Tosānchi

Tosānchi, officially the Empire of Tosānchi (Tosānchi: 東西地帝國 Tosānchi Tankoku), is a  in Sinju. It is located east of Jeongmi.

Tosānchi is divided into 34 prefectures and six autonomous prefectures. It is compromised primarily of the mainland and a small archipelago to its west. The capital, Imperial Residence, and its biggest city is Tankyo, with 6.2 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

WIP

Etymology
Tosānchi's name is comprised of the characters 東 (To, meaning "east"), 西 (Sān, meaning "west") and 地 (Chi, meaning "land"). It is meant to indicate that Tosānchi is one of the easternmost countries in the Sinju region and that it is located in the western areas of its continent.

Prehistory


Tosānchi was previously inhabited by proto-Yeongju peoples until around 1000 BCE, when proto-Fusenic peoples started migrating by sea to the Tosānchinese coast. Due to their mastery of advanced agricultural practices, they quickly expanded across the region in the following 750 years, displacing and/or mixing with the natives, often with conflict.

Around 250 BCE, the western and eastern proto-Tosānic peoples diverged so drastically that their languages diverged into different branches of the Tosānic branch of the language family. Tosānchinese became the main language of the Western Tosānic sub-branch, whilst Shoyo and Taimo constitute the main languages that originated from the Eastern Tosānic sub-branch.

The proto-Tosānic peoples brought their proto-Shinto beliefs, organizing themselves into villages headed by proto-Shinto priests. By 100 BCE, various petty kingdoms arose, with their ruling clan's kami providing religious legitimacy. As the population increased, these petty kingdoms went to war with each other to capture farmland and expand their territory.

Pre-Tosānchi Period


Tianqian scholars began to investigate the petty kingdoms of Tosānchi around 200 AD, categorizing them and opening up trade links between Tianqi and these realms. It is at this time when Tianqian influences spread to Tosānchi.

The Tianqians cataloged several petty kingdoms. These included the main powers of this era: Tangami (天岸), Shidegami (北岸), Yonmori (永水) and Yokoku (大国). They all adopted Tianqian writing and ideas. Tangami in particular wrote the Chidayishi (地大歴史; 'Great History of the Land') in 550 AD, a record of the history of the region up to that time with a bias aiming to legitimize the Tangami royal family's rule. It was written in Tianqian characters, but a translation with the modern Tosānchinese Kana script was made in 1200 AD. Despite some of its more legendary aspects that were written to validate the royal bloodline, the Chidayishi remains one of the most important literary and historical works of the era.

Out of all the petty kingdoms, Tangami was the one which conquered them all. In 600 AD, Tangami conquered the last of the main powers, Shidegami, establishing itself as the sole ruler of western Tosānchi.

(First) Period


When Tangami unified all the western kingdoms into one, it renamed itself as "Tosānchi". This move was symbolic not only due to the fact that it was the crossroads of Sinju and Yeongju, but because taking such a general name for the area signified that Tosānchi's government was the sole ruler of the lands in question.

Two years after the conquest, the first Emperor of Tosānchi, Dohasho, declared the Empire into being. It was part of a wider push to emulate the Tianqian Empire, as Tosānchi imported Tianqian customs, culture, philosophy, administration and technology. During the (First) Period, Tosānchi's Imperial court was extremely Tianqiphile, even going to the extent of paying lip service to the Tianqian Emperor despite elevating their monarchical title to be the equal of the Tianqians. This was done to improve ties with them.

When the Tianqian Empire collapsed, Tosānchi permitted nobles from the crumbling state to come and settle in its lands. The Emperor of the era married a noble distantly related to the last Tianqian dynasty by blood, and thus the monarchs not only claimed to be descendants of Konmin, but also of the Emperors of Tianqi.

