Hinomoto

Hinomoto (, 日野元), officially the Hinomoto Self-Governing Region (日野元自治地域), is a semi-autonomous region in Yamatai, encompassing the 355-island Hinoan archipelago in the eastern Yashiman Archipelago. It shares a maritime border with Chisei to the east, Chanha to the south-east, and Shojin to the south. Hinomoto is located on the north-western end of the Sea of Yashima, and separated from Chisei by the Sea of Shirakawa. Dominated by the Tsurugi and Nakayama mountain ranges, most of the population is concentrated in the coastal lowlands, with the bulk of the population located on the western coast, where the capital Mikawa is located. Hinomoto is divided into seven regions. Hinomoto has a population of 16.2 million, accounting for roughly 15% of the Yamataian population in 2018.

Hinomoto was inhabited as early as 30,000 BCE. The earliest civilisation in Hinomoto was the Asahina Kingdom in 560 BCE, which eventually fractured into several warring states that lasted until the unification of Hinomoto in the 4th century under the Kingdom of Hinomoto. The kingdom fell in the 10th century and again fractured into several warring states. These were reunited in the 12th century by the Matsunaga Taikunate, beginning a period of feudalism headed by the Taikun, a hereditary military ruler. The Nakanoin Taikunate eventually came to dominate Yamatai following the Hinoan intervention in the Kōjutsu War, and Hinomoto later invaded the mainland in 1571, but were forced to withdraw by 1591. Hinomoto was subsequently invaded by Shirakawa in 1611, after which the Taikun and loyal clan leaders fled to Yamatai, and a period of Shirakawan rule took place.

In 1676, Hinoan-controlled Yamatai carried out the Hinoan Reclamation, invading Hinomoto and driving out the Shirakawans. Despite the reclamation of Hinomoto, the old noble clans refused to return, and previously junior and Yamataian clans involved in the reclamation were granted control of the seven provinces on Hinomoto by the Taikun. After Hinoan rule was overthrown in Yamatai following the Second Yamataian Civil War, the Nakanoin Taikunate was severely weakened, and the subsequent Hinoan Civil War saw the founding of the Fukumura Taikunate, which would rule Hinomoto until the 19th century. Hinomoto then joined the growing colonial age, establishing colonies in the Nanyo region and establishing trade with Amphia.

With popular revolutions occurring across Escar in the early 19th century, the Fukumura Taikunate attempted to appease the public by transitioning into an elective system where the Taikun would be rotated between the seven clans. In 1845, a republican revolution was attempted by commoners in Mikawa, but collapsed after three months. Concerned that a larger revolution would see the downfall of their power, the Hinoan elites allied themselves with Imperialist Yamatai, negotiating a national merger with Yamatai in 1850. As part of the Yamataian Empire, Hinomoto was invaded by Chisei during the First Escar-Varunan War, and was again invaded by the Escaric Allies during the Second Escar-Varunan War. Subsequently, the majority of Hinomoto came under Chiseian occupation, which ended in 1975 with Hinomoto returned to Yamatai. Various nationalist groups and movements then began a resistance campaign against Yamatai, which only ended in 1990 with the Dual 10 Accords, though low-level violence still continues to the modern day.

Though Yamatai maintains sovereignty over Hinomoto, Hinomoto has a separate government and economy from Yamatai. Its export-oriented industrial economy is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics and chemicals manufacturing, as well as a large service industry. Numerous computer and tech companies are Hinoan, ranging from Manchido to Matsumura Electronics. Hinomoto's currency, the Hinoan Kin, is the ninth-most traded currency in the world. The Hinoan government is devolved from the Yamataian government, and is officially considered highly autonomous, though there have been allegations that the central government occasionally unfairly influences local politics. Hinomoto is a member of the Wanshu Development Summit.

Etymology
The Yashiman characters for Hinomoto (日野元) translate to "sun field origin".

