Nantou

**Nantou** (南島国 *nantōgoku*) is an island country in Shijie. Located in the X Ocean, it lies off the western coast of the Shijian continent on the Ishi Islands. The nation also has a mainland territory to its east, which has a land border with Meixun. Southeast of Nantou, across the Ishi Sea, is Jinguk.

Nantou is composed of six main islands but hundreds of smaller islands make up the stratovolcanic archipelago. The largest island is Daishu. The other five, from largest to smallest, are Shinzei, Yukijima, Sarushu, Midorizu, and Shirazu. The country is divided into 36 prefectures in nine regions. The population is 34 million, of which 97% are Ishi. Most people live in the cities, which are primarily located along the coast due to the mountainous and heavily forested geography of the Ishi Islands.

From the 12th century until 1632, the Ishi Islands were ruled by successive feudal military shōguns who ruled in the name of the Emperor. Emerging victorious from the sengoku era, the Soga clan established a shogunate that captured complete control of the Ishi Islands. In 1633, the nation of Ishikoku was established and was ruled by the Soga shogunate until the crises of the 1830s. The feudal system became challenged by rapid industrialization and increasing demand for political reform. The Soga lost their grip on power and while conservatives rallied around the emperor in Rannobe, a constitutional reform movement based in Ashikama refused to acknowledge the traditional authority. With the abdication of the Emperor Tōryoku in 1847, the governmental divide deepened, with the Ashikama "northern government" becoming the unrecognized nation of Kitajima. Those regions remaining loyal to Rannobe, the "southern government," became part of what is now known as Nantou. The Kitajima government would collapse in 1849 and the southern government would reclaim control of the entire Ishi Islands.

With the formation of the Nantou government in 1847, the feudal system as it had existed in Ishikoku was abandoned and the powers of the non-imperial Ishi clans under the han system were dismantled. The government is an absolute monarchy under the emperor with elements of a constitutional system organized under the Shinmei Constitution, the Sanshikan, and the Imperial Diet.

## Etymology

The official title of the nation is 南島国, which literally translates as "south island country." This name emerged when Ishikoku split into two nation-states, with Nantou in the south and Kitajima in the north. Nantou is also known as Akidupon or Akitsupon (秋津本), meaning "land of the dragonflies." Nantou is sometimes referred to by the historical name *Ishikoku*.

## History

### Ancient history

Historical origins of the Ishi coincide with the mythology surrounding Emperor Hitoyui (人結) in the 6th century BCE. According to legend, Hitoyui was said to be a direct descendant of the mountain-goddess Suzano (須佐之), a major Kodo deity who was instrumental in beginning human life on the new world, centered on the Ishi Islands, created by the Golden Kami of the Universe.

### Early feudal era

The earliest confirmed records of an Ishi emperor are dated to 578 CE with the reign of Emperor Akisane over a decentralized feudal system of daimyōs spread all across the Ishi Islands. While operating with a great level of autonomy, all the daimyōs were ultimately loyal to the Emperor and served at his will. Nonetheless, the imperial house was often under political influence by whichever daimyō(s) were strongest in a given era. The daimyō holding influence over the emperor was usually regarded as the leading political figure of the Ishi Islands, although no solidly unified nation-state would emerge until 1633. These early shogunates would often seek to bring the Ishi under one national banner but none were as successful as the Soga clan.

### Sengoku era

The Sengoku era (戦国時代 sengoku jidai "age of warring states", c. 1426-1632) is a period of history on the Ishi Islands that was marked by social upheaval, political intrigue and near-constant military conflict. The era emerged from an escalating dispute between the Soga clan and the Hojo clan over the imperial succession following the death of Emperor Kōkaze. Emperor Kōkaze had an only son who had initially declined ascension to the throne, leaving the Hojo, a designated shinnōke family, in position inherit the throne. After persuasion from the increasingly influential Soga clan of Yahoro, the Crown Prince expressed his intent to succeed his father as Emperor Shinchō. This political victory for the Soga clan threw the Ishi Islands into chaos as other powerful daimyō took action to curb the rising power of the Soga.