It was around in the (First) Period that Tanishan, the monotheistic religion of Tosānchi, was shaped as well. In the early 700s, the royal family faced challenges from rival clans. In order to increase their legitimacy and kill any claims of authority amongst their rivals, the Imperial government radically reformed the existing beliefs, declaring the royal sky kami, Konmin, to be the supreme being. All other kami were downgraded to mere local spirits acting on Konmin's will, thus metaphorically degrading their political threats to servants by divine will. This radical measure was opposed by many sectors of society, but the Imperial government embarked on a campaign of terror, enforcing the new orthodox worship by any means necessary and defeating any rebellions that arose. Whilst this eliminated the clans as a threat in the short-term, a rift had opened between the royal family and the noble clans. A military coup shifted authority from the royal house to a military aristocracy in the 900s, leading to the (Second) Period in Tosānchinese history.

(Second) Period
In 900 AD, disgruntled military and civil aristocrats conducted a coup d'etat, elevating a claimant to the throne to be Emperor. The (Second) Period had begun. In this period, Tosanchi radically altered its structure, rejecting most foreign influences and turning increasingly xenophobic. Civil service examinations were revoked, the Imperial court dulled the Confucianist influences in the country, and promoted native traditions and customs over foreign ones. A military dictatorship ruled nominally in the Emperor's name for 200 years, although the Emperor was just a puppet in reality. The (Second) Period was incredibly bloody, as various noble clans raised armies to depose various Emperors, who were just puppets of the reigning military clan at the time. The government turned increasingly unpopular, and revolts against conscription also occurred.

There were some achievements, however. Tosanchi expanded to its east, eliminating several Eastern Tosanic petty kingdoms and incorporating them into its realm. Tosanchi also achieved the submission of the Taimo Confederacy, a coalition of petty kingdoms ruled over an Overlord elected amongst the various Kings and Princes. Colonists spread out east, settling the newly-acquired territories and mixing and/or fighting with the eastern peoples. Due to a large number of these colonists being prisoners sent to penal colonies, the east acquired a stereotype for lawlessness and banditry that lasted until the 15th century.

The royal family was left powerless, as rival noble clans fought to control the throne. This period was finally brought to a halt when a Confuciophile coalition of clans and the royal family won the (Second Period) War against the ruling (Shogunhere) clan.

(Third) Period
The (Third) Period began in 1100, as the Emperor was formally restored to the throne with its imperial powers. Reconnecting with the wider Sinju world, the (Third) Period saw a complete reversal of the policies of the previous military governments. The Imperial court took special interest in Jeongmi, seeking to adopt their policies just as Tosanchi had done in the (First) Period with Tianqi. It is at this time when Tosanchi adopted a modified version of the Fusenese script for their own use. As a result, Tosanchinese Kana is markedly different from the original, making no distinction between Hiragana and Katakana in order to adapt the script for the phonology found in Tosānchinese, which differs from the language.

It is at this time where an upper-middle class of bureaucrats and scholars began to develop extensively. As the civil service examination was now open to all regardless of lineage, certain villages began to raise funds to educate their brightest children. It was expected that a person who got into the civil service in this fashion to repay their village in prestige and increased government attention. Unlike the noble clans, the bureaucracy (the part that was not noble, that is) did not have many lasting bloodlines, although they did try. Members of the bureaucracy would often invest heavily into the tutelage of their children to improve their chances of succeeding them in their jobs. Whilst some lineages of bureaucratic prestige did surface, they often lasted a couple of centuries in the most extreme of cases. The longest-lasting bloodline was the Heiwaka family, a series of succeeding bureaucrats which emerged in the beginning of the 13th century. This bureaucratic lineage ended in 1871, when the last consecutive Heikawa to be a bureaucrat died.

The royal family's newly-acquired power did not last long, as the clans once more took control over time. By the 1300s, the Emperor was a puppet once more of whatever noble faction dominated the court. WIP

Geography
TBD

Government
Tosānchi is a constitutional monarchy. The Emperor holds little, if any, power, and is only the ceremonial Head of State of the country. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and their cabinet. This makes the Prime Minister the Head of Government.

The unicameral national legislature of Tosānchi is called the Parliament of Tosānchi. Comprised of 498 seats, 246 of them are elected through single-district elections and 252 are awarded based on the national popular vote. Should a party exceed its share of the national vote in parliament, no more national seats shall be awarded. This makes the voting system of the parliament Mixed-Member Proportional. District seats are not divided nationally, but they are allocated based on a prefecture's population. For example, Tankyo is allocated 31 seats.