Historically, Hinomoto island was also known as Nakatsuchi (中土), meaning central land, referring to its central position in the Yashiman civilisation, which included the mainland colonies as well as the Naichi archipelago. Hinomoto has also been known as Higashiji (東地) or Azumashima (東島), meaning Eastern Land and Eastern Island respectively, both in relation to the Naichi archipelago, when the Yamataian civilisations became increasingly important to the point that Hinomoto was referred to in relation to Yamatai, instead of the opposite.

Another theory behind the origin of the name Hinomoto lies with the Yamataian sun-goddess Amaterasu, who in Yamataian mythology is said to have been born in the eastern lands.

Prehistoric to classical history
A paleolithic culture from around 40,000 BCE constitutes the first known habitation of the Hinoan islands. The Dogū period began around 14,500 BCE, featuring the Eastern Washu culture, a mesolithic to neolithic semi-sedentary hunter-gatherer culture characterized by pit dwelling and rudimentary agriculture. Decorated clay vessels from the period are among the oldest surviving examples of pottery in Escar. From around 2,000 BCE, the Hakurei people began to enter the archipelago from the mainland, intermingling with the Dogū. The subsequent Hakurei period saw the introduction of practices including wet-rice farming, a new style of pottery, and metallurgy from the mainland. Around 1,000 BCE, a series of migrations to the west occurred, introducing the Hakurei people and their practices to the Naichi archipelago as well. Hinomoto first appears in written history in Hua records from around 600 BCE. Written records recovered from Hinomoto state that by 300 BCE Hinomoto was divided into three clan-led domains, the Haku Domain, Asahina Domain and the Senba Domain, which would remain largely static until 154 CE, when the Asahina Domain unified the island in the Mizunoto-Mi War (癸巳) and established the Kingdom of Hinomoto. Buddhism was introduced to Hinomoto from the mainland in 552, and quickly began to gain influence and acceptance in the upper classes of the Kingdom. By the subsequent Sōryū period, Buddhism had gained a widespread acceptance and was beginning to develop into Akiism.

By the late 4th and 5th centuries, Hinoan families were sponsoring large-scale migrations to colonise the mainland, spreading Hinoan influence and culture to what would become known as Shirakawa. In 663, a series a bloody conflicts broke out between Hinomoto and the mainland Yezayau state, catalysing the need for severe governmental reform in Hinomoto, influences by developments in neighbouring Yamatai. These administrative reforms culminated in the creation of the Omi Code, which consolidated existing statutes and established the structure of the central and subordinate local governments, creating a centralised government and system of taxation based on the Hua model. The Omi Code would come to influence Hinoan and wider Yashiman government for centuries to come.

The lengthy Jōto period marked the emergence of a Hinoan state centred on the Royal Court in Jōto. The period is characterised by the appearance of a nascent literary culture with the completion of the Hino Shoki in 720, as well as the development of Buddhist-inspired artwork and architecture. A smallpox epidemic in 735–737 is believed to have killed as much as one-third of Hinomoto's population and driven some migration abroad. A distinctly indigenous Hinoan culture emerged, and Hinomoto served as a crucial midpoint for cultural exchange between the mainland and western Yamatai.

Feudal era
Hinomoto's feudal era was characterised by the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors, the Bushi, and the eventual loss of influence and dissolution of the monarchy. In 1083, the lengthy Matsufuji War (松藤) broke out between the Matsunaga Clan and the Tōdō Clan over the succession of the Royal Throne. Hinomoto's direct influence on its mainland vassals began to wane, and by 1100 the mainland Yashiman states were effectively independent. Following the defeat of the Tōdō Clan in 1112, the bushi Matsunaga no Moritomo was appointed Taikun and established a military government at Kikyō. After Moritomo's death, the Nakazawa Clan came to power as regents for the Taikun. The Zen school of Buddhism was introduced from Hua in the Kikyō period and became popular among the Bushi class. The Kikyō Taikunate attempted to re-assert its control over the mainland Yashiman domains, but were defeated by the Shirakawan Gejō Dynasty in the Shinzan War.

