In the Metro 2033 universe, ethnic Japanese characters occasionally appear, such as “Banzai,” but very little is known about the Land of the Rising Sun itself.

Brief History:

During the Third World War, Japan, an ally of the USA, fought against China. On July 6, 2013, a super-powerful thermonuclear charge was detonated by a Chinese submarine at a depth of one kilometer near Japan’s two largest islands, Honshu and Hokkaido. This triggered a massive tsunami across the entire region, flooding at least these two islands, and likely many smaller ones as well. Japan effectively turned into a post-nuclear Atlantis. This same tsunami also destroyed the Russian city of Vladivostok.

One Month After the Nuclear War:

In Dmitry Glukhovsky’s short story, “The End of the Road,” it is described how two submarines, one Russian and one American, meet over the center of the sunken Tokyo. After waiting for fifteen minutes (and being unable to attack each other), the former adversaries signal each other and then part ways.

The Year 2034:

In the video game Metro Exodus, an intercepted radio message from Japan mentions a certain “Great General” (also known as the Shogun).

He is described as a new leader striving to unite post-war Japan according to his “grand plan.” Under his leadership, an army equipped with “flying power armor suits” has captured Matsumoto Castle and is now preparing an offensive against the Tokyo Crater, where the lair of some “Kaiju” creatures is located.