Battle of Iyo
The Battle of Iyo was the first military conflict to be waged on Japanese soil since World War II. It took place in the city of Iyo within the Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, where the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Majestic engaged the kaiju Basan Yianzu in combat. The battle took place on May 18th, 2020, and lasted until May 22nd, marking the seventh major occurrence of the Invasive Species Skirmishes.
The Conflict
Prelude
The kaiju was found inside a large underground chamber beneath Mount Tagami during the United States occupation during World War II. The Japanese division of Majestic 12 - Majestic 4 - was formed to establish a long-term American intelligence presence in Japan as well as to study the strange kaiju in hibernation. A research facility was built within the cave and around the kaiju, and decades of research would continue, with the kaiju remaining undisturbed until a severe earthquake damaged the facility and shook the chamber. The resulting disaster awakened the kaiju and forced it to the surface.
Deployment
Naval forces from the JMSDF Kure Naval Base in Kure, Hiroshima were routed to Iyo to protect civilians and defeat the kaiju, and Majestic forces swiftly followed suit.
Battlefield
The city of Iyo would be used as both weapons and cover by Japanese, Majestic ground forces, and the kaiju in their standoff with one another.
Conditions
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force was incredibly limited in its approach as they could not deploy fighter jets without risking immense civilian safety. As such, they were primarily limited to evacuation and decoy efforts. The kaiju being able to fly made combat significantly riskier.
Outcome
After nearly a week of combat, the kaiju eventually subsided and retreated back into the mountains. Many civilians had been evacuated, but many more had been killed in the battle. The JSDF suffered immense losses at the hands of the kaiju, although Majestic technology had prevented significantly greater losses.
Aftermath
Criticism was heavily leveraged against the National Diet and Cabinet of Japan for their delayed and ineffective responses, with vocal opponents noting the lack of progress in responsiveness after both the Fukushima nuclear accident and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Further criticism was aimed at the United States for using outdated policies from World War II to limit the JSDF's growth and development, as well as the lack of humanitarian and relief efforts on their part in the aftermath. Though Japan ranks in the top ten of the strongest militaries, they were ultimately ill-equipped to deal with the kaiju. Residents of the island of Shikoku began evacuating en masse to the rest of Tokyo to separate themselves from the kaiju, and a no-fly zone was instated around the entire island. Military forces watched and observed the kaiju from afar, which had not shown any outward aggression since the battle.
Majestic was significantly more well-received and praised by the public for their use of mechs and masers to protect civilians and repel the kaiju. The Japanese government wanted three more Majestic outposts established throughout Japan. Majestic 9 was to be built and based on the artificial Odaiba island, Majestic 42 in Setagaya City, and Majestic 49 in Minato. They were seen as a more effective use of taxpayer money by the public at large and began to compete with the Diet, Cabinet, and JSDF for political influence.
Historical Significance
Legacy
May 18th is officially known as K-Day (Kaiju Day) in Japan and is deemed a public holiday.
Nuclear physicist and cryptozoologist Bryan Gareth Brody was killed in the attack. His death was a significant blow to both Majestic and the Japanese government as he had been a leading expert in cryptid and kaiju behavior. Records that were made publicly available after his death revealed he was a vocal critic of the facility's infrastructure and that it would not hold in the event of a natural disaster or kaiju attack. Ultimately, his warnings were ignored, and many lives were lost as a result of not updating the outdated architecture to meet more modern safety regulations.
Conflict Type
Battle
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
May 18, 2020
Ending Date
May 22, 2020
Conflict Result
Stalemate
Belligerents
Strength
- Maser tanks
- Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys
- Humvees
- Attack helicopters
- Oshkosh L-ATVs
- VTOL dropships
- Mechs
Casualties
- Immense
- Many
Objectives
- Evacuate civilians
- Reclaim the city
- Kill or suppress the kaiju
- Evacuate civilians
- Reclaim the city
- Kill or suppress the kaiju
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