Imperial Family
The Imperial Family is the reigning house of Tosānchi, and it is the longest-consecutively ruling dynasty in the world that still exists today, having ruled in some way or form for over 1,500 years. The current Emperor is His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Sukutaliro, who ascended the throne in 2020 after his father's untimely demise. He adopted the era name of Ronsu (栄秀; ろんす), therefore officially being known as the Ronsu Emperor (Tosānchinese: 栄秀天君, ろんす たんきじ, Ronsu Tankishi; 栄秀帝, ろんすてい, Ronsu-Tei).

Judiciary TBD

Administrative Divisions
Tosānchi is divided into 34 prefectures and 6 autonomous prefectures. The most populous prefecture is Tankyo, with 6,202,294 residents as of the latest census. Prefectures themselves are divided into sub-prefectures, which are further divided into municipalities.

Foreign Relations
TBD

Military
TBD

Obscene Publications
Tosānchi is notorious among the Sinju nations for not only banning pornography and other "obscene" publications, but by enforcing these laws regularly. The Imperial Communications Safety Authority heavily scrutinizes all forms of media in order to ensure the "moral purity" of the country. All pornography is banned, all websites with "sexually explicit" material are blocked partially or outright, literature with "sexually explicit" text is censored, etc. The importation of all pornographic or otherwise "sexually explicit" material is banned, and any person may be arrested, including foreigners from countries that do not outlaw such content. They are often deported after paying a fine.

Romantic shows are pushed to late-night slots, and all "sexually explicit" scenes are censored, usually by the television showing an ICSA notice telling the viewer that the following scene is censored. Making use of VPNs to see prohibited content is illegal, and although fines and arrests relating to this practice are rare, they have occured.

Media outlets and websites are fined by the ICSA if they do not follow these regulations, depending on their size and reach. A minor, independent writer may be fined $500 for "obscene publications" and have their work censored by the ICSA, but a large media conglomerate or a large publishing firm may be fined hundreds of thousands or even millions instead.

Writers who repeatedly continue to publish "obscene" literature despite being fined over seven times by the ICSA may face a prison sentence with a maximum of 180 days of incarceration. Citizens with over ten fines relating to the purchase, sale or consumption of prohibited content face a maximum sentence of 15 days in prison for the eleventh time, 30 days for the twelfth, 50 days for the thirteenth and 90 days for any further convictions.

Despite the concerns over the violations of freedom of speech and of the press, the policy is popular in Tosānchi, with around 55 to 60+% of respondents in polls over the years supporting the ICSA's actions and role in society. In 2019, a ballot proposal to amend the Tosānchinese constitution in order to repeal the anti-obscenity laws was defeated, with only 42.2% of voters supporting it.

Economy
Tosānchi is a high-income, developed nation in Sinju. TBD

Infrastructure
High quality maybe

Population
Tosānchi is a nation with around 49.3 million residents. Most of Tosānchi, especially the western prefectures, are relatively homogeneous apart from major cities such as Tankyo, which have small immigrant communities. The east of the country is different: most of Tosānchi's various minorities inhabit the eastern prefectures, and the area is not as monolithic as the west.

The largest ethnic group are the Tosānchi, or Tosānchinese, a Japonic people comprising more than 80% of the population. The largest ethnic minority are the Shoyo, another Japonic people that make up almost 8% of the population. Most ethnic groups native to these lands are either of Japonic or Uju origin. The largest Uju minority, the Háatlag, are around 5% of the population.

Life expectancy high, elderly stuff, etc

Religion
Tosānchi has various faiths, but the one that predominates is Konminism, a monotheistic religion unique to the country. A small Buddhist minority, markedly in Sōkori prefecture, also exists.

The east is where minority faiths are more noticeable. Whilst the Japonic minorities such as the Shoyo or Taimo do have sizeable Konminnist communities, their original faiths do persist. The Uju minorities, on the other hand, have no large number of adherents of the Konminnist faith, and thus their native faiths comprise a vast majority of their populations.

Immigrant communities have largely retained their own religions.

Languages
The Tosānchi language, a Japonic tounge, is the dominant method of communication in the country. Almost all the citizens of the country are fluent in Tosānchinese. Despite this, the ethnic minorities do have their own languages.

