Kyosu

Founded on the 9th February 2016 by Emperor Javasaur, the Greater Empire of Holy Kyosu (大帝國神聖供日, Dai Teikoku Shinsei Kyosu) - also known as the Empire of Kyosu, Kyosan Empire, or simply Kyosu – is one of the oldest nations in the world of Sovereignty Ascending. It is an island nation in the southern hemisphere of the world.

Taking influences from the terran nation of Japan, Kyosu is a conservative empire, with strict societal values, a strong state religion, and nationalistic, imperialist, and militarist politics. All aspects of society and the economy are tailored to trample individual rights, and create a single entity: The State – with the Emperor as its head.

The word ‘Kyosu’ in English comes directly from Kyosan Japanese. “Kyosu” is a contraction of two Kanji: Kyou (供) and Jitsu (日), the former meaning ‘follower’ and the latter meaning ‘sun’. Naturally these two come together to mean ‘Followers of the Sun’ in English. The name has come from the people’s extreme devotion to their faith, Seisen (聖戦), which places a large amount of importance on the Sun. =Politics=

Kyosu is, ultimately, an absolute monarchy. The Emperor, through Shinken (Divine Right, 神権), has absolute power in the nation, reigning as sovereign. As the human embodiment of the Three Tenets of Seisen, it is impossible to challenge his sacred word.

This does not mean the Emperor governs alone. The Emperor is supported by a non-elected parliament known as the Imperial Diet (帝国議会 Teikoku-gikai). The Diet is formed up of the heads of the Imperial Ministries, those they choose to sit with them on the Diet, and the Governors of the Imperial Prefectures. Officially, the Imperial Diet only has an advisory function, but in reality it holds a level of devolved legislative, executive, and scrutiny functions. However, the Emperor still must approve every Edict before it becomes law.

A feature of the Imperial Diet is that there is little to no infighting. The Emperor, as the head of the Imperial Diet, strictly enforces cooperation within the chamber. This is to adhere to the first Tenet of Seisen, Harmony. The members of the Diet are also some of the most devout members of society – in Kyosan culture, one of the main characteristics of a good leader is a strong devotion to the faith. It is seen as taboo (and almost heresy) to resist cooperation in the Diet, and often leads to dismissal.

Legislation
Only the members of Ministries and the Emperor can actually put forward proposals for legislation. However, all members of the chamber actually participate in discussing the proposed Edict. This is because Imperial Governors provide valuable administrative experience to the chamber. Discussion will be allowed for a maximum of 5 sessions of the Diet, before it is submitted to the Emperor.

After the discussion period, the proposed Edict is fully in the Emperor’s hands. He can choose to do with it however he wishes. Three options open to him are to sign the Edict into law, reject the Edict entirely, or edit the proposal and then sign it into law. Despite this absolute power, the Emperor sometimes chooses to send the Edict back to the chamber for further discussion. While technically it can be discussed indefinitely, it usually is only granted a further 5 sessions by the Emperor. Any further than this is seen as inefficient, and inefficiency is at odds with the third Tenet of Seisen, Discipline.

It is worth noting that, at any time during the legislative process, the Emperor can intervene as divine sovereign and decide the fate of the Edict. This is only seen in rare occurrences, and the Emperor usually exercises his powers at the end of the discussion period. Foreign treaties also go through the Diet in much the same process.

Administration
After an Edict is signed into law, it is up to the Imperial Ministries and Governors to bring the law into effect. The Ministries will devise broad strategies and goals for the implementation of the policy. Governors will then review these, and work out how to implement them in their Prefectures. After this, the local Prefecture authorities will work with the local branch of the relevant Ministry to implement the Policy.

The Ministries and Prefectures then have the responsibility of running and enforcing the Edict. Usually, the civil servants of the Imperial Ministries will take management positions in the enforcement of Edicts. This is because they are often more qualified and experienced than those who work for the Prefectures, who will undertake the more manual jobs.

Scrutiny
The Imperial Diet’s scrutiny function is carried out at the end of each session of the Diet. The frequency of which the Diet reviews Edicts depends on the age of the law. Edicts under 10 years old are reviewed monthly, from 10-20 years old quarterly, and over 20 years old yearly.

If an Edict is found to be having an undesired effect after scrutiny, the Diet can call for a review session. This review session essentially re-opens the discussion period for the document, where edits can be made. The review process is therefore much the same as the legislative process, except instead of a proposed Edict, up for discussion is an already existing one.

