OVERVIEW
This is generally for someone who really doesn't know what they're doing and how they can improve their gameplay. Step 1 is generally how you'll start your game, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use the strategies in step 1 later in a match.

Japan's primary strength lies in it's infantry, you'll want to leverage Japan's advantages to hopefully outweigh your opponents factions advantages.

This is a short strategy guide based off my other general overview describing specific units in detail: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2469431631

Updated according to RobZ 1.28.6

GENERAL APPROACH
Infantry serves as Japan's primary battlefield asset, when properly managed. Your objective is to suppress enemy infantry numbers while establishing battlefield control.

PART 1: INFANTRY TACTICS
Depending on what you're trying to due (Offense or defense), your plan should be to attack to take some ground, then to lock that area down with defenses, then attacking again when you have the advantage.

Suicide Charger Strategy
This is a fairly simple strategy involving suicide chargers, this will usually be your go-to "just get on the objective" guys. You'll want to coordinate your suicide chargers to maximize their grenade usage while approaching from angles that minimize exposure to enemy fire. If you have any survivors from your offensive actions, select each infantry individually and throw them in holes, bushes, buildings, you'll use them to harass and distract the enemies.

Once you do a banzai charge with grenades, you'll either keep pushing with suicide chargers or you'll be playing more reserved and buy something like Imperial Guards to secure the ground you've taken. Typically if my first engagement doesn't go well I will brute force more men in there, and if it does go well I start setting up higher quality infantry on the objective.

Assault Infantry Strategy
Unlike suicide chargers, assault infantry emphasize tactical advancement instead of frontal assaults. You will utilize their smoke grenades and full SMG loadouts to get close and really deal some damage. It's also a good way to neutralize objective crawling a few guys up under some smoke coverage.Takes some micro-managing, but can be more effective and more cost-effective if done well.

You can also use suicide chargers to soak up some fire to get your smokes down, then you'll usually follow this squad up with some regular infantry of Imperial Guard to secure the area you've taken.

Reserved Infantry Strategy
This is the most cautions approach, you just buy a regular infantry squad and setup out of the enemies range and let them come to you. You'll typically buy a second squad of regular infantry to try and achieve fire superiority. You can use sandbags and such but that usually leaves your men exposed especially if the enemy is playing aggressively, hard natural cover is almost always better.

This is typically good for a large map size where units take time to get to the frontline because your men will be out of stamina and can't close the distance with the enemy without being very exposed.

PART 2: FIRE SUPPORT
This is where you're going to be doing most of your damage, this will help your infantry breakthrough and keep the enemy infantry sparse and weak.

Mortar Support
Pretty much every game you'll be buying at least 1 mortar, usually the Type 97 Mortar (The 90mm one) is your best option. You can opt for something like the Izusu mortar but that thing has some quirks to it, such as near-misses completely disabling the vehicle.

You will want to balance your mortars safety with engagement range, position mortars to target enemy infantry entering their frontline positions. Hide behind buildings or hills and try to avoid being so close that you can be overtaken by infantry.

SS-D Support
The SS-D flame tank offers exceptional value on the right maps. If you can position this tank well you can lock down a large area for a very long time. If the enemy is unprepared this can be devastating, but typically as time goes on in the match it becomes harder to get the SS-D into a good position because the SS-D is so slow and vulnerable from light enemy AT fire.

Positioning proves to be more effective then rushing the enemy, so execute limited advances to eliminate the enemy frontline, then withdraw to your secure position before the enemy reacts to you.

Early Anti-Armor Support
AT riflemen offer immediate, cost-effective solutions. Although, usually you won't need an AT riflemen unless you're playing against the UK, as Imperial Guard spawn with an AT bazooka man that you can use, but an AT rifleman is a safe bet.

The 20mm is also a good option, reliable against light vehicles and provides good infantry suppression. Generally serves as a secondary priority behind a dedicated AT unit though.

THE NEXT STEP
After Step 1, your focus should transition to reinforcing your line with better anti-tank assets and even some more elite infantry if you feel like you need it.

If your early game objectives remain contested, you will need to establish defenses before you push again so you can prevent any enemy breakthroughs. Then once your line solidifies, quickly start beginning some new offensives.