The Shoyo and Taimo languages are both Japonic, closely related to Tosānchinese. Some Tosānchinese ultranationalists go so far as to state that these are just dialects of Tosānchinese, but linguists believe that Tosānchinese comprises its own branch of the Japonic family. Shoyo and Taimo are categorized into their own branch of the Japonic languages, and have been influenced more by their Uju neighbours than Tosānchinese has been.

Education
Traditional Sinju gulag, TBD

Health
Excellent by global standards, TBD

Musical Poetry
Musical poetry is an unique Tosanchinese tradition. The genre makes use of instruments only. Sounds are utilized to represent certain feelings and intentions, and the organization of the tone and instruments matter. The longer an instrument is played in a musical poem, the more intense an emotion or intention is perceived to be. Some examples include: - For example, a musical poem including a disorganized cacophany of drums may appear to be gibberish, but it often represents fury in the Tosanchinese tradition. - On the other hand, a drum being played at a repetitive pace symbolizes a certain fear if played fast, and an attempt to intimidate another person if played slowly. - A flute being played slowly and at a sombre tone may represent regret. - A zither being played fast but in a repetitive is meant to represent happiness. If played fast whilst disorganized, it means a general feeling of disorder. If played slowly, a zither's sound represented patience, usually the person waiting for something or someone.

Colours also symbolized something. If a performer wishes to direct a melody towards a specific person, they would pick the respondent's favourite color if they knew it, and the colour of their birth date if not. They would either dress in that hue, hold a card of the same colour whilst playing an instrument if it was possible, or otherwise portray the colour in a noticeable fashion. For example, if your preferred red and the artist is performing a disorganized cacophany with the drums whilst noticeably displaying red by having a red textile covering said instrument, it means that the performer is directing that feeling towards you (i.e., they're angry at you).

Musical poetry first originated amongst the youth as a way to profess their love to a romantic interest whilst being able to claim that the performance meant nothing due to how vague it was. As the practice was standardized and expanded to cover other topics. Some members of the aristocracy took interest and became quite proficient in this art. Musical poetry was used sometimes in the Imperial court to convey threats or assurances. For instance, if your political rival at court wore your favourite colour and started playing a drum in a repetitive tone, they were attempting to intimidate you by asserting their authority and superiority to intimidate.

Colour in Tosanchinese culture
Colour is incredibly important in traditional Tosanchinese culture and social customs. Unlike most countries, in Tosanchi, the colour of what you wear and in what garment you are wearing it can have indirect messages. For example, wearing a red shirt usually indicates that you have been angered, but wearing a red head garment indicates that you do not wish to be disturbed. Removing one's hat when speaking to another person changes the meaning of the hat proper as well. If you take out a red hat out of your head whilst speaking to someone, it is an indirect message that the listener may speak you to normally, regardless of your current mood. A blue hat usually represents that you are calm, but if a person removes their blue hat whilst speaking to you, it means that they are happy to see you.

These cues, whilst not always followed to perfection by anyone, represent an important aspect of Tosanchinese etiquette, especially in the elite classes of the country. The strict adherence to this practice is fading amongst the youth in non-romantic situations, however.

Funeral processions


Funeral processions in Tosānchi are heavily influenced by Tanishan, otherwise known as Konminism. Tosānchi is notorious for having drawnout funeral traditions. All attendants must wear white, a traditional symbol of mourning. However, the spouse of the deceased can wear light blue, should they hope their former partner reaches Heaven.

A typical funeral procession commences in the morning. The corpse is carried on a white and lifted high up, symbolizing the wish of the mourners of the deceased for said person's soul to reach high up to the Heavens. Four Konminist priests surround the litter, praying from all directions in the hope that the soul receives heavenly favour. Two banner bearers march in the front of the litter. The two banners display the of the paternal and maternal families. If one of these families has no mon, then their Chinese characters or Tosānchinese Kana painted on a white background often suffices.

If the dead person requested it in their will, the procession shall go to their favourite place and the four Konminist priests shall pray there, blessing the auspicious place and pleasing the soul of the corpse.