Following the defeat in the Shinzan War, the weakened Kikyō Taikunate failed to control the feudal warlords (Daimyos) and a civil war broke out in 1352, beginning the series of Hōken Wars (封建), which would last until 1403 with the establishment of the Michishige Taikunate at Yoshino, under Taikun Michishige Tsunehiro. The Yoshino period saw relative peace and stability in Hinomoto, with restored ties with Hua, Shirakawa and Yamatai. During the 16th century, another succession crisis over the next King of Hinomoto eventually resulted in the outbreak of another civil war over the issue of the relevance of the monarchy. The Kichū Wars (己丑), beginning in 1510, saw the fall of the Michishige Taikunate and the reunification of Hinomoto under the Fukumura Clan, which would establish the Taikunate of Hinomoto at Mikawa, eliminating the old monarchy entirely.

In 1565, following some deliberation, the Yamataian Empress Momiji II married Taikun Fukumura Michitsune, creating a union between the two states and worrying the mainland states. By the 1570s, ongoing attempts by the Yamataian Kamamori Shrine to proselytise on the mainland resulted in major disagreements between Yamatai and Shirakawa, erupting into open war when several Michi adherents and missionaries were slaughtered by Shirakawan troops. The Yamatai-Hinomoto union invaded Shirakawa in 1571 to great success in the First Shiro-Yamataian War. Following Fukumura Michitsune's death, dissatisfaction in the Bakufu over the promotion of Michi in Hinomoto resulted in a split between Hinomoto and Yamatai, ending the brief union.

Under Fukumura Michitsune's son, Fukumura Mochikuni, the Taikunate enacted measures including Buke Shohatto, a code of conduct to control the autonomous daimyos, as well as the creation of a national army to further assert Hinomoto in the region. In 1611, following another round of disagreements over trade and the promotion of Michi in Buddhist Hinomoto, an alliance was formed with Shirakawa that culminated in the Second Shiro-Yamataian War. During the attempted invasion of the Naichi archipelago, a sudden tsunami destroyed the invasion fleet. Despite the loss in the war, Hinomoto and Shirakawa would continue to have a good relationship for some time. The Taikunate invested heavily in the economy, building roads and water transportation routes. In this era, rice brokers in Yuzu developed financial instruments such as futures contracts, banking and insurance.

Attempting to assert itself in the region, in the early 18th century the Taikunate orchestrated a marriage alliance between Saramosir and Shirakawa on the mainland, seeking to increase its influence and build a new coalition against Yamatai. However, a schism eventually formed between the Chiseian union and Hinomoto, forcing the Taikunate to attempt to form an alliance with Yamatai to keep the mainland in check. Due to strong domestic opposition against a new conflict in Yamatai, the alliance quickly fell apart. Concerned with maintaining their power with the beginning of the Aozora Revolution in Yamatai, the Fukumura Taikunate decided to enact an isolationist policy of Sakoku, closing Hinomoto's borders with the exception of small trading posts. Simultaneously, Hinomoto was soon engulfed in the Hinoan Civil War (1719-1722) when
 * the Fukumura Clan rose up against the Nakanoin Taikunate, raising a large rebel force.
 * Siege of Nibiyama

Modern era
New canon
 * Hinomoto was a colonial power. They lost a colonial war with Chisei and lost a Masukan island.
 * In the 1800s the revolutions are spreading across Escar. Chisei had a revolutions. Yamatai had a coup to ward off a revolution with military crackdowns and to protect the nobility. The Taikun started sweating.
 * In 1845, a republican revolution was attempted in Mikawa but it didn't spread beyond the city and the Taikun fled to Akakiri until the revolution fizzled out when they ran out of nobles still in Mikawa to behead. The Taikunate began secret negotiations with Yamatai. The Taikunate would retain their position and nobility while they would join Yamatai (which is in izoku kyowa fervour and wants to merge). Then Yamatai's strong military can crush any new rebels.
 * In 1848, Chanha had a revolution and it became more urgent to merge with Yamatai, so the deal became less and less in favour of Hinomoto.
 * In 1850, they sign the treaty and join Yamatai. The Taikun became the Grand Marshal of Hinomoto, supposedly a peer of but ultimately subordinate to the Imperial Grand Marshal. The Hinoan nobles join the Yam Kazoku. The Imperial Army invades Hinomoto, and the clan armies disband and are disarmed under Yamataian laws. There is an immediate rebellion by some clans who attempt to set up a republic, but it is almost immediately crushed by the Imperial Army and the newly-established Imperial Hinoan Army (former clan armies centralised under Imperial Army command). The scene is The Last Samurai.
 * This causes Chisei to feel threatened (maybe they were supporting the republic also) and there is a naval standoff in the Sea of Shirakawa. There are also some shenanigans with trying to start a rebellion in Hinomoto. The Imperial Army ain't having none of that shit.
 * After Kinoshita no Noritsune dies, the position of Grand Marshal of Hinomoto is abolished as there was no procedure for succession (as planned). Hinomoto's seven provinces fell under normal governorship. Hinomoto became another part of Yamatai.


