Ikeda / Niihama

The **Ikeda/Niihama Metropolitan Area** is the capital and most populated urban area of the Republic of Tsukimoto. It is situated within two provinces, with Ikeda located in Wakuya and Niihama located in Honbetsu, both of which are located in the north of the country. It is noted for being one of the most populated urban areas in the world, second only to Chukyo, the capital of the Imperial Republic of Shingō. Ikeda and Niihama are home to many ancient and modern attractions and sites such as the Red Bridge, Ikeda Beach, Northwest University, the Regional Trade Center, and the League of Sovereign States International Headquarters. Ikeda functions as the provincial capital of Wakuya and Niihama functions as the provincial capital of Honbetsu; however, both cities together function as the national capital.

### Twin Cities

Both Ikeda and Niihama are located within a single, unified metropolitan area and only separated by a single waterway. Consequently, they are often referred to as the "twin cities" and, in many ways, function as a single city. Both Ikeda and Niihama share the title of national capital and both host various institutions and headquarters of the national government. While the two cities were initially founded as separate settlements, increased urban development gradually led them to become integrated.

The divide between the two cities, however, is still visible, as Ikeda is noted for its traditional architecture while Niihama is known for its large, modern buildings. Additionally, the residents of Ikeda are quite diverse, with large populations of racial Shingōans, Weians, and other groups. Niihama, on the other hand, is primarily racially Tsukimotoan in terms of its demographics.

### History & Etymology:

The area currently occupied by modern-day Ikeda and Niihama was first settled by Tsukimotoan tribes around 320 B.G.E. who came to refer to the settlement as Tongjin (통진), which roughly translates as "barrel camp." Throughout the following century, several tribes vied for power and control over the city as it gradually grew to become a major center for regional trade and industry.

In 170 B.G.E. the city and its surrounding regions were annexed into the newly-formed Kingdom of Su'ke. This annexation came shortly after a brief period of fighting between native inhabitants of the city and the invading army of King Su'ke I.

In 23 G.E., the city, as well as the rest of the Tsukimotoan Islands, were occupied and governed by colonists from the Kingdom of Rösdal and the Kingdom of Windsor respectively. As these colonists continued to exert their influence and began to interact and trade with the neighboring nation of Shingō, the city gradually came to be referred to by the name of Amaiwa (天岩), meaning "heavenly rocks." This name became the official name of the city by 90 G.E. when the Empire of Shingō took over the Tsukimoto islands following the end of the Three Decades War.

The city's government officially chose to keep the name of Amaiwa after the end of the Shingōan occupation in 135 G.E., due largely to the fact that ethnic Shingōans comprised the majority of the city and nation's ruling class. Despite the official ruling however, many ethnic Tsukimotoans in the city wished for the city to be given a new, Tsukimotoan name. The most popular of these suggested names was Sudo (수도), which simply translates as "capital city." This name came close to being adopted during the period following the Tsukimotoan Revolution; however, the government ultimately ruled against the proposal.

#### Ikeda

The city received its current name in 279 G.E., as the name Ikeda (池田) was given to the city in honor of Nobusuke Ikeda, a popular figure who led forces in both the Tsukimotoan Revolution and the Great Tōkai War.

#### Niihama

The name Niihama (新居浜) was made official in 228 G.E. by the national parliament under Prime Minister Shinsuke Iwasaki. This sparked criticism among the city's majority of racially-Tsukimotoan residents, however, no future attempts to change the name were made.

Prior to 228, the de facto name of the city was Sangdong (상동), which translates to "upper-east."