The procession goes to a Konminist temple, where a white and tall altar is located. All those in attendance stay at the foot of the altar, often taking their seats on white chairs made out of fine wood. Those carrying the litter climb up the stairs, as well as the Konminist priests and the banner bearers. The banner bearers stand to face the audience. The litter is then placed in the centre of the altar, and the Konminist priests begin to pray until sundown. The audience is expected to pray as well, but they also tend to socialize, traditionally speaking well of the dead. Conversing ill of the deceased is considered a sin unless it can be proven without a shadow of a doubt by the speaker that the criticism is genuine.

Once sundown comes and the Moon begins to rise, the curtains enclosing the body are lifted, religiously permitting the soul to leave before the burial. According to Konminist tradition, the soul travels to the Moon, the place where all souls await their transfer to the Heavens, where Konmin shall judge and determine where the soul shall go. After four minutes, the litter is closed again. The procession then proceeds to bury the body at a temple cementery, preferably on a section containing the ancestors of the deceased unless specifically requested by the person on their will.

Rujahai (裸字絵)


Rujahai (lit. meaning "bare character painting") is a Tosānchinese artistic genre. It originated in the late 1800s in response to (insert Romantic/Vanguard genre here). It's main premise was that one could demonstrate emotion in art whilst being orderly and concise. As a result, Rujahai painters disavowed the developing surreal trends, instead focusing on abstract interpretations of Tianqian characters.

Some guidelines for an orthodox Rujahai painting include:

- Clean, straight lines enclosing certain areas. The preferred angles were 45° for non-horizontal strokes, 90° for vertical strokes and 180° for horizontal strokes.

- The use of colours to represent an emotion or idea. Any personification (as in, painting faces, animals, objects and whatnot) is discouraged.

- No blurs in the lines nor in the colours. This violates the principles of perfection and order that Rujahai artists prized. No shadow nor any colour blurring is to be permitted.

- If possible, limit the amount of colours in a painting to four.

- Titles of the painting must be limited to four characters or less.

The most famous artist of this movement was Golekowa Tanmoto, a Tosānchinese nobleman and the brother of the head of the Tanmoto noble clan of the time. He painted Woheshīn (我へ心), an acclaimed piece of art in the country.

Crying in Tosānchinese Culture
The perception of the act of crying in Tosānchinese culture varies from the situation. In private, it is perfectly acceptable and even expected that one can cry their sorrows away as much as they wish. In funerals, it is only acceptable to cry if you personally knew the deceased, but those invitees who were not acquaintanced with the dead usually avert their eyes away when someone cries. However, when in public, this emotional response is not only considered wrong, but offensive to those around you, as it is believed that, by crying over something, you are inadvertedly and unnecessarily spreading your sadness to those around you. Curiously, crying in of itself is not considered a weakness, and thus it is socially acceptable for both men and women to cry in private or in funerals. The only "weakness" involving crying is from a lack of ability to hold back your tears in public, which is seen as a flaw for both genders and can lead you to be characterized as "too emotional".

It is thought by historians that this social stigma placed on such a simple act as crying originated from the wars of the ancient past, where peasants were conscripted to fight either for the nobles or the royal family in their constant power struggles. As so many families had lost relatives in these conflicts or, even worse, had been victims of acts that today would be considered war crimes, crying was discouraged so everyone in the community could forget instead of remembering their deceased loved ones or the tragic events they experienced.

Music
In Tosānchinese culture, love is not a topic usually sung about in music as it is both considered a private matter and a "mundane" genre. As a result, any modern music dealing with this theme does not fare well in the charts. Rather, songs celebrating and/or dealing with nature, one's ancestors, the Emperor, tragedy due to natural disasters, Konmin and the royal army have been the norm throughout history. In modern history, as Tosānchi liberalized and became a democratic nation, songs dealing with financial struggle, cultural change due to industrialization + modernization, celebrating the nation and political dissatisfaction have risen in popularity.

Originally written in the NS app
A Japonic nation, Tosānchi was settled by Japonic settlers in antiquity, which developed their own branch of the Japonic language family. A bureaucratic monarchy, Tosānchi had a wealthy class of noble landowners as well as an upper middle class of bureaucrats. The Tosānchi civil service examination was open to everyone, and it was a tradition for villages to fund their brightest to take said tests, and thus the bureaucrats do not have any extensive hereditary lineage.

