Akitsukuni

Akitsukuni, officially the Greater Empire of Akitsukuni (: 秋津国 Akitsukuni; formally 大秋津帝国 Dai Akitsu Teikoku, "Greater Empire of Akitsukuni") is a  in Uju. It consists of 54 prefectures in 5 regions and has a total landmass of ___ square kilometres, covering mainland Akitsukuni, the island of Akitsukuni and several small islands that make up the Miojima archipelago. Mainland Akitsukuni is bordered to the south by Elwha. Akitsukuni has a population of around 78 million people, and approximately 9.1 million people live in Heian, the capital of Akitsukuni, which is one of the largest cities in the world. Other major cities include Miyako, the religious centre of Akitsukuni, Tokyo, a major cultural capital, and Kagoshima, the largest shipping port by volume in northern Uju.

The, , and other native ethnic groups have inhabited what is now mainland Akitsukuni since antiquity, with the Beō culture largely originating from the island of Akitsukuni. Jungjun colonisation began in the 16th century, led by Fusen. Akitsukuni Island was initially settled through penal transportation and exile of Fusenese political prisoners, while two colonies were established on the Sadamisaki peninsula for the bountiful local resources. The populations steadily grew over the subsequent decades and by the 1760s most of the region had been explored and an additional five colonies had been established in the area. Numerous disputes between Fusen and the colonies resulted in the Akitsukunese Revolution, which began in 1762 and ended in 1782 when Fusen recognised the newly-formed Republic of Akitsukuni and Sadamisaki as an independent nation.

The newly-independent nation embarked on a vigorous expansion into the interior of Uju throughout the 19th century, displacing and exterminating local native populations, acquiring new territories, and gradually forming new prefectures until it reached a size roughly identical to its modern borders in 1840. The Akitsukunese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the Empire of Akitsukuni and Sadamisaki, the installation of the Akitsukunese monarchy and the instating of the Imperial Shrine religion as the state religion in 1848, marking a new stage in the development of modern Akitsukuni. Rapidly modernising in a bid to compete on equal footing with the colonial nations, the Empire's victory in the June War of 1890 confirmed its status as a new world power. Finally reforming into the Greater Empire of Akitsukuni, the Empire embarked on a path of increased militarism, nationalism and expansionism that culminated in the Uju War and the Uju Genocide, which expanded into a part of the Eulhae War that ended with an armistice. A violent coup by Nariakira Okabe in 1949 resulted in reforms made to the government to open up Akitsukunese industry and trade to the world, but laid the groundwork for a recurring cycle of civilian and military governments that only ended in 1991, after which the country underwent major political and economic reform and modernisation, emerging a major global economic and military power, and one of the major regional powers in Uju by the mid-2000s.

Akitsukuni is a modern, major economic power and was one of the fastest-growing developing economies until stagnation in the mid-2010s. It is a great military power with the ability to project its power across the globe, and is also the world's largest arms exporter. Rich in natural resources and minerals, Akitsukuni is an important resource hub for the region as well as nearby Sinju. Akitsukuni boasts one of the highest human development indexes in the region and one of the most diversified economies. It is a member of the Congress of Nations and the Global Threat Discussion Forum, and it is a founding member of the Co-Prosperity and Strategic Defence Coalition. At the same time, Akitsukuni faces numerous issues such as continued internal insurgencies, human rights controversies and strong right-wing politics.

Etymology
The name Akitsukuni (秋津国, あきつくに) translates into Autumn Harbour Land through the literal meanings of the Tianqian characters used in the name. Akitu is an archaic Fusenese word for "dragonfly", allowing the name to be interpreted as "Dragonfly Land" as well. An archaic poetic name from Fusenese legends that at one time referred to the island of Fusen itself, the name Akitsukuni was chosen by the explorer Mamoru Akiyama, the first Fusenese to set foot on Akitsukuni island.

Originally, the full name of the nation included the name of the territory Sadamisaki as well, but the name of Sadamisaki was removed in the declaration of the Greater Empire of Akitsukuni due to the perception that this implied both lands were separate, and not one single, unified nation.

Akitsukunese people refer to themselves as Akitsujin (秋津人) and to their language as Akitsugo (秋津語), even if it is essentially identical to the main Fusenese language besides certain differing words, accents and dialects.

