Katsura Castle

**Katsura Castle** (**桂城**, *Katsura-jō*) is a skyscraper complex situated in the Sōkyūchō ward of Kusanagi, on the Hyperian continent of Fusōdō. Designed in the mid-2500s by the Tellus-based architectural firm Kansaki & Kowalski and constructed by the Hyperian branch of the Japanese Akabeko company on the orders of the then-youthful 141 years old Yuudai Kanetomi, the "castle" is maintained as a residential complex for members of the Kanetomi dynasty and its related clans. Katsura stands as one of the largest residence structures for a singular client on Hyperion, with a height surpassing 2 kilometers and possessing nearly four hundred floors.

The structure blends both the styles of traditional Japanese architecture and Nouveau Galactique as a testament to the wealth and traditionalism of the Kanetomi clan. It is split into three separate parts: for the first 1.5 kilometers, it is composed of a Nouveau Galactique superstructure that contains various auxiliary rooms and residences for servants. The next three hundred meters slowly morphs the top of the structure into that of a traditional Japanese highrise before being capped at the last two hundred meters with a structurally separate palace that sports a Japanese-Nouveau Galactique fusion. While the second portion hosts more opulent residences for members of the Hoshino and Hidaka clans (in addition to rooms for various functions), the palace that sits atop the overall building is reserved only for the members of the direct Kanetomi clan and the most prestigious of events.

The idea to have a dynastic estate on the actual surface of Hyperion was formulated by Yuudai after several meetings with the Akashiro Clan and other Japanese-Hyperians in the 2530s. They had won him over in the idea to build a Kanetomi residence in the Kusanagi megasprawl as a result of it standing as further advertisement to the dynasty's power and allegiance to Japanese culture; he had also seen it fit to extend Kanetomi power on the planet proper, as the Ogiku Estate that already existed on the Paradise orbital ring was little more than a vacation residence.

In essence, Katsura functions as a residence to all Kanetomi main-line members that decide to visit or live on Hyperion's surface itself (with Ogiku often already being booked by the most prominent of Kanetomi family member). The structure possesses its own security force through Kanetomi retinues, in addition to independent fire and emergency services. In the terms of amenities, the structure boasts its own private hospital, multiple shrines and temples (in addition to a Catholic church for Hoshino clan members), a museum and vault, several thousand-car garages, various landing pads, several ballrooms and theaters, swimming pools, organic food and leisure gardens, spas, sixty high-speed elevators, and a premium planetarium using state-of-the-art holographic technology. Housing several hundred Kanetomi, several thousands of Hoshino and Hidaka, and hundreds of thousands of visitors, employees, and servants, many have come to call the structure a *de-facto* arcology as a result of its city-en-city functionality; critics are partial to pejoratively calling it a "Kanetomi city-state".

## Function and amenities

First and foremost, Katsura serves as the Hyperian seat of the Kanetomi dynasty. Being a dynastic residence, its primary function is to provide all Kanetomi dynastic members a secure and opulent place to stay during any period of time on the world, including offering all available services possible within its walls.

Secondarily, however, the structure also serves as a meeting place for all major and official Hathor-oriented matters for the Kanetomi dynasty, ranging from state visitations to business deals. An exception to this are business deals of national or international importance, which are instead conducted either on Inari or in official Kanetomi Corporation office buildings due to legal reasons. A recent example of this function is the visit of the current Japanese emperor, *Tennō* Yasuhito, to Hyperion in the year 2681; being offered to stay in the topside palace for as long as desired, Katsura was also where Yasuhito directly met with the President of the Stellar Republic of Hathor, Alexander Foulke, to discuss further Japanese cultural interests on the planet.

A tertiary function of Katsura is to further invoke the positive legacy of the Kanetomi family and that of Japanese culture to the general Hyperian population; this is not only done through the architecture, but also through hosted Japanese events that seek to attract tourists and visitors on its lower and middle levels.