### Soga shogunate

#### Ishi unification

Over the course of Sengoku era, through numerous political struggles and military conquests, the Soga clan established complete control over all six of the Ishi Islands. As the most powerful Ishi daimyō, Soga Hironaga would establish a shogunate in Rannobe to administer the newly unified Ishi state.

The Emperor Tomie protested the power grab of the Soga and sought to limit the control of the shogunate over state affairs. As part of the emperor's opposition, the imperial capital would move to Ashikama from 1630 to 1632, further from the shogun's castle in Rannobe. Under immense pressure from the Soga, Emperor Tomie was forced to abdicate in 1632 in favor a heir in another branch of the Sanjou clan.

With the imperial household put into alignment with the Soga shogunate, the capital was returned to Rannobe and the state of Ishikoku was formally established in 1633. As the Soga consolidated their power over Ishikoku, national identity for the united Ishi state was greatly emphasized by the shōgun and Emperor Arikita. Rooted in Kodo religion and an absolute loyalty to the "god-like" emperor, the Soga shogunate branded themselves as devoted servants to the Emperor, his Ishi people, and their one Ishi nation.

#### Nationalism

Fueled by this newfound national identity, leadership in the shogunate began to take interest in expanding Ishi influence beyond the home islands. In 1637, Shōgun Soga Hironaga launched a military expedition to capture a fertile Ishi populated region of the Shijie mainland to the west of Daishu. The experienced soldiers of Ishikoku, hardened by the conflicts of the sengoku era, were highly successful in overwhelming Mei defenses in the rural region. The Ishi were further aided by the rebellion of local Ishi farmers and laborers, leading to the conflict being named as the Mikkaidō Rebellion. The region was ultimately ceded to Ishikoku at the conclusion of the war in 1639 and the area was officially given the Ishi language name of Mikkaidō (美海道).

Following the successful of the war with Meixun, Ishikoku began to look even further for new territorial conquests. In the months following the war, an assault was launched against Jinguk with the aim of acquiring the nation's two southern islands. The Ishi invasions were over within a year and saw a decisive victory for Queen Yeonghwa of Jinguk, with the Ishi navy decimated and invasion forces left trapped without supplies or a way to retreat. This massive failure was a defining moment for the Ishi military. Following the ritualistic suicide of the Shōgun Soga Hironaga, the new shōgun, Soga Ujikata, oversaw the complete overhaul of the Ishi navy and laid the foundations for what would become the greatest strength of the Ishi military by the end of the century.

#### An Ishi Empire

Imperialistic interests did not wain for Ishikoku following its defeat to Jinguk. Ishi trade ports emerged during the 1640s on what would become known as Hiryūtochi. These ports grew quickly and Ishikoku soon asserted full authority over Hiryūtochi, with the exception of the small northern city-state of Sajahang. Cotasi, capital of the territory, also became a major naval base for the growing Imperial Navy and served a vital role in enabling further expansion of the emerging Ishi empire.

As expeditions headed eastward away from Shijie, Ishi mapmakers refined their documented view of the wider world as they traversed the coasts of Martria. Eventually, under the direction of Emperor Heiyochō, imperial colonies would be founded on the Martrian west coast and on the Kyokuto Islands in 1678.

In the 18th century, non-Ishi territories were acquired in northern Shijie and placed under colonial administration of Ishikoku as Northern Shijie, removing them from historical Mei influence. In 1801, Ishikoku, through the efforts of the Teikoku-Martria Company, would establish a large mainland administration in Central Martria. Following the successes of the Teikoku-Martria Company, Emperor XXX chartered the Teikoku-Qara Company, which spearheaded westward colonial expansion to Qara with Ishi Qara being founded in 1812.

#### Collapse of the Shogunate

The Toshinaka clan was dominant in the north of Daishu and other imperial Ishi territories of the surrounding region. Meanwhile, the Kiyomizu clan had rose to prominence in the south of Daishu, commanding greater influence over Ishikoku's southern territories in competition with the ruling Soga shogunate.

