Yotosho

Yotosho (蓉島嶼; formally 蓉島嶼国, Yotosho-koku -- the "State of Yotosho") is a  located in north-east Sinju, west of the Jeongmian island of Yeoseo and south of Kapuk. Yotosho is an  of 4,493 islands, the largest of which being Eikyo which makes up the majority of Yotosho's land area.

The Yotoshan islands were inhabited by human life as early as the period. By the an increasingly sedentary culture had developed on the isles, particularly on the central island of Eikyo. The arrival of Tianqian through interaction with the Sinju mainland in the 3rd century ACE had a significant impact on the development of Yotoshan culture, politics, and language. Starting as early the the central power of the Emperor had been in slow decline as political power shifted to the landed nobility. The Feudal Era of Yotosho is characterized by a series of internal conflicts between feudal lords leading to the establishment of a number of incredibly influential noble families. The Feudal Era came to a close in 1495 following the establishment of the Uesato Dynasty and the subsequent Uesato Reforms in 1510. The emerging Yotoshan Empire became a major political, economic, and military power in the 17th and 18th centuries. Yotosho maintained an expansive until the Treaty of Shinkyo in 1807 forced the Empire to secede a significant amount of its colonial possessions to Meisaan and Jeongmi.

The early half of the 19th century in Yotosho was largely a period of civil unrest and political disasters. The controversy of the ascension of Emperor Go-Chukyo in 1808 in addition to a declining economic situation led to the deposition of the Emperor in the Joko Revolution (1815-1817). Following the Joko Revolution the new government established a system based upon the parliamentary elements of the Uesato constitution as well as elements of Neo-Ritsuryō legalism. Attempts at reestablishing its previous colonial empire and an organized effort at industrialization saw a period of regrowth occur in the mid 19th century in Yotosho.

Today, Yotosho is considered a with a. Yotosho is considered a major social, economic, and political power with a number of internationally significant urban centers. Yotosho maintains a very high standard of living with a high and per-capita income.

Three Dynasties Era
The Three Dynasties Era marks the era in which a centralized Yotoshan kingdom first appeared. The Three Dynasties Era can be further divided into three major eras, the Yasuraoka Era (200 BCE - 250 AD), the Gotō Era (250 - 680) and the Miya Era (680 - 987). The Yasuraoka Era saw the development of a early centralized state, centered around the settlement of Kosen. The Yasuraoka established a number of early court traditions as well as overseeing the adoption of and a formal writing system, adopted from the Tianqian system. Tianqian ideas arriving from the Sinju mainland had a significant impact on the transformation of Yotoshan society, culture, and politics. Ideas and goods were transferred through maritime trade routes, primarily with the island of Yeoseo and onward to the mainland. In the later Yasuraoka Era a distinct, unified Yotoshan culture emerged. This period saw the proliferation of an aristocratic court culture which promoted Yotoshan literature and music. A culture of constructing palaces and other great works became increasingly popular towards the end of the Yasuraoka Era.

The Yasuraoka Dynasty eventually came to an end following the War of the Flowers in 250 AD, which saw Emperor Dachi overthrown by his nephew leading to the creation of the Goto Dynasty. The Goto Dynasty saw a further acceptance of Buddhism and continental ideas. The foundations of a strong bureaucracy were established under the Goto, in particular under Emperor Choshu. The first Imperial census was recorded in 260 AD. Civil service exams and accompanying gradations for ministers of the Imperial court also developed further under the Goto Dynasty. The aristocratic class system was further enforced by the Goto Dynasty as well. In 620 the Goto Dynasty absorbed numerous territories held by the northern, indigenous. The Goto Dynasty was eventually overthrown in 680 AD following the end of the Kiku War (675 - 680).

The Miya Dynasty was established shortly after by the cousin of the deposed Goto Emperor, Emperor Shinshu. Under the Miya a renewed interest in early and pre-Yasuraoka culture emerged among the court, leading to the further development of a unique Yotoshan court culture. Under the Miya a number of reformations were put in place with the goal of further adapting elements of Buddhism into the native Chokyo belief system.

Imperial Era
Some colonization, some political drama.

Joko Revolution and Industrial Era
Tensions throughout the Yotoshan political structure had begun to reach an all time high by the start of the 19th century. The loss of a significant amount of overseas territory in the War of 1807 and the subsequent economic downturn had placed significant pressure on the ambitious and already strained Imperial government. This was further exacerbated by a succession crisis in 1808 following the death of Emperor Keishin who had failed to produce a legitimate heir. The Seshū Shinnōke, the cadet branches of the main line of the Imperial family, also failed to reach a consensus on who would inherit the throne. Emperor Go-Chukyo was controversially named Emperor by the Imperial regency government in the winter of 1808.

Emperor Go-Chukyo initiated a number of reforms in 1809 and 1810 with the aims of returning power to the Emperor, much to the displeasure of the moderates and reformists in both the bakufu and the Imperial parliament. Go-Chukyo established himself as a staunch traditionalist, further alienating him from the reformists in government. The Imperial reforms met heavy resistance from a number of wealthy merchant clans as well as the incumbent Shogun, Uesato Sogo.