### Amenities

#### General services

Katsura was built with total independence from the municipal grid in mind; as a result, all of its water, electricity, and waste networks are managed by Kanetomi Estate Group subsidiaries. In addition, it boasts its own security force, which are considered members of the retinue and sourced from the Kanetomi Private Security Enterprises corporation. It also hosts its own fire department and emergency health services, which can use Katsura's multiple transport networks when needed.

#### Transport networks

Katsura boasts sixty high-speed elevators arranged in a square-within-circle shape, with the inward elevators being reserved for both direct transport to the palace and for various services. The outward elevators are used for casual transport within the building to its various floors, with exception to the palace.

#### Servants and employees

The structure is home to hundreds of thousands of human servants and employees of Kanetomi subsidiary services. These men and women not only cater to the Kanetomi dynasty members, but also assist with helping visitors and tourists and in the maintenance of the building. Some are deemed with high importance, such as tutors and doctors who work and live full-time within the building interacting with Kanetomi members.

#### Religious services

In accommodation to the spiritual beliefs of the Kanetomi dynasty, Katsura is home to a multitude of private Shintō and Buddhist shrines and temples. However, due to the strict Christian beliefs of Hoshino clan members, Katsura hosts its very own Catholic church with its own priest sent directly from the Vatican on Earth. As a result of these structures existing in the complex, many monks and clergymen also reside in the structure for extended periods of time.

#### Recreational services

Katsura was built to include a multitude of pools of varying sizes, in addition to outdoor gardens dedicated to either growing fully-organic food or aesthetically pleasing vegetation. Some of these gardens even include animals, such as Katsura's own private aviary located within the topside palace.

Other recreational spots within Katsura include its two private theaters alongside a fully interactive and immersive planetarium. Spas for both the palace and high residences are available.

#### Ballrooms

Due to its secondary function as a host for events and visitors, it is home to a plethora of ballrooms of grandiose size. The topside palace reserves its own private ballroom for the most auspicious of occasions.

#### Storage

Katsura reserves space for over twenty gigantic garages, with their location varying throughout the structure depending on what vehicles are hosted. Thousands upon thousands of vehicles owned by various Kanetomi exist, ranging from the most luxurious of street and hovercars to even private VTOLs and jets being hosted within the building's superstructure.

A full-fledged museum exists within the structure, attracting tourists to see various pieces of Japanese and Kanetomi history. A vault also exists within the top-side palace for the storage of particularly valuable items, such as xenobiological and xenoarchaeological specimens.

## Cost and valuation

The structure that Kanetomi bought prior to its demolishment was the Kawanona Capital Tower, which served as the headquarters of the "Kawanona Bank", a regional bank that went bankrupt following internal dysfunction and subsequent shareholder flight. This purchase was valued at 310 billion notes, with demolishing procedures costing an additional 20 billion. Such astronomical prices were due to the extreme urbanization present in the Sōkyūchō ward and wider Kusanagi megasprawl, which had led to an insanely cut-throat real estate market that only Kanetomi could feasibly dip into.

Actual construction was valued at 640 billion notes due to the inclusion of several expensive construction materials, the desire of a bulk amount of amenities, and the necessitation of systems independent from the municipal grid (such as electricity, water, and waste treatment). Such a high price was also due to the logistics of the construction, which had to be done mainly by aerial freight deliveries as a result of the desire to avoid congesting local roads. In total, 970 billion notes were spent in initial construction.

Over the years, an additional 60 billion notes has been spent in renovating the structure and in maintenance, bringing the overall chronological cost of the building to 1.03 trillion notes.

## Occupants

Currently, Katsuro Hoshino - the CEO of Kanetomi Private Security Enterprises - and his direct family reside within the top floors of the middle structure, right beneath the topside palace. The palace itself is infrequently used by Suzume Kanetomi during her stay on Hyperion in the late 2690s.