As industrialization spread through the region, new ideas flowed in from beyond Shijie and the shogunate was becoming increasingly unpopular. Reformists in Ashikama sought major constitutional reform and the establishment of a new system of governance that abandoned feudalism and the shogunate.

Some loyalists of the shogunate still held a stronghold around Rannobe in the south of Daishu and Emperor Tōryoku was also cautious of rapid change based on untested foreign ideas. With the death of Soga Kagehiro in 1846, Ishikoku was thrown into disarray as the Ashikama-based reformists pushed to take power while Rannobe conservatives rebuked these attempts, investing greater power with Emperor Tōryoku.

With the feudal dictatorship is collapse, military control greatly loosened and northern territories aligned with the reformists began to refuse governance from Rannobe, opting for Ashikama. In 1847, Ashikama and opposition leaders formally announced the founding of Kitajima (北島), an independent democratic Ishi nation-state. The remaining loyalist territories of Ishikoku suffered from further unrest and Emperor Tōryoku abdicated without any children of his own. Succession passed to Marshal-Admiral Kiyomizu Kazuma of the Kiyomizu clan, a designated cadet branch of the Imperial household. Government in Rannobe was reorganized around this new emperor and Nantou was formed, although many viewed the southern government as the direct continuation of Ishikoku.

### Nantou government

Violent conflict would be narrowly avoided between the two Ishi nations, with the remnants of the unified armed forces split in loyalty. While the Imperial Ishi Navy largely followed the Marshal-Admiral turned Emperor, the Imperial Ishi Army was more aligned to Kitajima. Nonetheless, in both branches, morale was extremely low and the fracturing of Ishikoku felt akin to a major war defeat.

Crowned as Emperor Shinmei, the Ishi emperor immediately assembled a new privy council in December 1847 and devoted its energy to formulating a new path forward for the remaining loyal realms of Ishikoku. This would lead directly to the adoption of the Shinmei Constitution on 20 January 1848. A response to the radical reforms pursued by the northern government, the Shinmei Constitution established a bicameral parliament and formalized powers surrounding the cabinet of ministers. While final decision-making authority still remained entirely with the emperor, the constitution provided the ability for laws to be proposed by an elected body, the lower house of the Imperial Diet.

In a further attempt to restore the standing and prestige of the nation, Emperor Shinmei also spearheaded other major initiatives to transform the societal landscape in Nantou. By the end of 1848, the first university on the Ishi Islands, Iwaramoto University, would be opened through charter by the Emperor. This establishment would be coupled with wide reaching educational reforms aimed at expanding access to primary education, and eventually secondary education, to all Nantian citizens.

### Greater South Shijie

As internal affairs stabilized, the Nantian government renewed its interest in expanding the nation's foreign influence. Of particular interest was establishing a hegemony over South Shijie. In January 1850 the Greater South Shijie Development Act (GSSDA) was passed, formalizing foreign policy regarding the region and committing greater resources to aiding the development of southern states, especially Hiryūtochi.

The GSSDA was also important in providing additional financial backing to the Ishi-Jin Telegraph Network, which began construction in 1852. At its completion, this undersea telegraph cable connected **Nantou** and Jinguk.

In a revision of Nantou's general approach to expanding its influence in Shijie, a process began to phase out colonial policy in favor of nominal independence for Nantian colonial states. The first colony affected by this change was Hiryūtochi, which was renamed Sekarasa and granted independence on 6 July 1854. Although officially independent, even with its own monarch, the nation was unquestionably a Nantian puppet state.

In the late 1860s, prominent railway projects started to appear in some of Nantou's largest cities, such as Iwaramoto. These early rail systems and their accompanying fanfare brought even more interest in further railway development. Larger projects were underway by private entrepreneurs in 1870s and in 1878, Kanpaku Satou Rin, under pressure from the progressive faction in the Imperial Diet, put in place a plan for a state-led national rail. By 1882, Nantou Railway would be founded along with the Ministry of Railways.