Tosānchi arose as an entity following the unification of various petty kingdoms. The Emperor (or Tankishi, 天君, "Heavenly Ruler") legitimized his rule by claiming a mandate of heaven, confirmed by the Tanishan religion (天道, "Heavenly Road"). In the Tanishan religion, heaven is ruled by Konmin (神, "God"), a monotheistic all-powerful deity that grants the divine right to rule due to the Emperor being of divine blood (in the ancient legends, Konmin created the first humans out of the soil, but the deity created the first Emperor from its toenails, symbolizing the Emperor's subservience to Konmin's will). Unlike Japan, where the Emperor was worshipped as a living god once, Tonsāchi never did, as despite the Emperor being of divine blood, the Tanishan religion demands that all heavenly praise go to Konmin, and no one else. The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and as a good descendant, he must follow his filial piety by fulfilling Konmin's will as its divine steward. This led to periods of court factionalism, as aristocrats sought power in the Imperial Court. Sometimes, and especially in the Haiya period, Emperors were even deposed in favour of other royal relatives in either peasant or aristocratic rebellions.

Tonsānchi sought to emulate Tianqi, sending emisaries to study the nation and forge diplomatic links. This led to the Jinmi Period in the 600s-900s, where Tonsāchi sought to imitate Tianqi (and then Jeongmian) statecraft and beliefs to an extent.

The Jinmi period ended when a succession crisis triggered a civil war. The new Emperor reformed the state, discouraging Confucianism and promoting traditional Tonsānchi culture more in order to appeal to the commoner populace. The Sāchi period was characterized by a militaristic aristocracy and isolationism that lasted until the 1100s, when a Jeongmi-phile faction of the Imperial Court seized control. The new Haiya period was characterized not only by a resurgence in Jeongmian concepts (especially since this was a golden age in Jeongmian culture), but also on new influence from Fusen, with Tonsānchi adopting a modified Kana script for the languages spoken in its realm during this period. Unlike the Jinmi period, the Haiya court walked a fine line between adopting foreign cultures and concepts and maintaining Tonsānchi traditions. It also revived the civil service examinations abandoned in the Sāchi period. Unlike the ancient Jinmi period, it was not royal power that dominated, but noble families, whom exterted influence and made the Emperor essentially a puppet to be fought over between the aristocratic clans of the Empire. These power plays led to sporadic but more common civil wars and rebellions, as clans often fought with each other to influence or even depose Emperors.

This mildly chaotic era lasted until the 1500s, when the royal family and its allied nobility finally took control from the waning clan system in the Arinaga War. In order to placate the nobility, the Emperor granted this class a concession by allowing them to assemble and pass laws with the consent of the Emperor. The Imperial Parliament (貴族会, Konshekushun, "Nobility Meeting") was born in the Tankonshe period, which lasted from the 1500s until the 1800s. In this era, the small kingdoms of Shoyokue and Taimohen were also conquered.

The 1800s saw Tonsānchi modernise, and new ideas sprung to life. The industrialization of the country saw a new urban working class and the rise of a middle class, both of which demanded greater rights and representation. The aristocracy was also altered, especially in the latter half of the 19th century, as business tycoons of commoner backgrounds joined the ranks of nobles in terms of power and prestige and even surpassed them.

The Imperial Court initially reacted brutally against dissent, censoring, imprisoning and even executing all those who pushed against the monarchy's power, but, especially after seeing the abolition of the monarchy in Jeongmi and growing anti-establishment sentiment, the Imperial Court relented. Tosānchi underwent major reforms in the late 19th century. The nation became a democratic constitutional monarchy, instituted compulsory public education, granted workers more rights, better healthcare, etc. Initially, elections were only open to the wealthy and those persons who could pass the Voting Registration Examination, but the early 1900s did away with the latter, as the general public demanded greater representation.

Today, Tosānchi is a relatively prosperous and democratic Sinju constitutional monarchy. The Emperor holds little to no power today.