The Emperor can remove an Edict from law at any time if it is having an immediate undesirable effect, with no time to spare for a review session. After the Emperor has removed an Edict, he can choose to call a post-review session to determine what was incorrect about the Edict.

Imperial Orders
As the absolute monarch of Kyosu, the Emperor can essentially create law as he pleases through the legislative system, without consulting the rest of the Diet. However, for more temporary situations, or situations that do not really require a full Edict, the Emperor can issue an ‘Imperial Order’ (帝命, Teimei) to the executive. These Orders carry the same legitimacy as a full Imperial Edict. Usually, Imperial Orders have an emphasis on fast implementation. While Edicts can take weeks or even months to bring into full force, Orders are expected to be fulfilled within one to two weeks.

Judiciary
There is no dedicated formal court system within the country. While there are court buildings around the Empire, these are actually operated by the military. It is the Ministry of War who organises the courts, and the officers of the Army who serve as judges in the courts. Juries are not used within the Empire, as it is believed that they do not have the societal or spiritual authority to implement the law in proper fashion.

Often, however, the courts are not used. As it is the military that polices the nation, Officers issue a sentence after the arrested subject is brought back to the local barracks. This is in line with the characteristics of a good leader in Kyosan society – decisive, and in line with the third Tenet of Discipline.

Ministries
The current Imperial Ministries are as follows:


 * Ministry of War (陸軍省, Rikugun-shō) – The War Ministry is perhaps the biggest and most important of the Ministries. Controlling the military – the army, navy, police force, judiciary, and inquisition rolled into one – they have an immense amount of power. Internally, the War Ministry deal with security and policing, and are the authority on such matters. Externally, the Ministry advises on foreign treaties and alliances. As the Commander of the military is always the Minister of War, their duties are a mix of military strategy and administrative tasks. As this is no small set of tasks, the Minister often employs a War Cabinet (戦時内閣, Senji Naikaku) to aid them in their job, who usually join the Minister in the Diet.


 * Ministry of the Treasury (大蔵省,Ōkurashō) – the Treasury has a fair amount of influence both in interior policy and foreign policy. During the legislative process, the advice and guidance of the Treasury is held in high regard by all in the Diet, as the members of the Treasury are scholars in economic thought. In foreign policy, the Treasury give guidance on trade deals. The Treasury is headed by the Chancellor, who sits in the Diet with their close aides that make up the Economic Policy Committee (経済政策委員会, Keizai Seisaku Iinkai).


 * Ministry of the Interior (内政部, Naisei-bu) – while the Interior has little influence in foreign policy, in terms of internal policy they have a huge degree of influence. The Interior is responsible for the construction of new buildings (ranging from housing to mines), roads, rail and the like, and is responsible for maintaining and running the services associated with them. Headed by the Interior Minister, the Ministry forms an important part of the Diet, the Minister sitting in the Diet along with the heads of the many divisions of the Ministry (e.g. Press, Rail, Resources, etc).

=Military= The Imperial Army of Holy Kyosu (帝國陸軍神聖供日, Teikoku Rikugun Shinsei Kyosu), commonly shortened to the Imperial Army (帝國陸軍, Teikoku Rikugun) serves as the military of the Kyosan Empire. It is extremely important not just in attack and defence, but also in society, internal policy, and the faith. A huge amount of the Imperial population are in the standing army. Those who are not have had military training ingrained into them during their schooling, and can be called up to serve at any time.

There is no dedicated Navy within Kyosu. Rather, the Army’s soldiers are trained in the use of small, personal transport boats. These are used to cross rivers and seas, as well as platforms to fight from in naval combat situations. The Army is split into different divisions, who perform multiple functions within Kyosu.

Ashigaru
Obviously one of the purposes of the Army is its use in war. The main front-line troops of the Empire are formed of the Imperial Army’s Ashigaru (足軽, Footmen). Most of the members of the Imperial Army are soldiers in the Ashigaru, and members of the other divisions usually start out here. However, in addition to this role, they serve as a police force in the Empire. This means they perform roles from arresting and executing criminals to issuing fines for misconduct.

Kempeitai
The Kempeitai (憲兵隊, Military Police Corps) are a smaller, but highly important division of the Army. Officially, they are the military police of the Imperial Army. While they do perform the function of a military police, they are far stricter in their monitoring of the army than most MPs. As well as this function, the Kempeitai also serve as a secret police for the whole country, rooting out any insurgency and eradicating it. Kempeitai officers are some of the most loyal in the Empire, and are feared by all.