After the independence of Sekarasa in 1854, the island of Gokushima remained under the administration of Nantou due to its overwhelmingly Ishi population. Following decades of population growth and increased pressure for integration with the Nantian state, Gokushima was granted prefectural status on 16 August 1887, becoming the southernmost territory of Nantou.

On 16 August 1899, Northern Shijie was granted its nominal independence, a continuation of the decolonization policies being overseen by the Ministry of Greater Shijie. Like Sekarasa, Northern Shijie's independence came with a status as a Nantian puppet state. However, unlike Sekarasa, Northern Shijie enjoyed much greater separation from Nantian oversight and its military dictatorship, led by Kanda Wattana, was even confrontational at times with Nantian officials.

## Geography

Nantou is composed of six major islands located off the western coast of Shijie. The largest island is Daishu, which is regionally divided into north and south. The Kusamata River provides a natural border for a long section of the north-south divide on Daishu. To the south of Daishu are islands: Shinzei, Shirazu, and Yukijima. To the north is Midorizu and Sarushu. Mikkaidō is Nantou's mainland territory, located to the east of Daishu, across the Ishi Sea. Much of the Ishi Islands are forested, mountainous and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial or residential use. As a result, the habitable zones, mainly located in coastal areas, have extremely high population densities. To the far south, located off the coast of Sekarasa is Gokushima, another major island of Nantou.

The Ishi Islands are located in a volcanic zone as a result of plate tectonics beneath the western ocean. Many of the smaller islands of the area are the result of volcanic eruptions that have occurred since pre-history. The largest island, Daishu, is believed to have originally been attached to the Shijie mainland approximately 15 million years ago. The location of Ishikoku makes it highly prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

### Climate

Located near the equator, the northernmost regions of Nantou are hot and humid throughout much of the year. The average rainfall is 250 centimeters (98 in) a year and the average temperature is 27 °C (80.6 °F). Central regions of the nation, particularly central Daishu, are predominantly temperate with a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot summers and mild winters. Further south, the Ishi Islands have a more humid continental climate with cool summers and long, cold winters. Average rainfall in the south is 160 centimeters (63 in) a year and the average temperature is 22 °C (71.6 °F).

## Politics

### Government

Nantou is an absolute monarchy with ultimate authority vested in the Emperor of Ishikoku as the head of state and *de jure* head of government. Under the Shinmei Constitution of 1848, there are elements of a constitutional monarchical system through numerous governmental bodies organized under the Emperor. The Emperor appoints a three-member Sanshikan (三司官 “council of three”), a privy council which advises the head of state.

The Emperor also appoints Ministers of State, who compose the Cabinet of Nantou (内閣 Naikaku). This cabinet is headed by the Kanpaku (関白 "chief imperial advisor"), who is generally the *de facto* head of government. The position of Kanpaku originates from Ishikoku, as it was the most-trusted advisor to the Emperor and in the weeks following Nantou's establishment, the Kanpaku was in practice the highest ranking member of the Sanshikan.

With the Shinmei Constitution, the Kanpaku became equivalent to the role of a prime minister although it was not unusual for the Kanpaku to also be among the three members of the Sanshikan. The Kanpaku and his cabinet are responsible for a number of day-to-day matters of national governance.

The bicameral Imperial Diet was also established under the Shinmei Constitution as an extension of rights and liberties for citizens. Composed of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives, the Diet has the power to approve government legislation and initiate laws, make representations to the government, and submit petitions to the Emperor. The House of Peers is composed of nobility and imperial appointees. The House of Representatives is popularly elected through limited franchise. The Emperor holds sole rights to declare war, make peace, conclude treaties, dissolve the lower house of the Diet, and issue Imperial ordinances in place of laws when the Diet is not in session.

### Administrative divisions

*Main Article: Administrative divisions of Nantou*

Nantou is divided into 36 prefectures, each overseen by a governor, legislature, and administrative bureaucracy. Each prefecture is further divided into cities, towns, and villages.

#### Regions

There are nine regions of the Ishi Islands and Greater Nantou, which are not official administrative units, but are traditionally used to define the regional division of Nantou in a number of contexts.

