Jakoku

Jakoku, originally the nation of Jamataikoku, was a state in the Bolganio continent's Akuna region. Historically isolating itself from other nations, the country maintained limited contact with the Evillious region before being opened to foreign trade.

Early History
Founded sometime before the establishment of the Evillious Calendar, Jamataikoku dominated the archipelago until the nation's collapse toward the end of the BT era. Afterward, many of the Netsuma Clan immigrated to the mainland en masse and "Jakoku" replaced it. As time progressed, Jakoku underwent constant changes in government while refusing to accept foreigners or their culture within their borders. By the end of the first century EC, the Netsuma population in Jakoku became extinct.

Civil War
Around EC 540, the country divided into warring states constantly fighting over control of the each other's territory. During the civil conflict, Nobunaga Hatsune successfully conquered much of the nation before being betrayed and killed; his daughter, Jahime, then took up his banner and fought with the Tokugawa Family over control of the entire archipelago. After the Battle of Jagahara in EC 549, the whole country was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate; afterward, Gaou Octo was promoted to magistrate of the Izasa region and Onigashima and opened up for limited trade and immigration with foreigners in EC 580.

Western Outreach
In December of EC 838, Enbizaka was ravaged by a large fire. Following the fire, the Freezis Foundation and Yarera-Zusco Firm funded the town's reconstruction. In EC 842, the Miroku Family was brutally killed; shortly after, Kayo Sudou was arrested and executed for the murders. In EC 852, Perrié Cutie Marlon arrived with Maistian warships and forced the shogunate to open its borders for foreign trade with the entire nation; facing resistance from the Crimson Robed Masses, Perrié's forces wiped them out.

In EC 993, Jakoku entered an alliance with Beelzenia and Elphegort in the west. After the United States of Maistia declared their support for the Union State of Evillious during their war with Elphegort, Jakoku pulled Maistia into the ensuing conflict, joining the worldwide war.

World's End
In EC 998, Jakoku was completely decimated by Punishment. Following the end of the Third Period and its subsequent merging with the Hellish Yard, an illusion of Enbizaka was created by Kayo Sudou. Around that time, an illusion of the USE Dark Star Bureau courthouse created by Gallerian Marlon materialized in the city. The Master of the Hellish Yard later arrived and returned Gallerian and Kayo to lower hell.

Power Structure
Following the collapse of Jamataikoku, Jakoku's government constantly changed throughout the centuries before entering a warring states period where each region was governed by the local daimyo. Following the end of the Jakoku Civil War, the nation's government was united under the rule of the shogunate, with a shogun ruling over all the daimyo. Below them were the magistrates, samurai charged with ruling the shogunate's territories in its stead. Each position within the government was subject to a hereditary line-of-succession with the firstborn male usually inheriting the position and title.

Military
Jakoku's military maintained the elite samurai as its backbone. Prominent samurai families were given positions of authority as magistrates to maintain civil order in their region. They typically wielded katana.

Economy
Jakoku maintained a feudal system, with peasants of a territory required to farm the fields for the nation's agriculture. In exchange, it is assumed the peasants were given a moderate fee or permitted to live on the land they worked and take a small portion of the harvest.It also maintained a sizable merchant class selling various goods domestically. While maintaining a strict isolationist policy throughout much of its history, Jakoku continued to have limited trade with other nations outside of Onigashima until freeing trade with the rest of the world. Among its products, Jakoku developed a sauce that became popular in the western region of the continent. The kimono was also a notable product of the nation in the west.

Society and Culture
Due to their historical isolation from Evillious, the Jakokuese had a limited tolerance of foreigners, with only few communities allowing the intermixing of natives with foreigners and immigrants. Compounding this, disdain for foreigners existed in other communities outside Onigashima, with those without the characteristics of pure Jakokuese being discriminated against. Extremists opposed to any foreign influence within the nation were also present within Jakoku for several centuries.

Jakokuese characteristically wore kimonos as standard attire, with eastern fashion being distinct from its western counterpart. The katana was also a design that originated from the nation. Because of its isolation, Jakoku was considered one of the unexplored kingdoms of the East by the 6th century EC.

Geography and Climate
As an archipelago, Jakoku lay off the main continent of Bolganio in the eastern end of Akuna region. It also had several smaller islands branching off from the main island. Due to having water on all sides, the country had a natural barrier protecting its borders. The nation had a relatively mountainous landscape but had a diverse enough geography to possess both warm and snowy climates.

Amayomi
A region in northern Jakoku. It was part of the main landmass, and contained an island.

Enkoku
A region in central Jakoku. The shogunate's headquarters were located there. It was part of the main landmass.

Momogengou
A small village located on the western edge of Enkoku. Founded during the EC 500s by the blacksmith Chartette Langley under a different name, it eventually adopted the name Momogengou. The Lang Clan lived near the area.

Susa
A region in southeast Jakoku. It was an island off the main landmass.

Izasa
A region in southwest Jakoku. It contained numerous islands, including Onigashima. Following Jakoku's civil war, it was governed by the noble Octo family.

Onigashima
An island in Jakoku's Izasa region. The small island was located off the southern shore of the main island. The city of Enbizaka was located at its center. '' Main Article: Onigashima''

Enbizaka
A city in Jakoku, positioned along a mountain slope. At its entrance lay a bridge before the road sloped into the town. It is infamous for the serial murders that took place there in EC 842, causing a panic among the populace. Few accurate historical documents exist due to its far off place in the nation. '' Main Article: Enbizaka''

Jagahara
A major plain in Jakoku. During the civil war in EC 549, a major battle took place along Jagahara.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Jakoku is inspired by the real world nation of Japan; its culture and appearance bears many similarities with that of feudal Japan.
 * Its name is written as 蛇国 in Japanese kanji, literally meaning "snake land"; fittingly, the Jakoku archipelago resembles a large snake.
 * The name Jamataikoku is written as 蛇魔台国 in Japanese kanji, using the kanji for "snake", "demon", "stand" or "table", and "land" or "country", respectively.
 * Its association with snakes may be a reference to the Leviathan, the patron demon of Envy; in Judeo-Christian mythology, the Leviathan is often depicted as a type of large sea serpent.
 * Additionally, snakes are often the representative animal of Envy in Western symbolism.

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