 * Some shit
 * Unrest in Hinomoto

Due to the isolationist policies of the Fukumura Taikunate, the effects of the industrial revolution and the colonial trade did not reach Hinomoto and the island remained technologically backward, even as its neighbours rapidly developed. Due to these factors, the Fukumura Taikunate faced numerous peasant rebellions in the early 1800s, and by the mid-1800s was struggling to stay in power. In 1854, Taikun Fukumura Masakage made the decision to end Sakoku and open Hinomoto to the world, inadvertently sparking a mass upheaval in Hinoan society that threatened to tear the country apart as foreign traders immediately moved to take advantage of the new market. Following three years of negotiations led by General Sugihara Itsunori, Imperialist Yamatai offered the Taikunate a merger to protect them from Chisei and negative foreign influence. Partially due to the threat of force from Yamatai, the Taikunate acceded to and signed the Treaty of Fujishima in 1867, absorbing Hinomoto in the Yamataian Empire.

Under Yamataian rule, the Taikun and the Bakufu remained in nominal power over Hinomoto. As per the Yamataian military government system, Hinomoto was divided into a series of military districts like the rest of Yamatai, which were overseen by military governors that reported directly to the Yamataian Imperial High Council. Due to Hinomoto's strategic location between Yamatai and Chisei, the military regime placed great importance in integrating Hinomoto with Yamatai and developing the region, introducing railroads and modern industry, and establishing numerous military bases on the island. In 1877, several local clans banded together and attempted an uprising against Yamatai, but were quickly put down by the Yamatai Imperial Army, leading to the dissolution of the Taikunate and direct Yamataian rule over Hinomoto.

Hinomoto would become a crucial staging area for Yamatai's subsequent conquests of the mainland in the First Escar-Varunan War. Subsequently, Hinomoto became an important mid point in the trade and transportation routes from the New Territories to the Naichi archipelago. Continued indoctrination and propaganda efforts helped to integrate Hinomoto into the Yamataian Empire, which was still seen as beneficial by a large portion of Hinoan elites following the poverty of the Sakoku era. During the Second Escar-Varunan War, part of the Endwar, Yamatai's ambitions on the mainland were pushed back and Hinomoto was invaded by the Escaric Allies in Autumn 1943. Some of the bloodiest and most difficult battles of the war were fought on Hinomoto, which was subject to endless bombardment that destroyed a large amount of infrastructure. By the Senbonzakura ceasefire in early 1944, Yamatai had lost control of much of Hinomoto, only holding the Yuzu Peninsula and a small pocket in the south-west Kansai Region.

On 1 September 1944, Chisei officially began the Occupation of Hinomoto, establishing the occupation headquarters at Akakiri City and beginning plans to set up an interim military government over the occupied areas. A border was established between the Chiseian and Yamataian zones based on the final battle maps drawn by both sides prior to the ceasefire, with Yamatai retaining control over the areas of Hinomoto that they still held prior to the ceasefire.

During the occupation period, the Chiseian military's interim government initially aimed to utilise Hinomoto as a buffer against future Yamataian expansionism, with a goal of giving Hinomoto independence as a puppet state within 50 years. The early occupation was preoccupied with disarmament and coercion of the local population though rebuilding and relief efforts. Education reforms were also introduced by the occupation government to reverse the ultranationalist indoctrination that the Yamataian government had imposed for generations. During this period, the occupation forces faced heavy resistance from pro-Yamatai rebels, guerilla fighters and Imperial Army remnants in the highlands, some of which refused to believe the war had ended. Hinoan independence activists and Hinoan nationalists were recruited and worked closely with the Chiseian occupation government to assist in reducing public hostility to Chisei. Another major goal of the occupation forces was to stamp out communist sympathisers.

