Yamato

**Yamato** (大和, *****Yamato*****?) is an island country located on the eastern side of the world. It is the setting of *Shunkashuutou Daikousha*.

## Description

Yamato is called the "Sakura of the East" because it resembles a "hand-plucked sakura branch in full bloom." The nation is composed of islands called the Yamato Archipelago (大和列島, *Yamato Rettou*?).

### Islands

The archipelago is divided into five islands. From north to south:

* **Enishi** (エニシ, *****Enishi*****?): An island with abundant natural resources. Almost all of Yamato's food is grown there. It is associated with bucolic scenery.
* **Teishuu** (帝州, *****Teishuu*****?): The island where the imperial capital (帝都, *Teito*), renowned as an international city, is located. The major airports are located there.
* **Iyo** (衣世, *****Iyo*****?): An island famous for its hot springs since ancient times. Its major source of revenue is tourism.
* **Tsukushi** (創紫, *****Tsukushi*****?): A historic island with sacred mountains and volcanoes. It is where the old capital was located, and there are many historic buildings, but it is also a modern city with a booming tourism and industrial sector.
* **Ryuuguu** (竜宮, *****Ryuuguu*****?): The southernmost island with different flora and fauna from the other islands. There are coral reefs in the ocean and large trees on the mountains. It is famous for its resorts. It is normally warm all year round.

### Notable Landmarks:

* **Mt. Ryuuguu** (竜宮岳, *Ryuuguu-dake*?): a tall mountain in Ryuuguu, where Ryuuguu Shrine is located.

## Culture

### Era Names

Much like real-world Japan, Yamato uses era names. The current era is **Reimei** (黎明, *****Reimei*****?), and the current year is written as Reimei 20.

### Technology

The technology level of Yamato seems to be equivalent with the real world. There are frequent mentions of cell phones, airplanes, cars, and television in the series.

## Trivia

* Yamato has many things in common with real-world Japan.
	+ The word Yamato is another name for Japan.
	+ Yamato is divided into five islands, just as Japan has five main islands. Yamato's islands roughly correspond to their real-world equivalent.
		- Enishi is equivalent to Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Hokkaido's primary industry is agriculture and timber.
		- Teishuu is equivalent to Honshu, the largest and most populous island of Japan. The capital Tokyo is located there.
		- Iyo is equivalent to Shikoku, the smallest of the main islands of Japan. Iyo Province (伊予国, *Iyo-no-kuni*) was one of the provinces that made up Shikoku, and today it is Ehime Prefecture. Ehime is famous for its hot springs, including the oldest hot spring in Japan, Dougo Onsen.
		- Tsukushi is equivalent to Kyushu, the third-largest of Japan's main islands. One of its old names was Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島, "Island of Tsukushi"). It is a mountainous region, and Japan's most active volcano, Mt. Aso, is located there.
		- Ryuuguu is equivalent to Okinawa, the southernmost island of Japan. It has a subtropical climate and has many resorts. Ryuuguu's name might be derived from the Ryukyu Islands (琉球諸島, *Ryuukyuu Shotou*).
	+ Yamato uses era names like Japan. In Japan, era names change when a new emperor ascends the throne. This presumably means that Yamato also has an imperial family.