Civil war and the Empire
The Empire was formed and seceded, after which a war began.

After transitioning into the Empire of Akitsukuni and Sadamisaki, it found itself in a weird place in the world.

Greater Empire and the Eulhae War
Being rewritten. See above link for progress.

Gradual return to power
1987 Mountain War

Contemporary history
1991 - present

Government and politics
Main articles: Government of Akitsukuni, Politics of Akitsukuni

Akitsukuni is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy where the hereditary monarch, the Empress, officially holds no political power. Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister and other elected members of the Teikoku Gikai, while sovereignty is vested in the Akitsukunese people. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Kameko is the current monarch of Akitsukuni. Though legally the monarch holds no power, due to her immense influence as a figure of worship within the state religion of Imperial Shrine, the Empress holds considerable influence amongst members of the government and public.

Akitsukuni's legislative organ is the Teikoku Gikai (帝国議会), a unicameral parliament with 722 seats. Members of parliament serve four year terms and are popularly elected. Nominally, there is universal suffrage for adults over 21 years of age, with a for all elected offices. However, allegations that certain ethnic groups are barred from voting in regional elections have emerged from international watchdogs.

The Gikai is dominated by the conservative Democratic Restoration Party (DRP), followed closely by the social liberal Democratic Party of Akitsukuni (DPA). Amongst the minor parties, the United Front for Reform (UFR) and the Socialist Party of Akitsukuni (SPA) are catching up to the two leading parties, but the difference is still vast. The DRP has enjoyed near continuous electoral success since 1955, except for a brief 11-month period between 1993 and 1994, and from 2009 to 2012.

The Prime Minister of Akitsukuni is the head of government and is appointed by the Empress after being designated by the Gikai from among its members. The Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet, and he appoints and dismisses the. Hisoka Yamamoto is the current Prime Minister of Akitsukuni. Although the Prime Minister is formally appointed by the Empress, the Constitution of Akitsukuni explicitly requires the Empress to appoint whoever is designated by the Gikai.

Monarchy
Main article: Akitsukunese monarchy

The Empress of Akitsukuni (天皇) is the ceremonial head of state of Akitsukuni's system of constitutional monarchy and is a major religious leader and figure of worship in the Imperial Shrine state religion. She is considered the highest mortal authority of the Imperial Shrine, as she is believed to act as a vessel for the Imperial Spirit, one of the worshipped Kami of the religion. Her importance thus also lies in dealing with heavenly affairs, including rituals and rites throughout the nation.

The role of the Empress of Akitsukuni has historically alternated between a largely ceremonial symbolic and religious role and that of an actual imperial ruler. Before the ascent of the Empress Kayako in 1888, the Empress held a purely religious role. This changed with the reforms made under Kayako, which transformed Akitsukuni into an absolute monarchy with the Empress in a more direct governing role. Akitsukuni transitioned back into a constitutional monarchy with the Empress no longer a part of the government after the death of Empress Tsukiyama in 1949 and subsequent governmental and constitutional reforms.

Since the establishment of the monarchy in 1848, the main residence and seat of the Empress has been the Imperial Palace, located in Miyako, the religious and imperial capital of Akitsukuni.

The current Empress of Akitsukuni is Kameko. She officially ascended to the Bamboo Throne on 3 February 2010. She is styled as Her Grand Imperial Highness, Daughter of Heaven, Empress of Akitsukuni and Sadamisaki. Empress Kikuko is known to be one of the youngest monarchs in recent history at 20 years of age.

Law
Main article: Law in Akitsukuni]]''

Statutory law originates in Yashima's legislature and has the rubber stamp of the Empress. The Constitution also requires that the Empress promulgate legislation passed by the Gikai. Akitsukuni's court system is divided into four basic tiers: the Supreme Court and three levels of lower courts. The main body of Akitsukunese statutory law is called the Six Codes.

The law is enforced by police departments in provinces, though large cities often have their own police forces. Internal surveillance and protection agencies such as the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) are also maintained by the government. Capital punishment is still legal in Akitsukuni, but requires the Prime Minister's approval. Once the Prime Minister has approved of the death penalty, only an Imperial Pardon can reverse it. Torture has been banned and is not used by any law enforcement agency.

