Ashihara

Toyoashihara no Mizuho no Kuni (豐葦原の瑞穗の國, Lit. "Country of Lush Ears of Bountiful Reed Plains"), or colloquially just Ashihara, is a large island country exposed to intense weather, and harbours four distinct seasons, with a climate that ranges from subarctic in her northernmost regions and subtropical in her south.

Etymology
The name Toyoashihara no Mizuho no Kuni is a learned name from the Earthen Kami, who bestowed this knowledge to early humans on the island.

Geography
Ashihara shores a rough, unrelenting sea. The land observes three moons and one sun, bringing about bright nights and unpredictable tides.

Climate
The north sports temperate summers and terribly cold winters with heavy snowfall, particularly amidst the mountains. [ DESCRIBE EAST] The west and southernmost areas of Ashihara record humid and hot summers and mild winters. The lowest recorded global temperature was - 35 C, and its highest was 40 C.

Government and Politics
Ashihara is headed by her Radiance the Emperor and the House of Representatives. The system of government is a parliament in the making.

Political verdicts are brought to the Nakatsukasasho, the Ministry of Central Affairs, which regulates the ministry of justice, education, civil security, and other relevant ministries pertaining to its citizen's needs. Though Nakatsukasasho includes the Ministry of Defense, which oversees the imperial army and navy, it has not seen relevant use outside of civil security and disaster aid since the warring states era. Critique of the obsolete Nakatsukasasho and peerage reform has been simmering within progressive circles since civil revolts began in 1882, starting with a grassroots revolt that formed in PREFECTURE 58, and progressive parties lobby for a fair government.

The Nakatsukasasho consists of a left ministry that governs socio-cultural affairs and a right ministry that manages economic and juridical matters. The following ministries are of the left: The Ministry of Civil Affairs The Ministry of Internal Affairs and communications The Ministry of Education and Culture The Ministry of Science and technology The Ministry of Health and Welfare Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery

Then next are of the right: The Ministry of Defense and Naval affairs The Ministry of Public Safety The Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Divination The Ministry of the Imperial Household The Ministry of Finances The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

Highest Positions in the Nakatsukasasho Though civilians are able to work their way up to a position in either ministry without their heritage branching from a notable root clan, they are unofficially restricted to posts within their prefecture. [...cont, include state officials, governors, mayors, etc,]

Kazoku A household’s social status in Ashihara is deeply steeped in the presence, or lack of, aristocratic ancestors. An ordinary citizen is often able to trace their “original” ancestor back to the status of village headman, samurai, warlord, feudal domain lord, court noble, royal prince, or emperor. Stories of subsequent family downfall (to explain their present commoner status) are heard more often than those of ascension from bottom to top.

The credence given to the Imperial line and the subsequent peerage finds its roots in these notions of ancestry. What determines a household’s current eschelon is defined primarily by the highest possible office held in the imperial court.

The positions available to someone of high status will depend on their placement in the Kazoku, as defined by the Kazoku-rei. The Kazoku-rei is a system which places houses of import into five distinct ranks:

Koshaku (公爵) This rank is composed of the clans closest to the Imperial family (Hinonishi-no-miya). This includes: O-asatera-uji Akeshina-no-miya Minawata-ke Ayanishi-ke C Libs D Traditionalists

Koshaku (侯爵) 2 electric boogaloo Offshoots of the former Toyosaki Clan O-meguyoku-uji O-toyotobanashi-uji O-sugisato-uji

Hakushaku (伯爵) The Jinke The Nagikari (by technicality) Warrior Families allied with the Asatera Clan

Shishaku (子爵) Members of this rank are established families who contributed to the founding of Ashihara’s central government. Branch families of allied warrior families Other warrior families Famous artisan families Old blood politicians Monetarists

Danshaku (男爵) Members of this rank are distinguished families who found their footing in Ashihara’s government following the industrial revolution. These families would include: Non-imperial Shrines New-age politicians Lawyers Doctors Professors

Onmyoryo | bureau of divination The bureau of divination, colloquially known as the Onmyoryo, is a branch of the Nakatsukasasho responsible for the regulation of fortune-telling, spellcraft, astronomy, enforcement of religious laws, and approval of Shikigami for traditional use, otherwise called ‘Onmyodo’. The Onmyoryo receives its assignments from the Nakatsukasasho after a civil incident cannot be solved through civil means.

