Hirasaka

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**Hirasaka** is an inhabitable planet in the Hirasaka System, and is a part of the Empire of Yamatai. It is the capital of the Second Expanse and it one of the 16 inhabitable bodies in Yamatai. A largely temperate world, Hirasaka is relatively dry, with its main water bodies being small seas located across the planet, with a single large ocean on one side of the planet.

Hirasaka was first colonised in 2108, and was the fourth planet to be colonised by Akitsukuni. It was primarily exploited for its rich metal deposits and surprisingly conducive environment for the farming of Tiandi-origin crops. Following the Great Silence in 2150, Hirasaka declared itself independent from Akitsukuni and avoided joining the burgeoning Empire of Yamatai. Subsequently, in 2150, Hirasaka named itself the Republic of Hirasaka and avoided the Empire and the Celestal Union. In 2167, Hirasaka discovered the inhabitable planet of Mizuho and launched a colonisation mission. The Republic of Hirasaka remained neutral in the First War of Yamataian Unification but observed the space warfare developments closely, developing a powerful military force that allowed it to bargain for peace in 2185, resuming trade with Yamatai but recognising the legitimacy of Yamataian Empress Kameko. Over the next 100 years, both nations co-existed in peace, until severe disagreements over the discovery of the alien Nekarkodon led Yamatai to invade the Republic of Hirasaka in 2283, finally reuniting it with the rest of the former Akitsukunese colonies. Hirasaka continues to have numerous rebellions to this day, and is allowed relatively high political liberties to the point of near-autonomy, even with the Yamataian model of nearly-free planetary governance.

It is the third planet from its sun, Hikikomori, and is the only planet in the system to accommodate life. The earliest life on Hirasaka arose at least 3.5 billion years ago with numerous extinction events hampering evolution, and no sentient life had been formed when colonised by the Humans. It has a population of 9.8 billion people, with the capital located in the city of Kōriyama. It has one moon, Hideki.

## Etymology

Hirasaka is named after the Hirasaka Plain, the first landing site of Akitsukunese colonists in 2108. Meaning "flat hill", this was due to the abundance of low hills in the region, ideal for large-scale landing and construction operations. The city of Hirasaka was built on this plain, though was subsequently destroyed in the Second War of Yamataian Unification in 2283. The remnant Hirasaka plain was subsequently turned into a farming commune by the government of Kawashima province around 2360, with a monument and shrine dedicated to those lost in the wars also located there.

## Administrative divisions

### Provinces

Hirasaka is comprised of eight provinces and the moon of Hideki. These provinces are:

* Republic of Kōriyama (Capital)
* Democratic Republic of Kawashima
* Republic of Southern Kawabe
* Republic of Soroku
* People's Republic of Yasutsuna
* Republic of Northern Kawabe
* Republic of Satoru
* Union of the Republic of Nakano
* Hideki Confederation (Moon)

## Government

The government of Hirasaka consists of the Grand Council of Hirasaka, a representative board consisting of the heads of state or representatives from each province, excluding Hideki which is wholly self-governed but maintains an observer status on the Grand Council. Members of the Grand Council are generally the Heads of State of their own provinces, and are elected into power based on their own province's laws and customs. Non-head of state members may also be placed on the council with the approval of their leader. The council is chaired by a chairman, who rotates between each province every year. The council convenes once every three months to debate issues of planetary or Imperial concern. Warfare between provinces is not unheard of.

### Military

Hirasaka employs a decentralised military relying on the defence forces of its individual provinces. A subsidiary of the Grand Council, the Planetary Defence Agency, exists to coordinate all of the military forces of the separate provinces. Due to the strong local military industrial complex, Hirasaka's defence forces are highly armed, though are often engaged with fighting insurgents or occasionally each other. The Hirasaka Self-Defence Fleet is also well-equipped due to the presence of Same-Kakurega as a major contractor.

Few Yamatai Imperial Military bases on exist on the ground, though due to its importance Hirasaka's shipyards are protected by the 16th Carrier Group and 223rd Defence Squadron, as well as numerous defence stations and platforms.

## Geography and environment

There is only one major continent on Hirasaka, with water mainly located in small seas, lakes and a single large ocean on one side of Hirasaka, the Hira-a Ocean. Evidence exists of larger seas having once existed in many areas, though these no longer exist and have left behind either large tracts of fertile basins or salt flats. The poles do have ice caps, with the south pole known to be an entire frozen sea in itself, though the north pole is mainly a glacial ice sheet on land. Numerous deserts exist on Hirasaka, mostly around the equatorial bands where the climate varies from arid to wet-tropical depending on the local proximity to water.

### Climate

Hirasaka is primarily temperate, located farther from its sun than Tiandi. However, temperatures at and around the poles are much lower than those on Tiandi and other planets such as Yamatai, with the extreme points completely uninhabitable at highs of the negative hundreds. The equatorial zones are much warmer, with temperatures in deserts capable of reaching up to 70 degrees. A tropical climate is prevalent around bodies of water close to the equator, particularly on islands in the Hira-a Ocean.

### Biosphere

Like most Yamataian planets, Hirasaka has introduced invasive Tiandi species to the planet such as water buffaloes, cows, chickens and other domesticated animals, as well as domesticated food plants such as Akitsukunese Rice, Jeongmian Rice, wheat and potatoes. The local biosphere has adapted surprisingly well to these developments compared to other planets such as Niigata. The local biosphere was already very similar to that on Tiandi, with local analogues of Tiandian plants such as trees and grasses.

Hirasaka's native species include...

### Natural resources and land use

The planet is rich in natural resources, having large deposits of various types of metals and minerals. Hirasaka also has numerous salt flats used for salt farming as well as fertile basins and grasslands capable of supporting large-scale farming. Local plants and trees are also highly similar to Tiandi species, allowing for near-immediate wood exports from the onset of Hirasaka's colonisation. Hirasaka's oceanic regions are also home to large-scale fish industries.

56% of Hirasaka's land is devoted to farming. 23% is covered by urban developments.

### Natural and environmental hazards

Massive sandstorms from the deserts occasionally form, lasting for weeks or even months at a time and threatening neighbouring settlements or fertile land.

## Transportation

Hirasaka is mainly connected to other planets through five major orbital spaceports and four space elevators, as well as over 250 land-based spaceports and smaller orbital spaceports. Hirasaka's main trading port is the Hirasaka Central Port, which handles hundreds of incoming and outgoing shipment daily and can store over five cubic kilometres of goods pending shipment. The moon Hideki also has numerous spaceports and two major orbital spaceports.