However, as the Escaric Divide developed and Yamatai increasingly became a valuable ally of Chisei in the rivalry against the socialist states of Escar, Chisei-Yamatai rapprochement was achieved. High-level talks between both nations eventually led to the plans for Hinoan independence evaporating, with an agreement to return Hinomoto to Yamataian control being reached in secret some time in the 1960s, partly due to the high costs the Chiseian government was incurring in occupying Hinomoto. The Hinoan nationalists that collaborated with the Chiseian occupation forces were not made aware of this shift in policy, but were eventually able to infer the policy change through pro-Yamataian actions taken by the occupational forces, such as the arrest of radical Hinoan nationalist leader Iriyama Yasushi. Calls for Chisei and Yamatai to respect the Hinoan peoples' will by holding a plebiscite to decide the fate of Yamatai were rejected by both states multiple times, including by the Ordic League - Yamatai often claimed historical ownership based on the 1867 Treaty of Fujishima, while Chisei cited the instability and weakness of Hinomoto's political groups as a sign the area was not prepared for independence.

By 1970, it became obvious to the general Hinoan public that the occupation would indeed be ending with a return to Yamataian rule. This triggered a major societal upheaval between pro-independence and pro-Yamataian factions that culminated in the 1972 Hinoan Riots, which were suppressed by the Chiseian occupational forces. The Yamataian government eventually revealed that it already planned to allow Hinomoto a large measure of self-government, and sought the Hinoan people's cooperation through outreach programmes that included all-expenses-paid tourism packages to he Naichi archipelago. In June 1974, a general election was held to elect the first Chief Executive of Hinomoto, facilitated by the Chiseian occupation forces.

At exactly 12 noon on 1 September 1974, Hinomoto was handed over to Yamatai, which regained sovereignty over the Hinoan to its pre-war extent. The region was officially renamed the Hinomoto Special Administrative Region, and first Cabinet of Hinomoto was formed by newly-appointed Chief Executive Matsuda Yoshihide. Yuzu, which had served as the capital of Hinomoto Province, continued to serve as the capital of Hinomoto.

Yamataian military forces had quietly arrived throughout Hinomoto in the weeks prior to take over formerly Chiseian-occupied military bases in anticipation for heavy sectarian violence following the handover. As predicted, Hinoan nationalist leader Nakagawa Hisoka emerged and vowed a "storm of blood". Major violence shortly began in major cities across Hinomoto as pro-Yamatai and pro-Independence factions clashed, marking the beginning of the Hinomoto Insurrection. Yamataian military forces were deployed to contain the violence, which expanded to involve pro-communist and criminal elements in some areas. Guerilla warfare by pro-independence fighters escalated, particularly in the north-west regions of Hinomoto.

Despite the heavy violence, the reunification with Yamatai brought heavy investment by Yamataian corporations, and a general increase to the quality of life as infrastructure projects were carried out by the Yamataian government. In 1988, the Chisei-Hinomoto Tunnel was opened between Hamazaki and Toshima island in Chisei, vastly easing travel between the two states and greatly boosting the economy of northern Hinomoto.

In 1990, the Yamataian government signed the Dual 10 Accords in October with high-level rebel leaders. Subsequently, they officially declared the insurgency to have ended, though some groups and attacks still occur to the modern day.

Government and politics
Main article: Government of Hinomoto Hinomoto is a Self-Governing Region of Yamatai, with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government. The Territorial Law of Hinomoto is the de facto regional constitution.

The Chief Executive of Hinomoto is the head of government and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms, and is appointed by the Prime Minister of Yamatai. The Chief Executive is responsible for enforcing regional law, can force reconsideration of legislation, and appoints Directorate members and principal officials. Acting with the Directorate, the Chief Executive can propose new bills, issue subordinate legislation, and has authority to dissolve the legislature. In states of emergency or public danger, the Chief Executive is further empowered to enact any regulation necessary to restore public order.