Foreign Relations
TBD

Military
See also: Military of Akitsukuni

The Akitsukunese military is divided into the Army, Navy, and Air Force. There is also an independent service branch, the Strategic Missile Force. In 2010, the military had 1.037 million personnel on active duty. Akitsukuni is a recognised nuclear weapons state, and has had a nuclear weapons program since the end of the Eulhae War. Akitsukuni's military is commonly ranked amongst the most technologically advanced and powerful military forces in Tiandi. It also possesses a potent surface naval force that is one of the largest in the Sinju Region.

The country has a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing most of its own military equipment with only few types of weapons imported. Akitsukuni is one of the world's top supplier of arms, accounting for around 30% of worldwide weapons sales and exporting weapons to numerous countries, with rumoured sales to irregular and non-state entities as well.

The Akitsukunese government's published 2014 military budget is about $117.2 billion, approximately 2% of the national GDP. The official budget is set to rise to $121 billion in 2015, and $125 billion in 2016. However, unofficial estimates put the budget significantly higher. As of 2014, Akitsukuni's military budget is one of the highest in the region.

Administrative divisions
The provinces of Akitsukuni (令制国 Ryōseikoku) have been in effect from the 7th century to the present. The borders of the provinces changed until the end of the Nara Period and ended during the early Heian Period. From the Heian Period until the present, the borders remained unchanged. When Chōsen was incorporated into Akitsukuni at the end of the Heian period, 4 additional provinces were created, though the regional capital city of Keijo was later split into its own province.

Akitsukuni consists of 54 provinces in 5 regions. Each province is overseen by an elected governor, legislature and administrative bureaucracy, and is further divided into cities, towns and villages.

Geography
The North Yashima archipelago, also known as the Akitsukunese archipelago since the 17th century, has a total of 3,453 islands.

Economy
The Akitsukunese economy is varied with a wide variety of industries contributing to the world's fifth largest economy. Akitsukuni's economy is historically anchored by strong agricultural and fishery industries. Alongside these industries Akitsukuni also carries out trade in metals, raw materials, resources and manufacturing of both high and low quality goods. Akitsukuni is a member of the Sinju Union regional economy and is a member of the G8.

Exports
Akitsukuni has a large industrial capacity, and is home to many technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronics, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ores, natural gas, petrochemical products, ships, chemical substances, textiles, and processed foods. Agricultural businesses in Akitsukuni cultivate 26 percent of the land, and Akitsukuni also contributes a large percentage of the global fish catch. Mining takes place in the resource-rich northern areas as well as offshore drilling in the Sea of Akitsukuni, supplying many neighbouring nations with petrochemical products and energy.

As of 2010, Akitsukuni's labor force consisted of some 70 million workers. Akitsukuni has a low unemployment rate of around four percent. Housing in Akitsukuni is characterized by limited land supply in urban areas.

Imports
Akitsukuni's main imports are food (particularly meats), raw materials, fossil fuels, chemicals, machinery and equipment, as well as non-essential foreign goods like luxury food and products.

Science and technology
Akitsukuni is a leading nation in scientific research, with a particular focus on high technology, machinery, chemical and biomedical research. Some of Akitsukuni's more prominent technological contributions are in the fields of electronics, machinery, earthquake and tsunami engineering, industrial robotics, optics, chemicals, food technology, nuclear power, semiconductors and metals. Akitsukuni leads the world in robotics production and use, possessing more than 20% of the world's industrial robots as of 2015.

The space agency of Akitsukuni is the Akitsukunese Imperial Aerospace Administration (IAA). It conducts space, planetary and aviation research, and leads development of rockets and satellites. It has developed a series of rockets, the latest and the most powerful of which is the H-IIB. IAA uses the indigenously-produced Kaguya manned spacecraft, which has been in use in various iterations since the 1960s. Akitsukuni's space exploration plans include the launching of a space probe to observe the sun, creating a permanent orbital habitat, and building a moon base by 2030.

IAA also operates a single space station, the Heiwa (平和), which has been in low orbit since 1997. After a massive overhaul involving the deorbiting and repairing of nearly 75% of the station in 2014, the station is being improved with new plans for it to remain in orbit indefinitely. Heiwa serves as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.

