Fast Castle · Spearmen — Japanese AoE4

Spearmen, gold, berries, then Kura (0:00–6:40)

Reach Age II at 6:40 with 25 villagers: a Barracks and 2 Spearmen to harass the enemy gold, 4 villagers on gold, sheep then berries, and a single villager on the Kura Storehouse.

0:00 — The first villager builds a Barracks, then a Farmhouse next to the berries; rally on food.
0:00 — Two sheep villagers go chop the trees next to the Town Center right away.
— Barracks done: 2 Spearmen, sent to harass the enemy gold without overcommitting.
1:00 — Farmhouse finished: Tawara.
— As soon as there is enough wood, a Forge next to the gold; 4 sheep villagers go to gold.
2:29 — The wood villagers join the food, then every sheep villager moves to the berries (1 or 2 can stay on sheep). Then put down a second Farmhouse.
3:26 — A single villager builds the Kura Storehouse (two, if the opponent is aggressive).
— 3 villagers next to the trees by the Town Center, just long enough to chop one tree, then back to food with the rally point.
4:46 — One villager, or more, builds an Outpost next to the gold; the next villager goes to gold.
5:05 — Once the tree is down, the 3 wood villagers go back to food (queued action).

Kura farms and Floating Gate (6:40–8:12)

Start the Floating Gate at 6:54 with 7 food villagers and reach Age III at 8:12 with 30 villagers and a fortified Outpost on the gold.

6:40 — Age II. The Kura Storehouse Farms are ready: send villagers there, and keep an eye out for raids.
6:54 — 7 food villagers build the Floating Gate.
7:01 — 4 food villagers to wood, for the coming Stable.
7:25 — On the gold Outpost: Fortify Outpost and Arrowslits.

Mounted Samurai and relics (8:12)

Pump out Mounted Samurai non-stop, grab the relics and keep 2 villagers on food for every 1 on gold; around 10:00: 16 on food, 8 on wood, 10 on gold, 2 on stone.

8:12 — The 7 Floating Gate builders put up a Stable. Then Mounted Samurai non-stop, with the first Yorishiro placed in the Stable.
8:33 — 3 villagers to wood and the 7 builders to food. Go and get the relics.
8:56 — Aim for 2 villagers on food for every 1 on gold: enough to keep producing villagers and Mounted Samurai non-stop.
9:46 — Optional: 2 wood villagers to stone, for a second Fortify Outpost.
9:54 — Think about Iron Undermesh.
— Shinto Priests place the next Yorishiro on the Farmhouse or the Forge, then on the Archery Range.
10:11 — Checkpoint: 16 villagers on food, 8 on wood, 10 on gold and 2 on stone.
11:44 — Checkpoint: 18 on food, 11 on wood, 10 on gold.

Tips

The 2 Spearmen harass the enemy gold (block, don’t kill); when the opponent ages up, bring them back to guard your miners.
Good against almost everyone, except civilizations whose villagers shoot arrows (English, Lancaster), Rus, and Mongols, who out-produce your Spearmen.
Variant (VortiX, beginner version): 2 villagers on the Kura Storehouse at 3:30, Age II around 5:55, Floating Gate started at 6:30 with 8 villagers; 5 of the builders then put up the Stable and go to gold, 3 go to the Kura Storehouse Farms.
A Shinto Priest goes for the relics; if they are easy to grab, put 3 more villagers on wood to build a Shinto Shrine.
If the opponent stays passive and you hold the map: Iron Undermesh, then raid with Uma Bannerman and Mounted Samurai.

Source: AoE4 Guides

All build orders: Japanese