Kuromorimine National Defence Academy

Kuromorimine National Defence Academy, previously known as the Kuromorimine Military Academy, is a Yamataian four-year military academy in Kuromorimine, Kuromori province. It is the oldest military academy in Yamatai and one of the oldest in Escar, and is widely considered one of the most prestigious military academies in the world.

Established in 1802 as part of an effort to expand the national armed forces, the original Kuromorimine Military Academy campus was built around a 14th century warrior monk monastery overlooking the Itsumi River, which was located 80km north of Kuromorimine in that era.

Kuromorimine Academy was one of the focal points of the Sakura Revolution, and the academy was expanded greatly during the era of military rule over Yamatai. The school eventually came under the control of the Yamatai Imperial Army, with aspiring naval personnel attending the Mitakishima Naval Academy instead. Following the dismantling of the military regime during the Okabe Nariakira regime in the 1950s, Kuromorimine Military Academy was renamed the Kuromorimine National Defence Academy and placed under newly-created Ministry of Defence, and began accepting applicants for all branches of the armed forces.

Candidates for admission must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of the Teikoku Gikai, the Prime Minister of Yamatai, the Minister of Defence, or any member of the General Department of National Defence. Foreign candidates are also accepted with a nomination from the Minister of Defence or Prime Minister, in conjunction with an application from the candidate's country's Ministry of Defence or equivalent.

Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as cadets. Tuition for cadets are fully funded by the Ministry of Defence in exchange for an active duty service obligation for four years upon graduation. Approximately 1,300 cadets enter the Academy each August, with about 1,000 cadets graduating.

The academic program grants a bachelor of science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics. The academy bases a cadet's leadership experience as a development of all four pillars of performance: academics, character, physical, and military. Most graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants or junior lieutenants (the Naval equivalent) in their preferred service branches, subject to operational requirements. Foreign cadets are commissioned into the armies of their home countries.

In 2010, Kuromorimine carried out a trial course on communications and cyber warfare in conjunction with the Yamataian Information Defence Force. The program was closed after one batch of students due to underwhelming enrolment.