Hinomoto Province
| Hinomoto Province 日本州 | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Yamatai |
| Island | Hinomoto |
| Capital | Yuzu |
| Subdivisions | Districts: 5, Municipalities: 32 |
Hinomoto Province was a province of Yamatai that existed between 12 April 1948 and 1 September 1974. The province consisted of two unconnected enclaves on Hinomoto island.
During the closing stage of the Second Escar-Varunan War, Chiseian forces invaded Hinomoto from the north-east and east, pushing the Yamataian defenders towards the southern end of Hinomoto by early 1944. Following the ceasefire between Chisei and Yamatai, Yamatai remained in control of the Yuzu Peninsula in the modern Hōen Region and a small, unconnected pocket in the modern Kansai Region centred on the city of Asagi. On 1 September 1944, Chisei officially occupied the areas of Hinomoto under Chiseian control. The exact borders between the Yamataian and Chiseian zones were determined by studying both Chiseian and Yamataian battle maps drawn as of the exact moment of the signing of the Treaty of Senbonzakura.
In 1945, the Chiseian occupational authorities began building border walls and fences along both enclaves in an effort to deter smugglers and pro-Yamataian guerillas. Until 1948, the two Yamataian enclaves continued to be administered as Hōen Province and Kansai Province, despite the Kansai Province now consisting of little more than Asagi City and the surrounding countryside. In 1948, the Yamataian government decided to reduce administrative expenses by merging the two provinces under a single "Hinomoto Province". Yuzu City was designated as the provincial capital.
Following the handover of Hinomoto to Yamatai in 1974, Hinomoto Province was abolished as the self-governing Hinomoto Special Administrative Region adopted the new system of administrative regions, with the new regional boundaries largely based on the old provincial boundaries. Most of the border walls and fences were torn down, but some sections remain standing to this day as historical memorials.