Kyōshinja
The smallest division of the Army, the Kyōshinja (狂信者, Zealots, often called ‘Shinja’ for short) are the elite regiments and warriors in the Imperial Army. The most skilled, nationalist, and zealous warriors in the Empire make up this division. While the whole Army carries respect in Kyosan society, the Kyōshinja command even greater respect. There are multiple Kyōshinja regiments with multiple specialities and skills.

Organisation
The Imperial Army maintains a presence in every Prefecture. A central Barracks will act as the main base of operations for the Army in each Prefecture. Sometimes the Army maintain multiple Barracks due to the size of the Prefecture, but there is always one central command. Within this Barracks will be dormitory buildings for soldiers (separated by Ashigaru, Kempeitai, and Kyōshinja), a drill square, and Officers’ quarters. Many Barracks also have training fields located in the close vicinity, as well as on-site cells for detained subjects.

When on a campaign, most soldiers will be sent off, with a minimal amount of Ashigaru left in-barracks to perform civil duties. Kempeitai field officers will march with the rest of the army, but many will be left in-barracks to keep the population in check. Couriers from the Prefecture will be drafted to form a supply line to the front in addition to their normal day job. They are escorted by some of the Ashigaru that are away from the front line.

Ranks
Rikiruto – Recruit - The initial 'rank' held by potential soldiers when first joining and while training is in progress but not complete.

Private – Nitohei - Upon successful completion of training all recruits gain the rank of private. Private is the lowest rank held by a serving soldier.

PFC/superior Private – Jotohei - Some soldiers may be selected to become superior privates or Private's First Class. These soldiers are a cut above the regular infantry and are expected both to perform better on the field and, to some degree, lead their squadmates.

Corporal – Gocho - The highest rank at the squad level. Corporals are responsible for training of their squad and for managing battlefield maneuvers of their squad during times of war.

Sergeant Major – Socho - A Sergeant Major is the 'bridge' between the officers and the footsoldiers. The link between squad level and high command. Usually in charge of 2-3 squads. In battle they will give each Corporal a task, it is then up to the Corporals to perform this as they best see fit.

Captain - Rikugun-tai-I - The Captain is the first of the officer ranks. A Captain is in charge of between 4-6 Squads of footsoldiers, 2 Sergeant Majors. During a battle Captains are the main tactical minds on the battlefield, directing order down the chain of command. Outside of war Captains will each be responsible for the running of the army and infrastructure within their own region.

Colonel - Rikugun Taisa - A Colonel is the next step up from a Captain. Often Colonels will not be present on the battlefield but will instead discuss battle plans with a Captain beforehand. If a Colonel is present then the battle must be important. Similar to Captains Colonels have major peacetime roles. A Colonel heads each of the subdivisions of the army commanding the Captains of each region for his specific department of the army.

General - Rikugun Taisho - The overall commander of the military. This is always the Minister of War.

=Religion=

See Seisen for the full article.

The State religion, Seisen (聖戦, literally “Holy fight” but translated as “Holy War”) has an impact on almost everything in Kyosan life. It is heavily enforced and its followers are completely devoted to its philosophy and objectives. There is no central god or group of gods as such, however it is believed that there are godlike spirits for everything (e.g. rock spirits, water spirits, etc). The closest thing that Seisen has to gods are the sun’s spirit (Known as Jitsei, 日精), and the Emperor, who is believed to contain within him a manifestation of the sun’s divine energy.

The origin of the name ‘Seisen’ is mostly unclear, however it is believed to have come about in reference to the sun, and how its light conquers all. While the sun may set at the end of the day, it always returns to conquer once more at the beginning of the next day. This continues for eternity. Therefore, the sun is waging eternal ‘Holy War’ on the night. In much the same way, it is believed that it is the holy duty of the Kyusin people to wage holy war upon those who prove obstacles to Seisen.

=Economy=

The economy of Kyosu is heavily controlled and regulated by both the Treasury and the Interior. Set-up of private businesses is not allowed. Land can never be bought – it is only technically ‘leased’ to you by the state. The only person in the entire Empire that actually owns land is the Emperor, as he is the state. This means economics in the Empire work very differently to other nations.

Industrial & Agricultural Sectors
Miners, lumberjacks, farmers and the like do not actually own anything they find whilst harvesting resources. Everything they produce/harvest belongs to the state, and is collected by agents of the Interior Ministry’s Depository Division. These resources are then crafted by artisans into tools needed for one’s job, and distributed to the relevant local authorities, who issue them to the appropriate workers. Food rations are distributed to addresses on a daily basis. The content of the rations change depending on how the harvest was in the previous week.