Jinke | Jin, Miko, Onmyoji Jinke (神家 Lit. “Kami House”) also called Shake (社家 Lit. (Historical) “Kami offering House” or (Modern) “House of Associates”), are the hereditary households in charge of the imperial and government-mandated shrines. Jinke typically enshrine past emperors or imperial family members and are considered a faction of the House of Representatives, in service of Her Radiance the Empress. The Jinke are not to be confused with Shikike, which are cadet branches of a clan in charge of performing ceremonial duties.

San-meike | Mei The San-meike (三命家 Lit. “House of Three Commands”, “House of Three Lifes” “House of Three Most Important things”) is the collective term for the three families that oversee the grand shrines of the Kotoamatsukami. As overseers of destined events and due to their powerful disposition as root shrines, the San-meike have always been counted as meritorious retainers to the House of Representatives, thus they are counted as Jinke.

The San-meike endeavour to keep a tight leash on Ashihara’s national government in the interest of maintaining a status quo: where change is measured, and progress is held back. This is to prevent calamitous ideologies from gaining a foothold on Ashihara’s people and subsequently becoming a reality.

As the San-meike are unable to overtly state their intentions, they make use of underhanded means in order to achieve their goals: making use of wasuregami to essentially control public consciousness. Should that method fail them, they may make use of mass hypnotism and war.

Despite this goal, the San-meike in themselves are not unified about how they would go about achieving it. O-meguyoku-uji in particular is staunchly against political change, O-toyotobanashi-uji’s stance on non-intervention only serves to create tension, and O-sugisato-uji is much more concerned with measures of calamity prevention than Ashihara’s current state of affairs.

Economy
Before the introduction of standardised currency, grain was used as the main means of transaction. If it was not grain, dry goods such as textiles or pottery were used. Early Toyosakis considered manual labour to be the lowest form of payment for rendering goods or services. This was in stark contrast to the Shuzora, who considered farmers and other forms of manual labour the foundation of the Imperial House.

Currency was introduced to Ashihara in the 6th century when gold was discovered by the Toyosaki. Gold coins, named Gankin, were primarily used by the Toyosaki in transactions throughout the 6th century, it wouldn’t be until the 7th century that currency would start seeing use in the western part of Ashihara when NAME HERE, a priest scholar who visited the Toyosaki brought back the idea of using gold coins for barter. It was also around this time, in the year 700, that common trade routes started to emerge.

Around the year 925, a civil war broke out which divided Ashihara largely into two. Most wars of the period were short and localised, although they occurred throughout Ashihara. By 931 the entire country was engulfed in civil wars. Rather than disrupting the local economies, however, the frequent movement of armies stimulated additional revenues from customs and tolls. Due to many factors, such as avoiding the front lines and avoiding fees, polite society shifted to the southern region, which no daimyō had been able to control, and towards Ashihara’s southern shores. Economic developments and the desire to protect trade achievements brought about the establishment of merchant and artisan guilds.

Paper money began to see use throughout this feudal period in the form of feudal notes, promissory slips of paper which indicated some amount of gold. Symbols of regional monarchs were often stamped on these feudal notes, indicating their place of origin and to whom one should expect gold from. These notes were only usable within the domain which it was issued, and it wouldn’t be until the Asatera’s government reforms where these bills would then be replaced with centralised currency. This new currency was printed with imagery of Ashihara’s famous landmarks rather than the ruling monarchy as a way to avoid controversy and to soften the image of the new government. Many of the original, regional bills are preserved in the San-meike’s archives.

After the Shuzora family was overthrown and the war came to an end in the middle of the 15th century, the Asatera began an era of cultural reform. This saw the rise of new industries, in every sector across the board, most notably agriculture, textile and mining.

New industries brought labour rights into question, and strikes and riots which clamoured for workers’ rights started to become more commonplace. Currently, Ashihara is seeing the beginnings of a capitalist society.

Members of the Isshin Renritsu Kubun are religiously exempt from having to pay for anything. In light of this, the Isshin Renritsu Kubun provides its members with all of their daily necessities. A humble lifestyle is compulsory, and indulgences would be from big-hearted charity. However, members may choose to trade holy items for another holy item with the Onmyoryo’s affiliates, such as collegiate shrines should they need it.