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Nihon Theocracy
Timeline: Principia Moderni III (Map Game)
Flag of Nihon Theocracy
Flag of Nihon Theocracy
Location of Nihon Theocracy
1543
Capital
(and largest city)
Kyoto
Other cities Saijō, Sendai, Tairikuku, Manshu-Shin
Religion Imperial Shinto
Government Hereditary Theocracy
Population 26.4 million 
Established 1472
Currency Gintsuka

The Empire of Japan, or Japanese Empire, is the dominant state in Japan, making up the majority of the archipelago and holding colonies in Manchuria and the Ryukyu Islands. The Empire is ruled by the Japanese Emperor, along with a small bureaucracy made up of the higher echelons of the Imperial Shinto Sect, the main religious grouping in the state. The Fusahito Empire is the successor state to the Ashikaga Shogunate, formed as a direct result of the Ashikaga Civil War (1465-72) which established the Emperor as the de facto and de jure leader of Japan. This also had the effect of ending well over a century of Ashikaga dominance in Japan, culminating in the execution of the Shogun and the entire Royal Family.

In 1638, the Theocracy launched the Second Japanese unification war. After a couple years of hard fighting, the nation is now under the Theocracy, being the only power that exists in Japan.

Religion[]

As a theocracy, the Empire has only one established church membership of which, after the 'Decree on the Defense of the Faith' (1537), is required to take public office, either civil or military. However, other than this, different religious beliefs are legal, with a widespread belief in Buddhism, particularly in the more rural areas. Whilst Shinto generally allows for a multiplicity of beliefs, Imperial Shinto is stricter, emphasizing the role of the Emperor as the primary figure of worship, meaning that on the whole, continued belief in other deities is dying out across Japan. The importance of the Imperial sect in the Theocracy cannot be over emphasized, with no difference between church and state, the hierarchy of the church inextricably linked to the structure of government.

History[]

Collapse of the Ashikaga Shogunate[]

The Fusahito Theocracy was established in 1472, when priests from the influential Imperial Shinto Sect invited the Emperor to invade the Ashikaga Shogunate, putting an end to seven years of bloody civil war and agrarian strife, caused by the Shogun's introduction of tithes and his brutal methods of suppressing opposition. Imperial troops quickly overcame the exhausted forces of the Shogunate, depleted after years of battle against the rebellious Date Province and the peasantry, as well as frequent desertion to the rebels. The Emperor quickly entered Kyoto, his forces capturing the fleeing Ashikaga Royal Family and publicly executing the entire family to ensure that there were no figureheads remaining for loyal forces to rally around. Other than a more centralised Shinto church, little change was evident in government, with feudal lords and Ashikaga advisers keeping their privileged positions and a continuation of the use of the Gintsuka currency.

In the first few decades of the reign of the First Fusahito Emperor, his leadership, combined with the efficiency of the new bureaucracy, proved highly effective, successfully solving agricultural problems left over from the Shogunate; organising an effective response to natural disasters and by beginning early expansion of the Fusahito state. On the whole, diplomatic relations with the other Daimyos and other countries remained good during this period, with increased trade and exploration of the islands of South East Asia. Similarly, the Emperor developed alliances with the Ayutthaya Kingdom as well as the Manchu Empire (formalised with the Treaty of Kyoto). However, whilst these alliances were beneficial, leading to an increased Theocratic presence in South East Asia and the ceding of part of Manchuria from the Manchu Empire, they were short lived due to the collapse of Ayutthaya to rebellious provinces and the Chinese invasion of the Manchus.

This period saw the emergence of the Theocracy as the only real contender for control of the Japanese Archipelago, and the final emergence of Japan from the Sengoku, or Warring States, period.

Abolition of Slavery[]

A notable early achievement of the Fusahito Theocracy were the 1495 reforms meant to gradually phase out and then abolish slavery. Whilst the initial decree only outlawed the sale of slaves, this soon became more wide ranging, leading to the complete banning of ownership of slaves, something that was enforced by the newly created Fusahito Religious Police and the Imperial Navy. This soon saw success due to the severity of punishment, with the crews of captured slavers being pressed in to service in the navy and the captains hung from the masts of their ships. This escalated with the Ryukyu War (1502-1504), the first time that the Theocracy engaged a foe, that was declared to suppress the slave trade in the Archipelago.

Unification[]

Unification of the Japanese Archipelago began under the Ashikaga Shogunate, but was taken up as a major policy with the advent of the Theocracy. The majority of expansion was peaceful, involving either political maneuvering or vassalisation, often involving the subversion of the population of a state with members of the Imperial Shinto Sect. However, unification under the First Fusahito Emperor was not entirely peaceful, shown by the First Japanese War of Unification (1504-1507). However, this first attempt failed, and over 100 years later, Emperor Yoshi I launches the Second Japanese unification war, now being the only power on Japanese soil.

Military[]

Militarily, the Theocracy is by far the strongest of the Japanese states and the first to move away from reliance on support from feudal lords and towards a centralised army. The privileged position of the Samurai class is in decline, with military power coming directly from the Imperial Shinto sect rather than from the old nobility. Similarly, change can also be seen in the relative importance of the Imperial Navy which, after rapid expansion post-1540s, is becoming the main line of defense rather than the army. That said the army is not neglected, with possible mobilisation of around 100,000 men. However, after many years of wear and tear and worn out ships, Emperor Yoshi II orders the new ships to be made, both to be used for the military, and trade.

Fusahito Royal Family[]

After noticing the natural order of succession failing, the emperor of 1600 abolished this rule and passed his emperor birthright on to his son. This led to creation of the Fusahito Royal Family, which rules to this current day. However, since the building of records burned down, the line begins with Emperor Yoshi I.

Emperors[]

Emperor Yoshi I (1613 - 1646) Emperor Yoshi II (1646 - )

Wives[]

Kameko (1622 - 1638) (Deceased)

Sons[]

Yuki (1628 - )

Daughters[]

Hung (1632 - ) (Adopted from Vietnamese immigrants)

The Arts[]

Under the reign of the First Fusahito Emperor, architecture and public building works flourished, with many monuments built such as the Grand Mausoleum in Kyoto. This structure was built over a number of years, a five story pagoda, faced in white marble and with a roof of thinly beaten gold. The Mausoleum was ordered by the Emperor in 1486 as the final resting place of his daughter, who commit suicide after the death of her husband, the Daimyo of the Hatakeyama clan. Other than this, rule by the First Fusahito Emperor saw the creation of temples on a massive scale, the greatest being the Imperial Temple in Kyoto, a multistory wooden pagoda.

Foreign Relations[]

Allies[]

  • Korea
  • Wu
  • SiChuan

Neutral[]

  • Everyone else

Enemies[]

  • Tartary

Governmental Titles[]

Kami - Supreme leader of Nihon - Kami Horiyoshi I

Shinkami - Secondary leader of Nihon, heir to the title of Kami - Shinkami Matsuda I

Shinigami - Executes judgment - Kami Horiyoshi I

Sensonokami - Leader of the army - Yagami

Shoninokami - Leader of the economy and trade - Isowa

Gaikonokami - Leader of diplomacy - Watari

Somunokami - Leader of Internal Affairs - Toyotomi

Kenkonokami - Leader of Health - Shinji

Supotsonokami - Leader of Sports - Keisuke

Koroninokami - Leader of Colonization - Kogasa

Footnotes[]

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