The regions are:

* Daishu-North 大州北
* Daishu-South 大州南
* Gokushima 極島
* Midorizu 緑州
* Mikkaidō 美海道
* Sarushu 猿州
* Shinzei 晉西
* Shirazu 白州
* Yukijima 雪島

### Foreign relations

Historically, Ishikoku was a major power following unification but after the split into Nantou and Kitajima, there was a brief weakening of global influence. After 1847, Nantou adopted a more insular focus although it did still hold onto Hiryūtochi and the Kyokuto Islands as colonial possessions. With the reclamation of the Kitajima territories in 1849, Nantou was able to restore much of its former power but still maintained a more Shijie-centric outlook.

Through the legacy of Ishikoku, there has been a preceding hostile relationship with Meixun as a result of the Mikkaidō Rebellion and colonization in Northern Shijie. Foreign relations with Jinguk were complicated for Ishikoku, as the nation's only attempt to dominate Jinguk with the invasions of 1639-1640 were a humiliating defeat for the Ishi. Nonetheless, the war served as an important defining moment for both nation's histories.

#### Overseas empire

* Central Martria (中間マートリア国 *chūkan-mātoriakoku*)
* Sekarasa (セカラサ *sekarasa*) (puppet state)
* Ishi Qara (石カラ *ishi-kara*) (*de facto* independent)
* Kyokuto Islands (極東諸島国 *kyokutō-shotō*)
* Northern Shijie (北市杰国 *kitashijikoku*) (puppet state)

## Military

The military of Nantou is divided into two main primary branches: the Imperial Nantian Army and the Imperial Nantian Navy. Operations of the military are coordinated by the Imperial General Headquarters under the authority of the Emperor. The General Headquarters was founded in 1633 as a structure of the Imperial Ishi Army and its current structure was established in 1848, following the establishment of the Nantou government.

The historic strength of the Ishi military was its ground force, with roots in the militarism of the daimyōs. This was most true immediately following Ishikoku's unification in 1633 and evidenced on the battlefield during the Mikkaidō Rebellion. By comparison, the navy of the time was very weak and as a consequence the Ishi invasions of Jinguk (1639-1640) were a disaster for Ishikoku. Most of the Ishi navy was eradicated and many ground forces were left abandoned without a way to retreat from Jinguk.

The failed invasion of Jinguk was a major turning point for the Ishi military. The new post-war Shōgun Soga Ujikata would implement wide-reaching reforms of the military command structure and oversee major modernization of the naval force. This would lay the foundation for the eventual growth of the Imperial Ishi Navy to become one of the world's strongest navies and it would guide much of Ishikoku's future territorial expansion beyond the Ishi Islands. Today, Nantou retains much of the organizational command structure as the Ishi military and still maintains a strong naval force.

## Economy

### Agriculture and fishery

The agricultural sector in Nantou, although small, is highly protected due to its importance in providing a domestic source of food. Much of Nantou is not suitable for agriculture due to either climate or topography. Most agricultural activity is concentrated in southern Daishu and Shinzei. Beyond what can be produced domestically, Nantou relies heavily on imports. Rice accounts for almost all of Nantou's cereal production. Non-paddy farmland includes seasonal production of barley, beans, peas, sweet potatoes, and wheat. Livestock raising is limited in practice and most contained to southern Daishu where beef and pork are produced. Pork is the most popular meat.

The aquaculture of Nantou is of huge importance and the nation is among the top in rankings of tonnage of fish caught. Nantou maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets. Seafood is a staple in Ishi cuisine.

### Industry

Nantou has a rapidly growing industrial sector. Early manufacturing facilities have been established for the production of textiles and machine components.

## Infrastructure

Dirt roads and carriages. Some early horsebuses. Big ports for the navy and all the colonial trade.

### Water supply

Drinking water is often sourced from springs and traditional shallow wells. In some larger cities, wooden pipes are utilized as a rudimentary system of transporting water across an area.