The unicameral, 110-seat Hinomoto Gikai serves as the legislature of Hinomoto, and enacts regional law, approves budgets, nominates the Chief Executive, and has the power to impeach a sitting chief executive. 75 seats are elected by first-past-the-post vote from single-member constituencies, and 35 are elected based on the proportion of nationwide votes received by the participating political parties.

Hinomoto also has its own judiciary, which includes the Territorial Court of Hinomoto, the High Court (which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance), the District Courts, the Local Courts, and other special courts and tribunals set up by law. These courts also interpret laws and overturn those inconsistent with the Basic Law. Judges are appointed by the chief executive on the advice of a recommendation commission.

Yamataian national law does not generally apply in the region, and Hinomoto is treated as a separate jurisdiction. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its immigration and taxation policies. The Immigration Department issues passports for permanent residents which differ from those of Yamatai, and the region maintains a regulated border with the rest of the country. All travellers between Hinomoto and Yamatai must pass through border controls, regardless of nationality. Yamataian citizens do not have right of abode in Hinomoto and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government; taxes levied in Hinomoto do not fund the Yamataian government.

The central government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Hinomoto retains the ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations. The territory actively participates in the Wanshu Development Summit, the Western Escar Economic Cooperation forum, the World Exhibition Games, and many Ordic League agencies. The regional government maintains trade offices in Yamatai and other nations. In most countries, Hinoan trade offices are attached the Yamataian embassy and serve as de facto consulates of Hinomoto.

Defence of Hinomoto is the responsibility of the Yamataian Armed Forces, which has the right to maintain bases and troop deployments on the island. In accordance to the Basic Law, the Yamataian military forces in Hinomoto may not be used by the regional government to enforce martial law except in a national emergency declared by the Yamataian Prime Minister. However the regional government may request assistance from the local Yamataian garrison to enforce the laws of Hinomoto, which it has done occasionally to provide additional security during periods of instability. Hinoan residents are able to enlist in the Yamataian Armed Forces, but there is no guarantee that they will be deployed to Hinomoto.

Administrative divisions
After Fujishima, Hinomoto was divided into regions and the old daimyo families were allowed to retain control of their regions as part of the agreement; they were also given the corresponding military ranks. Control of the regions remained hereditary, though the old governing families increasingly lost power and their holdings became more and more symbolic as the military wrested it away from them. Hinomoto thus remained semi-feudal up to the Second Escar-Varunan War, when Chisei took over the whole area. The old Daimyo were deposed and publicly-elected officials took their place. After the handover, all of the regions remained publicly elected.

Regions of Hinomoto
 * Houen Region
 * Jouto Region
 * Kansai Region
 * Hino Region
 * Kantou Region
 * Shinou Region
 * Fukui Region

Law enforcement

 * Hinomoto Territorial Police Agency: Police
 * Hinoan Marine Police
 * Special Tactics Unit - swat team
 * Special Operations Detachment - TokuSa
 * Hinomoto Internal Security Force: Intelligence/secret police
 * ISF TokuSa

Economy
Hinomoto is a highly developed free-market economy. Hinomoto is the most technologically advanced computer microchip maker in the world, and is also the second-largest producer of semiconductors in the world behind Yamatai. Many well-known international technology companies are headquartered in Hinomoto, including computer manufacturers and search engine tech giant Manchido.

Transport
New Mikawa International Airport is the largest airport in Hinomoto. Over 100 airlines operate flights from the airport, including locally based Hinomaru Airlines, the territorial flag carrier, Hinomoto World Airways, low-cost airline Yuzu Aviation and cargo airline Air Hinomoto.

Sport and recreation
Hinomoto has its own football team, independent of the Yamatai national football team. Hinoan athletes also often participate in the Ordic Games under the Hinoan flag rather than the Yamataian flag, a strong indicator of lingering nationalistic sentiment.

Media
The largest newspaper company is The Mikawa Times, which operates a newspaper and an online website.