna-Musha to counter Knight harassment
vs English Avoid Longbow range, close gap with cavalry
vs Chinese Early pressure before Song Dynasty boom

Yorishiro Shrine Strategy

The Yorishiro mechanic is central to Japanese economy. Here's how to maximize it:

  • Prioritize relics: Each relic in a shrine generates bonus resources
  • Shrine placement: Build shrines near resource gathering points
  • Temple of Equality: This landmark boosts shrine efficiency significantly
  • Late game: A fully optimized shrine network can sustain large armies