New Kyoto
| Name | New Kyoto |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Independant |
| Stellar Class | G-type star system |
| Orbiting Bodies | 3 |
| Discovery | 2330 |
| Colonized | 2339 |
| Government | Absolute Monarchy |
 | |
New Kyoto is a Japanese cultural revivalist colony which seceded from SolGov during the Age of Secession. The colony consists of one major populated planet in the Phact system, in addition to industrial and mining operations on two smaller planets. The local government is inhospitable towards outside influence, and as such Trans-Stellar Corporation presence is negligible.
Contents
Layout/Geography
The Phact system consists of a G-Type main sequence star approximately four-fifths the size of Sol and two-thirds as bright, orbited by three major planets.
Infrastructure
Due to the hostile conditions of the planet's surface, most settlements are constructed in the deep glacial ravines that scar New Kyoto's marginally warmer equatorial region. Due to lack of available horizontal area, most structures make as much use of the vertical space as possible, forming multiple street levels between the developed rock faces, with all but the topmost levels being entirely artificially lit by street lamps, creating the illusion of a permanent night. More recently, heated surface-level domes have been constructed, housing properties of government officials in artificial earth-like environments. Few settlements exist outside of the capital, the majority being under 200km from the capital, with the exception of dedicated underground mining facilities and outposts. Extensive mining operations primarily staffed by automated drones exist on both Hokkaido and Ryukyu, supplying the capital with much-needed materials. Due to the relatively dim light cast by the Phact star, solar power is largely inefficient on New Kyoto, with the colony instead relying on the planet's naturally occurring gas reserves which are transported to the city by a combination of surface and underground pipelines that require constant maintenance.
Population
New Kyoto is almost exclusively populated by humans, with even positronics being a relatively rare sight due to the colony's hostility towards outside influence. A large portion of the population are directly descended from the colonists employed or attracted by the Matsumoto-Higuchi Group in the initial years of the settlement's existence, though the subsequent Emperors were able to attract many to whom the colony's particular brand of seclusion and traditionalism appealed.
Industry and Economy
While New Kyoto itself is not particularly mineral-rich, its sister planets Hokkaido and Ryukyu produce large quantities of zinc, iron, iridium, palladium, tungsten, and other valuable metals. The colony maintains exclusive excavation rights for these planets, and the export of their products is their primary form of income. Approximately 85% of the colony's industry and business is government operated on some level, with the majority owned by a small number of families close to the Emperor. The remainder are closely regulated, with their products heavily restricted, and export goods the exclusive domain of the government. Despite the colony's reliance on trade, outsiders are largely held in poor regard and strict limitations are placed on what can be imported, anything deemed “culturally invasive” is entirely disallowed – entertainment, media, many foods and drinks – while other items are allowed only in limited quantities, and only to specific people. The policy of seclusion has meant that no Trans-Stellar Corporation holds any significant property in the Phact system, besides the basic trading offices they are allowed.
Government
The government of New Kyoto in its current state was formed to emulate that of Edo Period Japan, with the family of the original colony's corporate president styling his family as “Emperors” for just over two hundred years. Currently, the Emperor acts as a figurehead for an elected Prime Minister and Imperial Cabinet though this has changed several times over the colony's short history. The government holds a strong policy of seclusion, with the primary intention of maintaining a specific cultural stasis which exists as more of an amalgamation of several periods of Japanese history than the “True Japan” that was proclaimed at its commencement. Once a member of the SolGov Colonial Assembly, the Emperor declared independence just over one hundred years ago in order to reaffirm the colony's supposed self-sufficiency.
Notable Locations
New Kyoto
The planet of New Kyoto the largest in the Phact system despite being a little under half the size of Earth, as well as the closest in orbit of the star. The surface of the planet is battered by harsh, icy winds and an average temperature of -38C. Deep, sheltered glacial ravines around the milder equatorial region and an abundance of subterranean gas reserves meant the planet was deemed viable for colonisation. The city of New Kyoto is built into a network of such ravines, with tall “buildings” carved into the rock faces to give the appearance of streets. Atop the ravine is the current Imperial Palace, a domed replica of Edo Castle kept in Earth-like conditions.
Hokkaido
Second in orbit, Hokkaido is little more than a barren rock, lacking any kind of atmosphere. After New Kyoto itself proved to be lacking in minerals, mining operations were established on the neighboring planet, which quickly proved fruitful and allowed the main colony on New Kyoto to thrive.
Ryukyu
An apparent featureless rock barely qualifying as a planet, the smallest and most distant of the three, Ryukyu was originally overlooked by settlers until it was thoroughly surveyed by a team of independent prospectors almost fifty years later and found to be incredibly rich in a number of rare minerals. The prospectors sold the data to several Trans-Stellar Corporations, who competed to make offers to the New Kyoto government for excavation rights. The Emperor declined, and instead established government facilities on the planet which now provides a significant portion of the materials for the colony's export goods.
History
2339: First colony is established on Phact by the Matsumoto-Higuchi Group, dubbed New Kyoto.
2350: Automated mining operations established on Hokkaido, New Kyoto begins to prosper.
2361: Company president Ose Kinuko arranges sale of the Matsumoto-Higuchi Group to Ward-Takahashi GMC, including all assets except for those in the Phact system. Ose styles himself “Emperor” of the colony, maintaining an elected cabinet beneath him.
2371: Satisfied that corporate interests are no longer being represented, New Kyoto is incorporated into the Colonial Assembly.
2375: Emperor Kinuko is succeeded by his son, Hisato. The new Emperor declares New Kyoto to be “The last bastion of the true Japan”, citing that the nation on Earth no longer existed as an “Entity without overwhelming influence.”
2382: Ryukyu is fully surveyed by independent prospectors. Emperor Hisato rejects all external corporate requests to establish mining operations. Government operations begin construction by the end of the year.
2390: Imports are first restricted to items approved by the New Kyoto cabinet. Traditionalists become growing majority in government.
2417: Emperor Hisato succeeded by his son, Torajiro. A hard-line traditionalist, Torajiro orders the cabinet dissolved, assuming all powers of the Prime Minister for himself. The colonial militia are first deployed as a supplementary police force, soon becoming a standing army.
2420: After a period of unrest, a system of nobility is fully established in order to govern individual settlements and government industrial operations, styled as Daimyo though bearing little resemblance historically.
2437: Emperor Tojahiro expresses distaste towards the obligations of belonging to SolGov. New Kyoto's Colonial Assembly representatives argue for lessened SolGov power, with only minor support from the burgeoning Secessionist movement.
2468: New Kyoto declares itself an independent colony and secedes from SolGov.
2469: New Kyoto ceases trade with SolGov colonies, opting for a close partnership with other secessionist states.
2470: New Kyoto resumes trade with SolGov colonies after a severe economic downturn.
2471: Emperor Tojahiro is succeeded by his son, Takeshi. Giving in to external pressure from the multinational movement, an Imperial Cabinet is re-established. Attempted coup by regional Daimyo results in civil war.
2474: New Kyoto Civil war comes to an end, with an Imperial victory.
2493: First surface-level heated dome constructed, a replica of Edo Castle within.
2512: Current Emperor Sozui succeeds Takeshi, without incident. He promises self-sufficiency but closer relations with the galactic community without sacrificing the colony's core cultural principals.
2566: The Skathari Incursion begins. Emperor Sozui issues an imperial degree heavily restricting the use of bluespace engines and communication equipment within the system. Very few skathari appear locally.
2569: Restrictions on bluespace technology end a full year after the Incursion is considered to have ended.