### Population

Nantou's population is estimated to be around 34 million, with 80% of the population living on Daishu. Due to the rugged and mountainous terrain with heavy forestation, the population is clustered in urban areas on the coast, plains, and valleys. The largest city is Iwaramoto, with a population of 2,450,000 (1860).

Society of Nantou is linguistically, ethnically and culturally homogeneous, composed of 97% ethnic Ishi, with small populations of foreign workers, mostly associated with commerce and trade.

### Religion

Most people of Nantou affiliate with Kodo, a shrine-based indigenous religion. Religious practice in Kodo is largely centered around festivals, special occasions, and familial traditions. Nearly all Ishi are registered with their local Kodo shrine even if they are not formal members of a Kodo organization.

BUDDHISM of the Shijie mainland has had some minor influences on the Ishi Islands but it is only adhered to by a small minority.

### Languages

More than 99 percent of the population speaks Ishigo as their first language. Ishigo is an agglutinative language distinguished by a system of honorifics reflecting the hierarchical nature of Ishi society, with verb forms and particular vocabulary indicating the relative status of speaker and listener. Ishi writing uses meiji (Mei characters) and two sets of kana (syllabaries based on cursive script and radical of meiji), as well as the LATIN alphabet and ARABIC numerals.

## Education

Primary and secondary schools were introduced in 1802 through the formation of the Ministry of Education in the imperial government. However, educational structure and policy remained highly decentralized and the imperial ministry, at best, provided local governments with guidelines for establishment of educational facilities. When the shogunate government was ended in 1847, matters of education were greatly centralized and the Ministry of Education took a core role in expanding primary and secondary education to all of Nantou. In 1848, the first university, Iwaramoto University, was founded, also formalizing government involvement in post-secondary education, which previously was left entirely to limited private development. This institution would eventually become the founding university of the Imperial Universities of Nantou, an organized structure of state universities established in 1851.

## Culture

Nantian culture is wholly intertwined with the broader Ishi culture that permeates across the Ishi Islands. Traditional Ishi arts include crafts such as ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, swords, and dolls; performances of puppet-theatre, dance dramas, storytelling; and other practices, the tea ceremony, ikebana, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, onsen, Geisha, and games.

### Cuisine

Ishi cuisine is based on combining staple foods, typically rice or noodles, with a soup and *okazu* – dishes made from fish, vegetable, tofu and the like – to add flavor to the staple food. The cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food, quality of ingredients, and presentation. Ishi cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties that use traditional recipes and local ingredients.

Traditional Ishi sweets are known as *wagashi*. Ingredients such as red bean paste and mochi are used. Kakigōri is a shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup or condensed milk. It is usually sold and eaten at summer festivals. Popular Ishi beverages such as sake, which is a brewed rice beverage that, typically, contains 14%~17% alcohol and is made by multiple fermentation of rice. Beer has been brewed in Japan since the late 1600s, and is produced in many regions.

### Holidays and festivals

Officially, Nantou has 4 national, government-recognized holidays. The national holidays in Nantou are The Emperor's Birthday on January 3, Constitution Memorial Day on January 20, New Year's Day on the first full moon between January 21 and February 20, and National Foundation Day on October 15.

There are many festivals in Nantou, known in Ishigo as *matsuri* (祭), which are celebrated annually. There are no specific festival days for all of Nantou; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around the change of seasons. Festivals are often based around one event, with food stalls, entertainment, and carnival games to keep people entertained. Its usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple, though they can be secular.

Notable festival often feature processions which may include elaborate floats. Preparation for these processions is usually organised at the level of neighborhoods, or *machi* (町). Prior to these, the local kami may be ritually installed in mobile shrines and paraded through the streets.

### Sports

Traditionally, kendo is considered Nantou's national sport. Other Ishi martial arts such as judo, karate and kyūdō are also widely practiced and enjoyed by spectators in the country. Other popular sports include bo-taoshi, kemari, sumo, and yabusame.

### Media

Newspapers are the most influential information medium in Nantou and over a hundred daily newspapers are published. Prominent, nationally available newspapers include the *Teikoku Shimbun* and *Ishi Nikkanshi*.