PART 1: HARDEN UP & MAINTAIN
Heavier Assets
Start investing in major assets; AT guns, tanks, bigger support equipment, anything you think you'll need. These purchases represent significant resource commitments that must deliver the most benefit. Typically the first you thing you'll need buy when you can is an AT gun and set it up in a good position. If you need a tank ASAP the Chi-Nu is a good option, but typically you'll go for something like the Chi-To or the Chi-Ha 120 and ignore everything else.

Replenishment
Your infantry overtime will die off, so you need to make sure you are replacing your infantry often, when your defensive infantry are dwindling make sure you send up another squad to take their place. Typically I will use Imperial Guard as my standard infantry, but if you have the MP you can use Takasago or SNLF Marines as replacements. That being said if they're dying a lot downgrade to some regular infantry so you're not spending as much buying units that will just die anyway.

Make sure all your support equipment, especially mortars, are being supplied with ammo, when your equipment runs out of ammo they are useless and the purchase because less and less worth.

PART 2: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Strategic Decision
Once you're setup you need to make a choice; either maintain your current position spending little slowly strengthening yourself, stay defensive and spend MP to help your teammates, or start spending MP attacking.

Whatever you choose, it's still important to keep refilling your lost men and equipment if you need it. Just know that depending on what you choose will help you less or more towards the end of the game.

Late-Game Dominance
Typically Japan towards the end of the game will have a lot more MP than the other factions do, you can play to this advantage by overwhelming the enemy when they don't have enough MP to counter-attack. Try to stay under 50 CP throughout the entire game, this will give you so much more MP by the time the game comes to an end, so try not to overspend and have too much on the map all at once.

PART 1: PRIMARY THRATS
Tank Counter Strategy
Armored threats represent Japan's greatest vulnerability, you'll need to focus on and execute anti-tank countermeasures throughout the entire match. Any kind of vehicle that can take out lots of your infantry or rush into your back line are TOP priorities, things like flame tanks or staghounds-like vehicles.

Equipment Balance
You'll need to leverage your vehicles and equipment to their strengths, don't spam buy tanks and expect Japanese armor to bounce anything. You have to place your tanks in good positions and utilize their max range as much as possible. Excelling with Japan will require you think about where everything is on the map and making use of it when you need it.

PART 2: BE MINDFUL
Early-Game Aggression
Try to maximize territorial expansion early in the game so you can sit in a defensive posture for most of the game. Typically, defending is much easier and it gives you control of the battlefield.

Typical Game
Being forced to attack all game is not good for Japan, you want to pinpoint your aggression, attacking aggressively when and where you need it. Japan is better at defending then they are at attacking. Typically you will be shifting from offense to defense throughout the game, only attacking to keep pressure the enemy, but if they're attacking you know they're spending money to attack and not building up.

STRATEGIC REVIEW
Threat Priority
While tanks generally warrant your primary focus, mounted machineguns can pose greater threat immediate threats to your infantry than tanks, particularity to things like suicide charger assaults. You'll need to evaluate what needs to be focused and what can wait.

You should default yourself to anti-tank, but you need to remain alert for higher-priority situational threats that could compromise any ongoing operations.

Stay Focused
Overtime you'll learn Japan's weaknesses and mold this overall strategy to become your own. Flexibility and rapid adaptation to changing battlefield conditions remain the fundamental keys to achieving consistent victory. Rigid tactical approaches fail against competent players who will exploit predictable patterns.

NOTES

• Pressing F1 and left clicking on your keyboard to easily grenade spam, F2 for anti tank grenades.
  
• Double tapping L on a vehicle will cause the men to get out and self destruct the vehicle, to stop this process put men back inside the vehicle.
  
• The Type 97 Mortar only needs infantry ammo to be supplied, but heavy ammo boxes work for it as well.
  
• Tanks such as the Chi-To have 3 different kinds of armor piercing rounds, press I and double click on the bottom most shell (Typically the most penetrating of all the AP rounds for that tank), or while direct controlling a tank you can press spacebar to switch between the ammo types.
  
• You earn more MP when your CP (Command points, more units you have on the field the higher this number is) is below 50, 100 being your max. So buy officers when you are over 50 CP and the amount at which you gain MP will be increased.