Infrastructure
As of 2015, 40.1 percent of energy in Akitsukuni is produced from petroleum, 20.8 percent from coal, 17.9 percent from natural gas, 24.9 percent from nuclear power, and 6.3 percent from hydro and wind power. Nuclear power accounts for 34.5 percent of energy production in North Yashima. TBD

Akitsukuni maintains a massive, highly efficient road transport network, with some estimated 1.8 million kilometres of paved road as a whole. In North Yashima, a single network of high-speed, divided, limited-access toll roads connects major cities and is operated by toll-collecting enterprises. Such a system also exists in Chōsen, though the larger land area necessitates two large networks of highways that serve all major cities, though rural communities and the northern regions are often unconnected to major highways for various geographical reasons. In Akitsukuni, new and used cars are inexpensive, with car ownership fees and fuel levies used to promote energy efficiency. Akitsukuni remains a high polluter in terms of car emissions, especially in Chōsen.

Public transport systems are highly visible in both North Yashima and Chōsen, all of which have been privatised. North Yashima maintains an extensive rail network, with some 250 high-speed trains connecting major cities, with the world's first mass-operational magnetic levitation train operating between Heian, Miyako and Edo. Akitsukunese trains are known for their safety and punctuality. In Chōsen, train lines connect all major areas, but long-distance bus and ferry systems are also widespread throughout the region, moving between major cities and servicing the numerous small settlements between cities. There are 191 airports in Akitsukuni. The largest domestic airport, Haneda Airport, is one of the busier airports in the region in terms of passenger counts and goods tonnage. The largest international gateways are Heian Grand International Airport (Heian), Emperor Shunichi International Airport (Miyako) and Kanshiro International Airport (Kanshiro). Edo Harbour Port is the country's largest and busiest sea port, accounting for 10 percent of Akitsukuni's trade value.

Demographics
See also: Demographics in Akitsukuni, Ethnic issues in Akitsukuni

Akitsukuni's population is estimated at around 78 million, with 60% of the population living on mainland Akitsukuni, 39% on Akitsukuni island and 1% in the Miojima archipelago. Akitsukunese society is largely linguistically and culturally homogeneous, composed of 96.1% ethnic Fusenese and a small population of native minorities, foreign workers or immigrant communities. The most populous native community in Akitsukuni are the Beō, with around 1,014,000 people and making up 1.3% of the population. Akitsukuni is the only country in the region to have so few native Ujuans, due to the genocidal policies conducted for centuries before the 1950s. In recent years, immigration has spiked as more migrant workers and corporations enter the economically liberalising nation.

Most Akitsukunese see Akitsukuni as a monocultural society, under the popular slogan of "one race, one language, one culture", which drew criticism from representatives of ethnic minorities such as the Beō. The majority of Beō live in rurual reservations maintained by the government.

Religion
See also: Religion in Akitsukuni, Imperial Shrine (religion)

Since 1848, the Imperial Shrine is the official state religion, to which about 90% to 95% of the population officially belong. About 4% to 8% of the population are. The remaining 2% are non-Shinto religious minorities, including Taoists, Buddhists, Muslims and the Beō indigenous faith.

The government has not released statistics regarding irreligiosity. However, the irreligious figures have been growing since 2005, especially amongst the coastal youth.

Manga and Anime
The fusion of traditional woodblock printing and art styles imported from the colonised West led to the creation of manga in the early 20th century, a comic book format that is now popular within and outside Akitsukuni. Manga-influenced animation for television and film is called anime, and numerous anime television series are adapted from manga series. Compared to similar animations and comics in Nomyokuni, Akitsukunese versions tend to be more serious in tone, often with military or nationalistic undertones. Even so, more light-hearted plots are also widespread, with the 'slice of life' and romantic comedy genres highly popular as well. In terms of art styles, there is little difference between Akitsukunese and Nomyokuni animations and comics.

Examples of notable series include the extremely long-running Tactical Fighter Chongdaem, a massive multimedia franchise primarily focusing on pilot-assisted robots and often referred to as the pioneer of the  genre, Code Human Instrumentality, which follows a rebel group in a dystopian future where Akitsukuni has been conquered by a sinister global force, War Sorceress, about a multi-national group of girls who use magic and advanced weaponry to defend North Yashima from aliens, Space Carrier Akagi, featuring the Imperial Navy carrier Akagi as a spaceship fighting aliens and Nichijou, which is indescribable.

