Oshima and Izu
| 大島伊豆藩 Ōshima-Izu Han Oshima and Izu Domain | |||
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| Motto “Shōmon bakkari shite’ru to, bōkon ga kuru zo” (Zushurian: “If you play in the water, the monster will come for you”) | |||
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| Region | Feudal Japan | ||
| Capital Largest city |
Odawara Yokosuka | ||
| Official languages | Zushurian | ||
| Government - Ruler |
Autocracy Takanori Yamamura | ||
| Formation - Foundation Day |
18 February | ||
| Population - June 2007 estimate |
7,211,000,000 | ||
| GDP (nominal) - Per capita |
$21,718 | ||
| Currency | Zushukoku | ||
Oshima and Izu Domain (大島伊豆藩 Ōshima-Izu Han) is a country in Feudal Japan occupying the provinces of Izu and Sagami.
Contents
History
Izu and the Yamamura
Izu Province was established in 680 AD from the Tagata, Kamo and Naka Districts of Suruga. A Hōjō possession during the Kamakura period, Izu later came under the control of the Ashikaga family, who governed the province until the end of the 15th century.
In the second half of the 16th century, Takanori Yamamura of Sashikiji rose to become undisputed master of the Izu Islands. Takanori was subsequently able to extend his power over the entire province, receiving the title of Izu no Kami (Governor of Izu Province) from the Shogun.
The Sagami War
The outbreak of fighting between the Miura family of Arai and the Hōjō of Odawara gave Takanori a pretext to intervene in neighbouring Sagami Province. Invading with an army of four thousand men, he defeated and killed Hōjō Ujiyasu’s son and heir Ujimasa at the battle of Hakone whilst Ujiyasu was campaigning in eastern Sagami, before seizing Odawara castle from its weak garrison. Following his crushing victory over the Miura at the battle of Kamakura, Ujiyasu marched west, but was himself defeated and slain by Takanori outside Odawara. Takanori subsequently added Sagami Province to his domain, and shortly afterwards transferred his capital from Sashikiji to Odawara.
Government
Lord Takanori Yamamura is both head of state and head of government, with total legislative, executive and judicial power over Oshima and Izu. His official title is hanshu (藩王, literally “domain lord”).
Geography
Oshima and Izu occupies an elongated coastal strip of Honshū island between Edo and Suruga Bay. The eastern side of the domain is relatively flat and heavily urbanized, and includes the important towns of Yokosuka and Kamakura. Further west the territory becomes more mountainous, until it comes to the Izu Peninsula, a popular resort area.
The domain also includes two island chains in the Pacific Ocean: the Izu Islands, which lie roughly parallel to the Izu Peninsula, and the Ogasawara Islands, which extend south for more than 1,000 km from mainland Japan.
Economy
Oshima and Izu has a developed market-based economy with an estimated per capita GDP of $21,718. Economic life is dominated by the various subsidiaries of the Yamamura Zaibatsu.
Science and technology
Oshima and Izu is a leading country in the fields of viral research, human cloning and genetic manipulation.
Demographics
Oshima and Izu’s population was estimated in June 2007 at 7,211,000,000, of which some 99% were native Zushurians. A majority of Zushurians practice both Shinto and Buddhism, although the official state religion is Shugendō (修験道).
Over 90% of the population speak Zushurian, a dialect form of Japanese, as their first language, although standard Japanese is universally understood. English is the most popular second language.
