The EVE community is one of the most diverse in all of gaming. Americans, Russians, Germans, French and others all work actively with or against each other for various reasons. Coalitions form among people who can barely communicate, held together by a select few diplomats and players with a unifying rage against a common enemy, or an incredible amount of patience for a language barrier. Regardless of numbers in any other MMO, none can boast the level of communication between cultures that EVE can.
Among the smaller communities in EVE is the magical unicorn that is the Japanese scene. Unlike the unicorn, however, some of us have seen them. Some even know them to be relatively active in the community today. On random kill mails, holding a small constellation in null-sec, hiding in your same corp/alliance as we speak. We will examine and highlight the hold-outs of the Japanese community who still find ways to have fun in EVE and manage to pull together to form thriving communities.
The Japanese community in high-sec, if it still exists in the cluster of industry corps, is minuscule at best. Most have moved on to greener, or in EVE’s case, redder pastures. Anaheim Electronics and others mined in high sec for a time, and there are even signs of life among low-sec corporations. Many of the pilots who used to be the core of Runners High moved on to the very active and low-sec based Piccolo S.P.A ([P.SPA]). The Corp was founded roughly four months ago and netted themselves 564 kills in January among their 63 pilots. Their website states that while they are mainly low sec pvp based with Caldari and Amarr ship types, they are also active in high sec doing missions, and are happy to teach new players how to PvP. Low-sec even includes a 1,000 strong Japanese-led alliance under the name of Imperium Eden (< EDEN>). Other low-sec corporations include the independent and Provibloc friendly Brigade of Outer Space Production ([B-OSP]). At over 200 members, this corp stands as one of the largest Japanese-speaking corps in EVE and offers a variety of player experiences including incursions, mining and PvP.
Of the Japanese null-sec entities, those that are familiar will probably have heard the name Caladrius Alliance at one point or another. This nullsec based Japanese alliance spawned from the ashes of the old Tricell Alliance and took up its legacy. Since then, they have operated under the same umbrella, with the likes of Nulli Secunda, and now fly with alliances in Detorid and Immensea such as DARKNESS or other members of what was Guardians of the Galaxy. They even hold a small constellation of five systems in Immensea after the successes seen there in the past couple of months.
Japanese players also exist in multiple alliances, scattered about various corps and sometimes operate independently. Those fluent in English often fit in well, while those unable to communicate find themselves isolated and, as a result, often leave EVE. This, along with a general distaste for Nexon, has kept many Japanese players from comfortably entering EVE. The Japanese community is known to be hard working and net-savvy, but incredibly shy of putting themselves forward. If you ever come across one of these wayward players– and maybe even know a little Japanese– point them in the direction of some of the groups listed, or even invite them in.
Posted below are links to sources and sites for various Japanese groups. Let us know in the comments if you have any other Japanese corporations you would like to have mentioned, or any other smaller communities you would like to have highlighted!
Links: http://eveonline-news.info/
http://piccolo-spa.net/
http://www.caladrius.info/?page_id=132