The nationalistic and militaristic messages carried by numerous Akitsukunese-produced anime and manga has drawn criticism over the years due to their occasionally overt political messages. The "War Sorceress controversy" in 2010 involved the depiction of military action on a contested island between Akitsukuni and Meisaan, and the "Chongdaem controversy" in early 2015 was caused by the depiction of military attacks on numerous Nomyokuni and Qinyue landmarks by Akitsukunese characters. Nevertheless, overseas viewership of Akitsukunese animation of all types continues to be high, though in recent years faces competition for popular culture relevance by increasingly popular Jeongmian music.

Literature
The earliest works of Akitsukunese literature were created during the period when Akitsukuni was still the northern part of the Yashimese Empire, and include the Kojiki and Yashima Shoki chronicles, as well as the Man'yōshū poetry anthology, all from the 8th century and written in Tianqian characters. In the early Heian period, the system of phonograms known as kana (Hiragana and Katakana) was developed. The Flight of the Bamboo Cutter is considered the oldest Akitsukunese narrative. An account of Heian court life is given in The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon, while The Tale of Gendo by Murasaki Shikibu is often described as the world's first novel.

During the Edo period, the chōnin ("townspeople") overtook the samurai aristocracy as producers and consumers of literature. The popularity of the works of Saikaku, for example, reveals this change in readership and authorship, while Bashō revivified the poetic tradition of the Kokinshū with his haikai and wrote the poetic travelogue Oku no Hosomichi. The industrial revolution saw the decline of traditional literary forms as Akitsukunese literature integrated Jeongmian influences. Natsume Ōgai and Mori Sōseki were the first "modern" novelists of Akitsukuni, followed by Ryūnosuke Mishima, Jun'ichirōMurakami, Yukio Tanizaki and, more recently, Kazuo Akutagawa and Haruki Ishiguro.

Cuisine
Akitsukunese cuisine is based on combining staple foods, which are typically Akitsu rice or noodles, with a soup and okazu, which are dishes made from fish, vegetable, tofu and the like, to add flavour to the staple food. The traditional food of Akitsukuni is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, quality of ingredients and presentation. The side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Fish is common in the traditional cuisine. It is often grilled, but it may also be served raw as sashimi or in sushi. Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter as tempura. Akitsukunese cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties that use traditional recipes and local ingredients.

Apart from rice, staples include noodles, such as soba and udon. Akitsukuni has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. Foreign food, in particular Tianqian food in the form of noodles in soup called ramen and fried dumplings, gyoza. Historically, the Akitsukunese shunned meat, but following the colonisation of Chōsen, meat-based dishes such as tonkatsu became common. An indigenous form of sweets called wagashi is also consumed, which include ingredients such as red bean paste, as well as the indigenous rice wine, sake.

Following the colonisation of Chōsen, various types of foods unique to Akitsukuni began to appear. A particularly interesting example is Tsuke-Kimuchi, a fusion of the traditional Korean Kimchi as it had been produced in the region and the traditional Akitsukunese vegetable pickling methods.

Sports
Akitsukuni's national sports are kendo and sumo. Traditional martial arts such as judo, karate and modern ones such as aikido are also widely practised and enjoyed by spectators in the country. After the Industrial Revolution, many mainland sports were introduced to Akitsukuni, such as taekwondo from Jeongmi and Cuju along with other martial arts from Meisaan. Meisaani Wing Chun and Wushu are also particularly popular in Akitsukuni, both for self-defence and as a sport. Due to the widespread colonisation efforts by Akitsukuni in the 16th and 17th centuries, sports from Gungju such as and  were also introduced, becoming widely popular by the 21st century. Akitsukuni hosted the Summer World Games in Heian in 1964 and in Ishikari in 1972, and the Winter World Games in Heian in 1986 and Minuchi in 1998. Heian will host the 2016 Summer World Games, making it the first Sinju city to host the World Games thrice.

Cuju is currently the most popular spectator sport in the country. Akitsukuni's top professional league, now known as Akitsukuni National Professional Cuju, was established in 1936 as North Yashima Professional Cuju. Akitsukuni has one of the most successful football teams in Sinju, winning the Sinju Cup four times with highly aggressive play and tactics. Since the establishment of the Akitsukuni Professional Yakyū League in 1992, Yakyū has also gained a wide following. Auto racing is also widely popular in Akitsukuni, including stock-car racing, off-road rallies and legal forms of "Tōge racing".