Service Sector
The Tertiary Sector of the Kyosan economy is controlled in much the same way as the other two. Any goods produced (be they physical or not) are considered property of the State and not the individual who created them, however for many creative works the artist is still credited. For creative works like art or literature, there is no official Interior division forcing subjects to create original art and literature (other than the Press Division). Subjects are free to create art in their spare time. However, if they wish to release their work into the public realm, it must be submitted to the Press Division for examination to ensure the work is not anti-State, anti-faith, or anti-Emperor. The work is then passed on to the Kempeitai for a second opinion. If it clears checks, the work is allowed to be sold. If the art is sufficiently pro-State, the artist may be given titles or awards, and the work may be mass produced by the State to be distributed for free around the Empire.

Reward & Incentive
While working for the State, Emperor, and Faith should be incentive enough, Kyosu offers additional incentives to hard workers. Those who are promoted to higher ranks not only command more respect in society, but they are awarded with a larger dwelling and food ration. Individuals who particularly prove themselves are given awards or titles that enhance their societal status.

=Culture= The culture of Kyosu is complicated on the surface, but ultimately follows a set of unwritten rules and guidelines that, while undefined, are simple to pick up and learn. Traditionalist and socially conservative Kyosan culture is built around the Faith, the State, the Emperor, honour, and respect. Anything seen as violating one of these five core principles is taboo.

Communication
Kyosan is the official and primary language of Kyosu. It is extremely similar to traditional Terran Japanese, but with subtle differences in dialect and vocabulary. In communicating with others, personal space is seen as key. Touching is generally taboo, unless one is communicating with loved ones or very old friends. For most greetings and farewells, a short bow will suffice.

Large outbursts of open emotional display are also disapproved of, unless in specific situations. In the heat of battle, rallies, or other such patriotic events, it is appropriate to display one’s love of Kyosu. In social arenas, like the nation’s many Public Houses, it is suitable to display emotions openly, such as the singing of patriotic songs, or chanting. Directing anger or aggressive behaviour to other patrons, however, is extremely taboo, and is seen as breaking the first Tenet of Seisen – Harmony. This is an insult to the honour of the aggressor’s ancestors. Outbursts of anger are only appropriate when directed at the nation’s enemies, and therefore enemies of the faith. A general rule is that one should always be seen to be in control of one’s emotions.

The Arts
The State has long given incentives for art to be nationalistic, and this has become ingrained in Kyosan culture. The best art is the art that is seen to be openly pro-State, or with an obvious pro-State meaning. Works that are seen to fulfil these criteria are often printed or reproduced by the State for free, and distributed for free. All art created by subjects is reviewed by the Interior Ministry, and if it is seen to be neutral/pro-State it is allowed to be sold. Art that is seen to be anti-state results in it being outlawed and the subject detained by the Kempeitai for investigation.

Architecture
The architecture and building style of Kyosu takes heavy influence from the Terran East Asian/Oriental cultures, particularly Japanese. A key feature of Kyosan architecture is the prominence of religious gardens or shrines. These are locations that typically include rivers, plants, and some sort of spiritual monument. These sites are designed to be peaceful in order for one to exercise the Three Tenets of Seisen. Harmony is achieved by connecting oneself to nature and their Ancestors, Purity is achieved by spiritually cleansing one’s soul at these shrines, and Discipline is achieved by ensuring that one regularly attends a shrine. The Interior Ministry ensures that an ample amount of shrines and holy sites are constructed in each Prefecture.

Notions of societal values
Kyosan people have different values to societal values like leadership than those in other nations. In terms of leadership, Kyosan people see good leaders as those who are decisive, self-disciplines, and most loyal and devoted to the State and the Faith. Manners and courtesy are very important, also. There is a certain unwritten chivalric code, similar to 18th-20th century Japanese Bushido in many ways, that is prominent in Kyosan society. The idea of a man acting like a ‘gentleman’, or a woman acting like a ‘lady’ is highly important. This has knock-on effects in the rest of Kyosan society – for example, open displays of emotions are often frowned upon.

Modesty is an important aspect of society, also. While the focus on Kyosan Exceptionalism (供日例外論, Kyosu Reigai-ron) tends to result in arrogance toward gaijin (外人, foreigners), toward other Kyosujin (供日人, Kyosan people) it is expected that one should be modest. This is especially true when one is talking to someone higher in the social hierarchy. However, even those who are higher up in the hierarchy are expected to not flaunt their position to commoners. This is in line with the notion of being a ‘gentleman’. It is expected that nobles and commoners should all silently know and accept their place in society. The only time the upper classes are permitted to remind commoners of their position is when they grow insolent.