Uesato was a proponent of a reformist movement which had arisen in the late 18th century which advocated for the restructuring of the contemporary ambiguous system of governing. Throughout the Imperial Era political power swayed between the Shogun, Emperor, and the regent (if one was present). It was around this time that a number of liberal and republican social clubs began formally organizing in many of the Yotosho's major urban centers, primarily Shinkyo. A number of liberal uprisings occurred throughout the 1810s. On October 8th, 1813 Uesato and Emperor Go-Chukyo convened an emergency meeting to discuss the reforms proposed by parliament and the bakufu. However negotiations were unsuccessful in creating a compromise.

After negotiation with a number of wealthy Zaibatsu representatives (financial cliques) and aristocratic reformers Uesato, in tandem with a portion of the Imperial cabinet, declared Go-Chukyo unfit to rule and called for a regency government. This request was met with the call for Uesato's arrest and his dismissal as Shogun. On July 6th, 1815 the Joko Revolution had officially begun with the Shisengumi being deployed to Shinkyo to expel the Imperial government and its supporters from the city. Concurrently, the Student's Revolt was occurring in Koshi and Shinkyo as an extension of the greater scholarly liberal movement. Supporters of the Imperial government, who were mostly older members of the aristocracy and landed peerage, organized in Koshi. The first formal military engagement was the Battle of Nishibaru on August 8th, 1815, this initial confrontation was largely a stalemate. The Battle of Osai on May 9th, 1816 marked a pivotal turning point in the war in the Shogunate's favor.

On December 10th, 1817 Shogunate forces arrived at Koshi and laid siege to the city. The Emperor abdicated the following week and the Imperial forces surrendered two days afterwards. A new government was declared in Shinkyo, headed by the bakufu. The bakufu ruled as a provisional military government for several years until Shogun Uesato Yamaoka pushed forward the Kashiwara Reforms in 1820. The new government was structured on Neo-Ritsuryō ideas, heavily influenced by the rising liberalist and republican movements throughout Sinju.

The position of Shogun was relinquished following Uesato Yamaoka's reign in 1835. The elected position of Daijo-kan was created as the chief executive office of the government, and significant legislative powers were vested in parliament. The period of time spanning from 1820 and up until the 1890s saw a concentrated government effort in investing in infrastructure and expanding industrial capacity. The industrial revolution had reached Yotosho far earlier though it experienced gradual industrial growth as opposed to a centralized, concentrated effort in expanding industrial capacity. Throughout the 1840s and 1850s Yotosho saw a renewed interest in its overseas territories. The Yotosho colonial empire expanded rapidly throughout this time period, largely through the expansion of colonial trading companies. Suffrage was extended to those of lower economic classes and those without land in the 1890s and to women in 1910.

Politics
Yotosho is a,  with the Daijo-kan serving as the  and the Sadaijin serving as the. The political system of Yotosho is based upon the framework found in the 1817 constitution known as the Taihō. The system laid out in the Taihō is based upon Neo-Ritsuryō ideas which developed during and after the Hundred Flowers era. Amendments to the constitution may be made following a 2/3 majority vote in the legislature. The Taihō, in addition to laying out the framework for the Yotoshan political system, also guarantees a number of rights to its citizens (following a number of mid 20th century amendments) such as the and.

The legislative body of the Yotoshan political system is known as the Gikai. The Gikai as a whole is the central political organ of the Yotoshan political system, considering it maintains a certain degree of legislative and executive power. To run for a seat in the Gikai citizens must pass a civil service exam, their results on the exam determines what capacity they can serve the government in. The Gikai is a bicameral legislature consisting of the 112 seat upper house, the Senate, and the 382 seat lower house, the National Assembly. The National Assembly posses the majority of legislative duties and powers, responsible for the creation of new laws and the review of current law. The National Assembly also has the ability to call for a vote on constitutional amendments. The Senate is largely considered to be a legislative review body, responsible for reviewing laws passed on by the National Assembly. Members of the Senate are typically senior politicians or senior legal professionals.

The head of state is the Daijo-kan, currently Tatsui Niwa. The Daijo-kan is elected through a secret ballot carried out by an electoral committee consisting of past and current government officials. The duties of the Daijo-kan are largely concerned with the representation of Yotosho domestically and abroad. The head of government is the Sadaijin, currently Gushiken Masayo. The Sadaijin is indirectly elected through the. The Sadaijin serves as the highest office in the Yotoshan political system. The Sadaijin has the power to appoint a deputy, the Udaijin, and form and dismiss a cabinet of ministers.

The Yotoshan electoral system operates on a. Citizens above the age of 18 are eligible to take an exam to acquire the ability to vote. There are four major political parties in Yotoshan politics; the Liberal Party, the Justice Party, the Democratic Socialist Party, and the Democratic Reformer Party.