Diplomatic Tradition of the Mononobe Shogunate

The dual nature of the Empire of Nijisanji has made it so that both shogunates have different diplomatic policies. While they agreed to the Rainbow Palace treaty, that was due to the one common agreement they share "Foreign powers must stay out of our business!". Otherwise, they are totally different with the Shoichi Shogunate being isolationist and extremely restrictive on trade even within the Empire. They refuse contact and embassies with other nations completely. Their eastern "allies" on the other hand are the total opposite and need some degree of explanation

Foreign Rules

The Shogunate operates with these general rules in mind with their diplomatic encounters in recent years

1. Friendship only lasts as long as it is useful. No permanent treaties of friendship with powers outside of our island.
2. We operate in our own best interests, if it serves our interests to be friendly then that is our policy as is the opposite.
3. Violence is not an ideal solution, but if violence is the best solution to a major problem, it should be used.
4. Anything bad for our trade long term is a bad policy.
5. The best trust that can be afforded is trust backed by force unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.
6. We value our trade partners so long as they value us.
7. We may forgive, but we shall never forget.
8. Slights and veiled threats will be treated as actual threats. Honour is valued as much as practicality.
9. Threats to our trade are threats to our sovereignty.
10. Our words will be back by our might, should they not be taken seriously

What is important and what will always be important to the Shogunate is the bottom line and honour. This leads to problems internally because of conflict between Pragmaticists and Idealists.

To the Idealist, a veiled threat should be treated as a real one and force should be used to as the right and honourable action. Recently, a diplomatic insult from Kronies nearly lead to war because of this insult to the national honour. Similarly, Idealists believe that all treaties must be honoured no matter what.

On the other hands, pragmaticists believe war is a bad policy and that treaties are only useful when they benefit the Shogunate. The only time war is worthwhile is when it benefits the bottom line and trade. This faction prevented war from breaking out and forced the deal regarding the Port in Risu through over the Idealists. It causes the complexities shown above to be questionable sometimes because the opposite may be true depending on if the Idealists are in power.

Foreign Policy Goals

The Shogunate has the following as general goals for their foreign policy.

1. Protect the homeland from invasion
2. Ensure the wealth continues to flow in.
3. Piracy must be combated and destroyed.
4. The Shogunate must be viewed as a great power on the world's stage.

These four simple goals are manifested and achieved through the splendour of the imperial fleet. The Imperial Fleet is one of the architects of the Shogunate's diplomacy at the end of the day, after all it already is one of the three major political factions in the Shogunate. While the Daimyos couldn't care less about how they are seen around the world, the navy certainly does as do the wealthy traders that also are part of another major faction. They both share similar interests, with the main difference being the Navies tendency towards Idealism and the Traders tendency towards Pragmaticism. As things stand now, the Traders have the upper hand in diplomacy but who knows how long that will last with the recent naval expansion and threats arising.