Another important view Kyosujin take is their notion of friendship. In Kyosan society, friendship is seen as stronger based on how long you have known the person. This only counts if you are in regular contact with the other person – those who met at 5 years old and then again at 40 would not be the best of friends. Cleanliness is also another important value – to be clean is to be seen in line with the second Tenet of Purity, and so it is important to regularly wash and bathe in Kyosu.

Concepts of abstract ideas
The concept of past and future is very relevant in society. The past is seen as sacred. Not much is known about the past, the nation’s history, or the history of the world. What Kyosujin do know, however, is that they are descended from an ancient and powerful civilisation. This ancient civilisation is known as Sekoku (昔国, literally “Long ago country”). It is believed in Kyosan society that Sekoku was ruled by a line of great Emperors who led the country. following the one true Faith, toward the goal of Shiko. It is thought that the civilisation came very close to this ultimate goal, but was destroyed by a great natural disaster. Kyosu is seen to have emerged from this nation, with the same faith, same Imperial family, and same ultimate goal. The future is seen as a time for opportunity, a time for subjects and the State to fulfil their holy duty and achieve Eternal Shiko.

All classes, the two genders, and the like are seen as having roles to play in society. Everyone becomes a cog in the huge machine that is the State, and it is the State who strives for the utopia of Eternal Shiko. This means that hard work and diligence are extremely important in society, and the idea of community and togetherness is prevalent. This ties into the first Tenet of Seisen, Harmony.

Attitudes toward social ideas
Subjects of Kysosu are generally highly conservative and traditional when it comes to societal values and civil liberties, which can be very alien for those citizens of more liberal or progressive nations. An example of this is the view toward adolescents. Youth rebelliousness is completely rejected, and harsh punishments are expected to be issued if the youth speaks out against their family. If they speak out against the state, they are considered to be cognitively developed enough to understand what they are saying, but young enough to learn the error of their ways. In such a case, the youth is taken by the state and put into a re-correction facility. These cases are often rare, as schooling in the Empire is designed to indoctrinate young subjects, and the ingrained religion is highly pro-State. Adolescence is seen as the transition period, where boys become men, and girls become women. At the age of 16, they transform from becoming dependent children into full cogs in the goal of achieving Shiko, and they reach adulthood. In the month where a child turns 16, they must take the Holy Oath (聖盟, Seimei):

On the Honour of my Ancestors,

On the Future of my descendants,

I pledge my life to the State, Sovereign, and Sacred Faith,

Unquestioning as the Sun,

Unbroken as the Sun,

Unfaltering as the Sun.

My life for the Empire,

And the Eternal Shiko,

For I will take my dying breath,

Before our flag will fall!

This cements them as a loyal subject of Kyosu. It is taught that, if one breaks this oath, their soul is forever impure, they dishonour the memory of their ancestors, and taint the future of their families.

Attitudes toward the elderly are also conservative. Those who are older are generally seen as wiser, and higher up in the social hierarchy. This, however, is overridden if a younger person holds a more important title or role. For example, a young Emperor is always higher than even the oldest in the nation.

The Social Hierarchy
In Kyosu, there exists a strict class system and social hierarchy. One’s position in the social hierarchy comes from three things: role, awards, and age. The most important factor is one’s role. A general rule of thumb is that military men, state officials and the like are much more respected than those in creative jobs or unskilled jobs that do not contribute directly to the State. Next come any awards or titles that one has. As these are awarded for hard work or significant contribution to the State, they are viewed in very high standing. Last comes one’s age. The older you are, the wiser – but if you are old and perceived to have done nothing with your life, with no awards or a high-ranking job, a younger person who has contributed more is seen as higher in the hierarchy.

This hierarchy is not decided by birth. While birth into a respected family helps, one must still prove one’s loyalty to the State and the Faith. This means that a child born into a poor artist’s family can rise to become one of the most respected in society as long as they prove their zealousness. The only family that keeps their position in the hierarchy through birth is the Imperial family, as they are perceived as having a divine bloodline, destined to rule and guide the nation to the goal of Eternal Shiko. The Emperor is at the very top of the social hierarchy, and is revered almost as a god. As such, it is generally expected for subjects to bow when graced with his presence.